Mercedes AMG – MV Agusta, an agreement that makes both brands happy

Mercedes AMG – MV Agusta - Since BMW has a high profile motorcycle division and Volkswagen has Ducati Daimler's decision to purchase the might seem inevitable 25% of MV Agusta through its “high-performance wing”, Mercedes AMG.

The benefits for the Italian motorcycle brand are clear, but Mercedes also has a lot to gain from the deal, including help in the battle to meet new emissions standards. Volkswagen, which owns the luxury brand Audi, bought the Ducati in 2012. At the Paris Motor Show, the concept XL Sports by Volkswagen showed how the Ducati is more than a luxury accessory through the use of a two Ducati cylinders which powers its carbon fiber body, reaching 270 km/h with only 197 horsepower.

While there is little chance of seeing a two-cylinder engine in a Mercedes AMG supercar, the luxury automaker has a lot to gain from MV Agusta engine technology. Gordon Murray, the Formula One engineer, said: “Motorcycle engines are ahead of car engines in terms of weight."; as demonstrated by Volkswagen with the XL Sport concept, small engines can still offer high performance when the weight is low. The small engines from the MV Agusta line should also help Mercedes build its own upcoming hybrids, designed to meet now stricter emissions standards around the world.

Selling a 25% stake to Mercedes offered MV Agusta numerous benefits. The Varese-based manufacturer had several financial problems in recent years and so Mercedes and Daimler offer the security of a large car manufacturer. Giovanni Castiglioni, CEO of MV Agusta, said, in fact, how the partnership with Mercedes AMG would have helped the motorcycle manufacturer to “further expand globally, helping to accelerate the growth of the MV Agusta brand”.