Mercedes-AMG Releases Most Powerful Production Four-Cylinder Engine Ever

By Daud Gonzalez - June 17, 2019

Mercedes-AMG taunts viciously at every other automaker in the industry with its new M319 416 HP turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.

With every passing year, automakers and manufactures are downsizing engines and cylinder counts. This is due in part to the stricter emissions regulations all throughout the world, which guarantee to get more stringent with time. This puts performance-based projects in a tight spot: how to keep the power levels high while maintaining the utmost efficiency? Car and Driver reported to us how this was managed at AMG in a recent article.

Since the days of the 190E in the early 1990’s, Mercedes-AMG has never shied away from 4-cylinders engines. That vehicle producing an astonishing 232HP at 7,200 RPM from a 2.5L naturally-aspirated four-banger in the Evo II. It is suffice to say that AMG knows how to make a fast four-cylinder. With this experience, they have teamed up again to make another record-breaking high-horsepower engine. We might have forgotten to mention that AMG already did this back in 2013 with the debut of the M133 twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder, making a whopping 355 or 375 horsepower depending where you lived. This engine won International Engine of the Year 3 times. Could AMG outdo itself again? You best believe it.

M139 engine

Dubbed the M139, this new AMG creation makes a ridiculous 416 HP from its twin-scroll turbocharged two liter. That is a lot of power per displacement, 208.9 per liter to be exact. Most automakers today boast about the power figures of their six-cylinder based engines to be somewhere in the 300’s, forget 100 more. For AMG to release a four-cylinder of that power level, puts it into running with most modern V8’s. How exactly did they pull off such a feat? Lets learn some more details about the engine.

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Firstly, there are two trim levels featured on the M139, with the base model making 382 HP and the S model making 416 HP. The engine only weighs 354 pounds wet, compared to most modern V8’s weighing in around 500-800 pounds dry. Unlike the previous transverse mounting seen in the M133 (the style of preference for the majority of FWD applications), this engine will be mounted longitudinally like a straight-six or V8 in a RWD application. This is done to create a more aerodynamic front section and more efficient intake and exhaust routing.

The engine block will feature a closed-deck design with a forged crankshaft and forged pistons, with increased baffling in the oil pan for protection against oil starvation. Fueling is handled by both port and direct injection, a necessity to reach the high power output of this engine. For cooling, an air-to-liquid intercooler has been fitted along with a cooler for both the ECU and transmission.

m139 engine build

We won’t bore you with too many details about the new engine, but it should be stated that this power plant will be a game-changer and a new standard in what can be achieved by a four-cylinder in our modern automotive landscape. Every other automaker should be worried by this news because we can almost guarantee they will all have a long way ahead of them to come up with something this advanced. We can’t wait to see this engine offered in the next-generation CLA45 AMG here in the U.S. Until then, we’ll be anxiously waiting and somewhat disappointed that our own 4-cylinder powered cars don’t make 400+ HP stock.