AMG released a long statement to reveal initial details of their upcoming Mercedes A45 AMG, and also shed some light on some of the plans for future. As you see in the picture above, the company has eight new models in the pipeline which will be revealed over the next few years in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

Starting with the A45, four-wheel-drive is going to be used in more and more AMG cars in the future, not just the SUVs, but the high-performance vehicles. These model will benefit from a performance-oriented system like the one in the A45. It sends most of the power to the rear wheels for most of the time. Only when the rear wheels started to lose traction it will engage the front axle.

Another highlight of AMG’s plan is to reduce the weight of its products. Carbon fiber is going to play a major role in this part. Through their experience with the SLR, the AMG Black Series vehicles and in motorsport, Mercedes-Benz and AMG have accumulated more than 10 years of expertise in working with carbon-fibre materials. Using aluminum – as is the case with the new generation of the SL – is another way of achieving that goal.

But perhaps the best news AMG has for us is that they will continue to make V12 engine. Mercedes might ditch them, but AMG is not going to let go of them. Currently AMG produces the M 279 AMG 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine motor for the S 65 AMG, CL 65 AMG, SL 65 AMG and G 65 AMG. In the future, all twelve-cylinder engines for upcoming Mercedes models will be developed in Affalterbach, and manufactured in the AMG production facility in accordance with the traditional philosophy “one man, one engine”.

A further component of the “AMG Performance 50” growth strategy is the consistent enhancement of the AMG Sports package. These packages are available for normal Mercedes models, and is aimed at those who appreciate the visual and the soundtrack of AMG cars, but don’t really need the power.