AMG is Mercedes-Benz’s performance brand. It makes the sportier, higher-performance versions of Mercedes cars, and here they’re talking about how AMG is moving into electric cars while still selling gas cars too.
An electric car runs on electricity stored in a battery. This episode is about how AMG is planning electric cars, but also keeping gas cars available for some customers and regions.
Combustion engines are the traditional gas or diesel engines that burn fuel to make power. Here, AMG is talking about still selling those cars even as it launches electric models.
The G-Class is a luxury SUV built to handle rough roads while still feeling comfortable. It has a very recognizable, boxy design and a reputation for durability. The episode mentions it to talk about what makes this kind of vehicle feel unique.
Market research means collecting information about what customers want and what competitors are doing. AMG says they use it to help decide what to build next.
Pre development activities are the early planning steps before a new car is fully designed. AMG says they use this time to explore what future performance technology might look like.
Term
Myths series
They’re talking about a special limited program where only a small number of cars are made. The idea is that buyers get a more unique, customized build instead of a regular mass-produced car.
It’s a production method where one trained person builds the whole engine by themselves. Instead of many workers each doing a small step, the same person finishes the entire engine.
Place
falter Bach
They’re saying the engine is built by specialist workers at a specific Mercedes-AMG site. The exact place name in the transcript sounds garbled, but it’s about where the engines are assembled.
A “V eight” means the engine has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. In this context, they’re saying it takes a few hours to build one from start to finish.
This is a special experience where customers can go to the factory, meet the person who builds engines, and help assemble the engine that goes into their car. It’s meant to make the car feel more personal and special.
“G Wagon” is the nickname for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It’s known for its distinctive shape and off-road character, and the speaker uses it to explain that a car’s personality isn’t only about the engine.
The Kia Soul is a small crossover that’s meant for daily driving. It’s known for its unusual, boxy shape and easy-to-live-with layout. The podcast brings it up as an example of a car with a distinct character.
KPIs are the measurable numbers people use to judge how good something is. The speaker says EVs can’t just be impressive on paper; they also need to feel exciting to drive.
Combustion engine cars are the traditional gas/diesel cars that burn fuel to move. The speaker is saying AMG wants electric cars to feel emotionally similar, especially in sound and vibration.
“V8 sound” is the distinctive noise a V8 engine makes—how it sounds when you rev it and drive. Here, AMG is trying to recreate that same feeling in an electric car using recorded sounds and software.
The Nissan GT-R is a sports car designed to be very quick. People talk about it because it’s engineered to perform consistently. In the episode, it’s brought up in connection with how the car’s sound and feel are part of what makes it special.
An RPM meter is the gauge that normally tells you how fast the engine is spinning. In this electric AMG example, it’s used to mimic that feel for the driver.
These are devices that shake or vibrate the seats/cabin. The goal is to make the car’s acceleration and sound feel more realistic, even though it’s electric.
“Sport Plus” is a driving mode that makes the car respond more aggressively. Here, the speaker says AMG Force is the newer version of that mode for the electric car experience.
The “S 63” is a high-performance version of Mercedes’ big luxury sedan, tuned by AMG. It’s meant to feel more powerful and sporty than a regular S-Class, while still being comfortable.
Car
a MG GT
The AMG GT is a Mercedes-AMG sports car. It’s the kind of car you drive for fun on weekends, and in this chat he’s also talking about a new four-door version coming.
This is a Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 with all-wheel drive. “4MATIC” means power goes to more than just the front wheels, which can help the car grip the road better, especially in bad weather.
4MATIC is Mercedes’ all-wheel-drive setup. It helps the car put power to the wheels that have the best grip, which can make driving safer and more confident.
A “C3 Corvette” is a specific older Corvette generation from Chevrolet. The point here is that the host feels the Corvette is more emotionally engaging to drive than an EV.
The host is talking about whether a car stays fun after you’ve owned it for a long time. It’s not just about the first wow moment—it’s about whether you still look forward to driving it later.
Acceleration is how quickly a car speeds up. The host is saying EVs can feel exciting at first because they accelerate hard, but other details also matter for long-term enjoyment.
Term
fake horse power numbers
The host is complaining about how some EV specs are presented as if they’re the whole story. They’re saying the first burst of acceleration can be fun, but it may not stay exciting forever.
A “one trick pony” is something that’s only great at one thing. The host is saying some EV marketing focuses too much on one exciting moment (fast acceleration) and not enough on the whole experience.
Suspension is what helps the car ride smoothly over bumps. The host is saying that how the suspension feels can make a car more enjoyable to live with over time.
The host means how the car feels when you close the door—whether it sounds and feels solid. They’re saying those little details can make you love the car even after a long time.
Concept
right tool for the job
The host is saying that sometimes you choose a car based on what you need, not just on feelings. If you need to get somewhere fast, that’s a valid reason even if the car isn’t super emotional.
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Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. I'm Hannah Elliott and
I'm Matt Miller.
This is Hot Pursuit.
Coming up on today's podcast, we have Michael Sheba, who is the head I'm going to say the head of Mercedes amj G. He's also a board member who will
be transitioning out of that role in July.
But we know and.
Love him as the head of the top dog at AMG, the CEO. The CEO, yes, and really a rising I
don't know if it's correct to say rising star at Mercedes, but really someone who's very integral to the car.
I have heard the same thing, right, We should say that we're only reporting rumors that we hear from other people in the industry. But this is a guy who
has a shot at the big job.
Yeah.
Also, he's extremely talented. He's also really young in a
good way.
I don't know a good way.
I mean, I've guts used like early forties.
Maybe that's late thirties in case he's listening to this part.
Sure, he's got a big career ahead of him. Also
a runner, which I love. I think runners, people who
run might be better than other people.
You think, so, I feel like I put runners in the same category as like heavy drinkers.
It is it can be an addiction.
Yeah, and they it's like they like to go through the pain, you know, the suffer.
Yeah.
Yeah, there is something. Yeah, No, I don't think I'm not.
Well, I guess what I mean is there's you know, there's something about the loneliness of the long distance runner, the solitude. Yeah, there's something there. Anyway, we're not talking
about running, We're talking about.
Cars, right, cool. Well, I'm looking forward to this. I
just had him on my television show. So let's get
into our interview with Michael Siba, the CEO of AMG.
When I was with you in LA a few weeks ago for the launch of the car, you guys spoke a lot about understanding that different markets have different desires and concerns, and how important the US market is for you guys. And yes, you are launching this electric car,
but that's only one part of your strategy.
You certainly still.
Have combustion engines, and in fact is a case with the Baby G Wagon, which I'm very excited about. You've decided,
because of the request from dealers, to make that in an electric and a combustion version, and I thought that was very cool because to me it indicates you are actually listening and try to read and understand a very patchwork quilt of marketplaces. Can you talk a little bit
more about, like how you guys listen to dealers and customers in markets where the US really seems to not want evs, but a lot of other markets in Europe and Asia do want evs. What indicators do you follow
to decide who needs what? Is it just sales or
is it other things too?
Of course we do, of course follow the market very closely, and as a customer centric company, you definitely need to listen to your customers. This is the most important point. Yeah,
this is why we have a very close relation to our hardcore fans out there. You know, we have this
AMG Private Launch, So when you buy an AMG, you can register to an online community, our AMG Private Launch, and this is one of the feedback channels that we intensively use. So it's not a one way direction. So
from time to time, I or even Ola joins a video call with some selected Private Launch members and then we just have a chat on the other side, our customers and Private Launch members. They also have the chance
from time to time to speak some of our product managers to some of the engineers, ask their questions, give us also some feedback and advice, and this is really important.
So we carefully listen to what's going on in the market.
But of course, finally it's still a business decision. Yeah, so, yeah,
you have to listen, and you should listen to your customers.
But finally, if you want to jump far ahead, if you want to be ahead of your competitors, sometimes also you have to take a risk. Yeah, and you cannot
because if you ask for what they know, then you will not progress as fast as you should do if you want to lead the market.
Quote, if he asked what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.
Yes, yes, yes, And this is why we also do a little do a lot of market research. Of course,
we have pre development activities where we already now look into the performance technology of the future, and then we have a very structured process within our little company where we then look into some of the details. We say, hey,
there is a crazy idea for a car. May it
be like a completely new car to our portfolio. So
and then we put together all the numbers, and there are I would say two very important reference points. First,
it has to be a benefit for the brand. Of course,
the brand is above all, it sits above everything that we do, so the brand needs to benefit from that additional portfolio position or from that car. And of course, secondly,
it also has to be a positive business case, so there need to be customers out there for that car.
But I have to be honest, since we are a little crazy at AMG Yes. In most of the cases
we followed that structured process, but from time to time we also take a different route. And if I can
just give you a little insight here talking about one of our next upcoming cars, the next myths car combustion car. There. Yeah,
what is the story behind it? Actually I heard some
rumors on our campus. Yeah, Michael, there is something going on.
And actually some of the engineers came up with the crazy ideas and they just took a car, put a nice engine into it, spoke to the designers and then so they were it was a little bit like a hidden project going on. And so I was just speaking
to some of the employees and then I said, okay, I need to go to the workshop and have a look at it. And so one of my managers he
took me because he is responsible for all the teams that work in the workshop, and so they gave me a little sneak and there was a car. Actually it
looked like a like a somewhat like a tuned whatever. Yeah,
but they told me about the idea behind it, and they said, Michael, we can do something really crazy here, but we need to have a little bit of funding for that. And I said, yeah, but at the moment,
you know, we have so many projects going on, do we really have the time. Will we maybe lose our
focus if we now do that little side project here.
But then they just got me excited. Yeah, And so
then the whole story started to grow within the company and we spoke to more and more people. So then
we involved the guys from our strategy department, Then we involved the guys from our finance department. Then I said, okay,
I'm looking for a little bit of funding within so we actually asked some of the other projects to do a little donation for that project. And so it turned
out to be a really exciting car. And this car
is going to be launched in the second half of this year and what did we do because unfortunately all of the thirty units are already sold. So what did
we do is, actually we contacted our Silver Silver Arrow customers, which are the best of the best Mercedes customers worldwide, and we said to them, come to Berlin. We have
a very exciting project to show it to you. And
so we invited them to a very industrial building in Berlin.
Everything was secret, so they didn't know what's going on there and so it was like a little bit going into the Burkhein in Berlin, so it was like this kind of atmosphere and then we did a presentation, we uncovered the car. We had I think ninety customers on site,
but we only had thirty cars.
Who gets what?
Actually we said, you have to decide fast to get one, and of course then we had more than thirty customers that wanted to have it. But finally, you can only
give it to thirty customers. So we then took the decision.
But since our Myths series is not a one time activity, so next time, of course, we will make sure that all the ones that didn't get the car will have a chance and we'll treat it with priority. The next
time that.
Was Michael Shiba with Mercedes AMG. We'll be right back
with more after this. Welcome back to Hot Pursuit. We
continue our conversation with Mercedes AMG's Michael Sheiba. So this
is a car, This is a Mythos series which is limited to thirty cars?
Are these?
So the engine and the car are uniquely designed?
Am I getting that right?
Or yes? Completely now?
And the customers I remember you also mentioned the customers have the opportunity to build the engine themselves.
This is part of it. Can you tell us a
bit more about that about.
That you're making people work and and they're paying so you know when.
When you know, one of the things that makes our cars so standalone is actually the way how we build our engines. Yeah, they are built according to the principal
one man, one engine or U. And that means we
have engine builders in a falter Bach, and any of the engine builders builds a completely engine from the first to the last piece. So it takes them, for a
V eight engine roughly three and a half hours. And
then once they have finished it, they put a badge on it which is signed with their name. Yeah, and
this is of course also you sign for the quality of that engine. But as I said to you, I
think last time when we met, it's also a big motivator for our engine builders because not very seldom we have people from all over the world coming to a falter Bach and then they have taken a picture of the badge on their V eight engine in their car.
They come to a fulter Bach, they do a little factory tour because you can do that in a falter Bach.
You can see how they build the engines, and then they ask, I want to meet my engine builders. So
I want to meet the person who built my end.
And of course if they are there, we make it happen definitely. And so we said, what can be more
emotional because most of their executives that started to work for Mercedes AMG. So I did as well have the
opportunity to build an engine. Yeah, of course it takes
a little longer than three and a half hours. Yeah. So,
and you have a very professional engine builder on your side.
But we said, hey, why don't we offer this opportunity also to customers. And so what we then offer to
those customers is they can come to a falter Bach, they will get to know their engine builder and then they assemble their own engine, which we then finally will put in their car, and they will have a batch on top of their engine with their name and of course also co signed by the engine builder. But imagine
now you buy this car, it's a very rare car, and you do a little show off in front of your neighbor. You open the hood and then your name
is on the engine and you can tell everyone you know, this is the engine that I have built, and poorly.
It will take you twelve hours roughly like that. But
I think it's a really cool.
Thing, absolutely worth it. I actually did that, not build
the engine, but I went to a Falterbach to meet the engine builder back then with Marios Bitzner, and it was so cool. Can you just take a step back
and explain AMG, like the origin story of AMG to our listeners, because you know, it's been so long that people may forget how it started and what it means.
Yes, of course, Actually our founding fathers Hans lna Alfret and al Melgier, they were both engineers working at Mercedes and back in the days Mercedes decided to withdraw from motorspoying and was that was the time actually when when they quit, and so they left the company, they founded a little startup called AMG, coming from their names Outraged Melchier.
So AM and G stands for gross Aspach, which is a little town very close to af Aalterbach. So they
founded the company and they bought Mercedes cars turned them into race cars, and they have been very very successful in doing that, and so more and more customers actually came and asked them, can we also buy those cars?
And this is how the whole story and success story started.
And so over the time the company grew. Then Mercedes
also back in the days, then decided maybe we need to have a performance division within our company, and so Mercedes bought a share in that company. So Alfred and
Melchia were still in the company. And then of course
the whole story of Mercedes AMG started when they actually moved to falter Bach where our headquarters is. At the moment,
the company was about I think twelve employees roughly like that.
Nowadays we are roughly three thousand employees working there in a falter Bach. And you see that afalter Bach is
a little town close to Stuttgart, and that was just a little, let's say, industrial area there and it started with just one two buildings and now everything has significantly grown. Yeah,
so all the people coming to a falda Bach in the morning, and of course we are very happy to be still in a falter Bach to be close to our base location, so where they more or less founded the company. And then finally Mercedes took over the whole
AMG operation. Alfrich and Malcha left the company and since
then Mercedes AMG is the performance division within Mercedes, and of course we deliver the most incredible, most exceptional performance casts in the market.
One more quick pause more with Michael Sheiba from Mercedes AMG.
Right after this.
Welcome back to Hot Pursuit, we continue our conversation with Mercedes AMG's Michael Sheba.
I think about the red Pig. Oh, I think about
the I think about the hammer. I think about the SLS.
I mean, you have had so many, you know, famous examples designed by AMG. Do you think that it's possible
that this electric car can become that? Because I've done
a lot of thinking about what makes the soul of a car, and with you know, the G Wagon, it's not so much the engine, it's the vault like exterior that you have with the S class. Maybe it's the
the smooth, you know, faultless ride, the suspension system, but with most AMG cars, I mean, it's got to be the design for some of those as well. But it's
as you said, it's the powertrain that is the soul of the car. So what do you do to make
sure an electric car has that soul? Like, what have
you actually done technically to make the driver appreciate the experience of this ev.
And you're absolutely white. Amgs have always been about the performance,
but also about the emotions. So this car actually needs
to give you goosebumps when you when you get behind the steering wheel and you drive it. And this is
why we said, you cannot just put an amazing Electrica into the market with incredible performance KPIs. It also has
to create the emotions that our combustion engine cars have given our customers out there. And this is why we
then said, okay, which are the boxes that we need to tick? And what did we actually do is and
the story behind that is also a kind of the development process or a developing process, because we started and we said, yes, we need to give this car the soul that means you need to have a sound, you need to have vibrations, and so we looked into all the technologies out there, and of course sound is something which you do and create with software. So we went
out into the labor market and we hired the best talents out there from the music industry to create a very thing AMG sound. And so we gave the car
to those engineers and we said, hey, you have had the chance to drive our combustion engine cars. Now we
need to have a real AMG sound for an electric car.
And so they started to develop something and they presented it to us and my management team and I from time to time, more or less, I would say twice a month, we spent considerable time on our approving grounds to trust drive all the latest and greatest of our cars.
We were driving the first release of this sound and it was okay, but it wasn't actually an AMG sound, and so we thought, okay, what can we do to come there where we want to be? But we want
to come to our reference point, which were our V eights.
So we were thinking back and forth and then we said, hey, we need to give those peoples a little bit of help.
And so we looked into our team and identified the people that were working for many years in our engine development and exhaust system development department. And so actually we
teamed up the software engineers with the mechanical engineering guys and we created, as I call it always, a Ministry of Sound. Yeah, so we said, your task is now
to create a really really realistic V eight sound. And
so what they did is actually they took an AMG gtr so of our predecessor GT to a sound studio, they recorded all the sounds, and then of course they put it onto our driving model for that GT four door coup So when you get behind the steering wheel in that car, of all, what you see is you have an RPM meter in front of you in your instrument cluster usually or normally. Actually, this car doesn't have
any gears, so you can drive it from zero to three hundred without any gearshifts. But we said, we need
to make it as realistic as possible. So you activate
our AMG Force as we call it. It's a drive program.
It used to be the s plus, so the sport plus drive mode in our cars. So you activate that
drive program and then your seed starts shaking because we have shakers, exciders in your seats, you see the RPM meter in front of you, and then you have the V eight sound and when you start driving it, you feel the shifts, the gearshifts, and you can even use your shifting pedals behind your steering wheel to do the upshifts and down shifts while driving. So it's so realistic.
We have had the opportunity to give some of our US dealers a test wife when they were in Germany, and actually some of them asked me after the test wife to open the hood because they didn't believe that there is no engine under the hood. So it's really
really realistic. You need to test drive it.
Yes, I do, We both do.
Okay, I have to. I know you have to go. Michael.
I have one more question for you, hopefully a fun one.
Can you just tell us what cars you drive and love personally and like also, do you have a bucket list car that you really have your eye on and want to buy someday?
This is what this is what we're here for, Michael, this is what we care about.
Oh okay, okay, that's a fun chrish list. Yeah, and
I'm very honest of course, as the CEO of Mercedes AMG.
I'm in a very lucky and happy position here. So actually,
at the moment, I'm driving two cars. I drive an
S sixty three, which is I think the best S class in the market if you are looking for a performance version of the S class. And at the same time,
my fun car is an a MG GT so the two door coup and and this is my my my weekend car, so to say. And I just love both
of them.
Love it and anything you have your eye on for the future.
What are you.
Strolling all eagerly waiting for my new GT four door coop?
So yeah, I will. I will be one of the
first to get one. So I'm very excited about that.
Thank you so much for your time, Michael. We really
really appreciate it.
Yes, thanks so much, thank you. You know, they're making
a flat plane crank VA the next one.
What are they putting it in?
Starting with the S class? So not an AMG car,
but they eventually will's and I wonder, like I'm I mean, I would just like they're going to so much trouble to make this car feel sound and smell like a V eight. Why not, Like, what's the point? Why not
just they have a V eight compliance. Yeah, I know,
but I want to. I want him to say that
all we have to because I knows.
I mean the most.
I feel like the most we could get is you know, buyers from other countries outside of the US will buy it.
I mean I By the way, I don't ignore the benefits of an EV like, I'm still driving this. Oh,
I have an official correction to make as well, because the Mercedes that I'm driving, the CLA that I'm driving, is not the lower horsepower figures that I gave you.
Remember last week I said I was driving one with like two hundred some horsepower and uh two hundred and some pound feet of torque. It's actually I'm driving the
CLA three point fifty formattic. It has three one hundred
and forty nine horse power three hundred and eighty pound feet of torque, so it's more substantial. But and it's
still only fifty grand to start. So I'm driving this
thing into work today and I'm thinking, like, I can't believe how good this car is for how relatively little it costs. I know that's a high amount of money
for a car, but here we are in twenty twenty.
Six, yes, that's average, by the way, like fifty grand is the average trend exactly exactly.
And for this car, which has so much luxury, as we talked about, the fit and finish is amazing. It
looks like a yacht on the inside with the teak wood, and it's got so much tech. Like if I'm just
driving slowly around a parking lot, it highlights all the places I could park and I would just have to push a button for it to do it, so I don't have to. You know, that's pretty cool. I mean
better for a big car like an S Class or a G Wagon where you're afraid to hit anything. But
I was thinking as I was driving in, like there are incredible benefits to evs, like I just plug it in when I get to work, or I plug it in when I get home, and I never go to a gas station again.
I don't love going to gas stations period.
I think a lot.
So many women have told me they really they feel unsafe, they feel dirty. They I mean, yeah, gas stations. Also,
why did someone come out with an amazing gas station? Yeah?
No, I mean I don't mind going to gas stations in my Dodge because I turn up the nickelback and I'm checking out the babes.
Oh no, wow, yeah, that works great for you.
I'm kidding, no, But my point is I see the benefits of an EV. So it's not just for other countries.
But if you're going to go to so many if you're going to bend over backwards to try and mimic a V eight experience, like why not just build a V.
Right, Well we know the answer to that. I mean,
I will say, honestly, I am withholding judgment on the AMGGT four door coop until I drive it, because maybe it is amazing. Honestly, maybe they have they really have. Really, Look,
we know these guys. They're going to try their hardest
to make it something good. So I'm actually curious to
drive it. I don't I don't know what it'll be like,
but I'm very curious to drive it. And I can't
like say if it's good or not until I do, of.
Course, and all the I mean, look, Kevin Tynan talks about the fact that these CEOs, at the end of the day are businessmen, and it's true they have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to make money, and that's the ultimate goal, But they're AMG guys through and through.
Like I know, uh Ola Colenius comes from AMG. You know,
he's steeped in that culture. And there's a chance that
Shiva will be the next CEO of the entire Mercedes Benz group, Like they're bringing their leadership from this performance division. Yes,
and those.
Guys really do. Like when he says it's a bunch
of crazy people, he means that in a good way.
Like those guys go they do go hard. They they
really it is. There may making certain cars for certain reasons,
but they do go hard. You and I both know it.
And so yeah, it's I look for trying as well.
I'm gonna it's It's sure all the people on the internet who are talking smack about how it looks and about an EV and whatever, they're most of them, especially about the luch right the Ferrari, most of them are never gonna buy it. Obviously I could never afford to
buy it either. But you know, these these companies are
making cars first and foremost for the people to whom they sell them, right, Yeah, and yeah, those it.
Really doesn't matter what the Peanut Gallery says.
Yeah, exactly. But also you know, driving it matters. So
like with the light CHA, I think about this soul issue all the time, Like, Okay, it's six hundred and forty thousand dollars, that's an insane amount of money for a car. But for that amount of money, they should
have been able to design a soul into even an EV. Right,
I mean I disagree. I don't think every car has
to have soul. I think some cars, if they don't
have soul, I don't care. I'm gonna go pick up
my dry cleaning and go get a coffee and go home.
Now that can be one experience if I'm in my C three Corvette, which I love, or it could be another experience if I'm in an EV.
And you know what I don't. I don't need.
I don't need every car to have soul. True, you
know I need some cars to have soul. But I
personally love taking away Mo. You know that car doesn't
have soul, but it gets the job done for sure.
I mean, maybe the term soul is wrong. What I'm
really thinking is when you when you're driving your Corvette or your Rolls Royce or a nine to eleven. Right,
there's something about the driving experience that you like the first time, that you like the tenth time, that you like the one hundred times that years into the ownership experience.
If it's a good car, years into driving it every day, it's still going to turn you on, right. And the
thing about pushing evs on acceleration or on whatever the fake horse power numbers or I'm gonna leave your nine to eleven in the dust, right, That is exciting the first time, and that acceleration is exciting the tenth time.
It's not so exciting the fiftieth time. And I doubt
that years later you're gonna be that pumped about just that one trick pony of it. It's got to have,
like the door's closing has to make you feel something, or the suspension, the way it rides has to make you feel something. The design definitely has to make you feel.
There's gotta be some aspect of it where even after years of ownership, you still are in love with that car right totally.
And by the way, I don't click with every combustion engine car either. There are plenty of combustion cars that
I'm like, Eh, I don't I drive it once and I'm good.
I don't need it again, so.
Like yeah, I'm again like the right tool for the job, I think is the proper approach. And I if you
and I are both the same that we want a car that makes us feel, something that we remember, that we look forward to, that has something of a personality, even if for me, even if it's an obnoxious personality, I actually like it more.
I love that.
But I'm also a pragmatist and sometimes I just need something to get me to a spot real quick.
And that's okay too, for sure.
What do you got going on anything? Oh?
You know? So I'm joining you from Carmel right now.
I'm here to do. I'm working on a feature with
Sondra Button, the head of the Pebble Beach Concord Delegance, and Vince Finalde, who is her successor. So I'm meeting
with them today and tomorrow. I can give you a
lovely weather report here from Carmel by the Sea. And
I have to say it's downright charming when it's not car Week, and of course we love car Week and every morning when the sound of the v twelves are raging through the FI at six am. But also it's
really nice when it's truly quiet. I'm sure that's yes,
that is that is where you find me, Matt.
I always you know what, Yesterday I was talking with a woman who's from Santa Barbara and she now lives in DC, and I was like, I always wonder about people who move somewhere else from California, Like, why would you leave Paradise? What She's like, Oh, I had to
get a job, taxes. Yeah, I'm I just if I
could live in Carmel by the Sea or in San Diego or these are the best places in the world to live, I mean, short of Hawaii. I can't imagine
a better place to live. It's so weird when people
move out of there, isn't it.
Yeah, I mean there are I understand certain reasons. I'm
I'm very unhappy with the leadership in LA, for instance.
At the moment, La is a different story, right because it's like the Jakarta of California.
Carmel, though, is so nice, and I love that it's cooler here. I actually prefer a cool a colder climate.
Let's not forget I'm from Oregon and I lived in New York forever. I don't know, maybe same as you
coming from Ohio. But I like the cooler temperatures.
I like to wear a sweater. I'm a leather jacket man.
I see that you're wearing a cool leather jacket.
I'm wearing both of those, a sweater and a jacket.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree with you.
Maybe you know, if we disappear sometime finally.
But most places in California, like California is not Miami, right, even San Diego, which is way down south, is still like seventy five degrees every day.
So, I mean, there's a reason why Oprah and Harry and Meghan and everyone else who's wealthy lives in Mendocino and Santa Barbara and those, oh.
High those are your benchmark people.
Those are the ones that came to mind area in Megan.
Yeah, I know the air.
Oh yeah, they did, they did, they did?
All right, cool. Well, I'm just I'm just enjoying this
Mercedes C LA E. It's like so, I mean, it's
on the one hand, so luxurious, and on the other hand, it doesn't really stand out except for the color.
Sometimes that's nice also too.
Yeah, actually to not stand out.
It's pretty reliable. And we'll see what I get into next. Week.
But that does it for Hot Pursuit this week.
Remember to follow and subscribe to Hot Pursuit on Apples, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen. You can also send us
your comments. Email us at hot Pursuit at bloomberg dot net.
And check out Hannah's columns and stories on Bloomberg dot com and on the Bloomberg Business app. Go there for
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Find it all at Bloomberg dot com, slash Pursuits, slash Autos.
I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott will be right back in your podcast speed again next week
About this episode
Michael Schiebe, head of Mercedes-AMG, talks about how AMG keeps its performance identity while expanding into EVs—balancing dealer requests, market research, and feedback from its “AMG Private Launch” community. He shares how limited-run projects start as “hidden project” ideas, then get greenlit and allocated to “Silver Arrow” customers. Schiebe also explains how AMG recreates V8 emotion in an electric car with “AMG Force,” recorded sound, and seat vibration—while debating what “V8 feel” should mean next.
Hannah and Matt talk about the future of EVs and combustion with Michael Schiebe, member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and the head of Mercedes-AMG.
