Ducati Diavel AMG Special Edition

Ducati and Mercedes AMG have proudly announced that the first public showing of the Ducati Diavel AMG Special Edition will be at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany from 15-25 September. The 2012 flagship model of the Diavel family is a tribute to the AMG luxury-sport brand and is intended for passionate connoisseurs of technology, engineering detail and exclusive style.

Ducati’s unique cooperation with Mercedes AMG was first announced at the 2010 Los Angeles Motor Show with a sponsorship agreement for the Ducati MotoGP Team which perfectly demonstrated the shared brand values of high performance, motorsport and excitement. The association soon developed into a rich strategy of co-marketing activities and the Diavel AMG Special Edition now represents the first “co-inspired” model, elegantly combining distinctive styling features from both famous marques.

Based upon the Diavel Carbon, the Diavel AMG Special Edition features AMG’s signature 5-spoke wheel styling, carbon fibre lateral radiator grills with aluminium trim, AMG-style sport exhaust system with engraved end-caps and AMG-style horizontally ribbed seat upholstered in Alcantara®. The model’s incredible attention to performance detail also ensures that every engine has its Desmodromic cam-timing set by hand and authenticated with the name of the engine technician engraved on the left-side engine casing. Further underlining the model’s exclusivity, each motorcycle will have a numbered plaque on the fuel tank.

The award-winning Ducati Diavel has had massive first-year success for the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, its bold design merging the worlds of power and style with absolute precision to set a new industry standard for the segment. Ducati’s awesome Testastretta 11° engine combined with their famous chassis technology and a specially engineered 240 section rear tyre delivers mind-blowing performance balanced with user-friendly comfort and safety-enhancing electronics.

Hand-built – as with all Ducati motorcycles – the exclusive new Diavel AMG Special Edition is dressed in matte black carbon fibre bodywork with AMG’s very own “Diamond White Bright” stripe and frame colour contrasted with black wheels. The special edition wheels, seat and exhaust end-caps are all AMG branded while “AMG” is also laser-engraved into the air-duct panels either side of the fuel tank.

Review

With 140 horsepower and 98Nm of torque from its L-Twin Testastretta EVOluzione engine and a chassis/suspension package that’s simply brilliant, the 2011 Ducati 848 EVO is possibly all the superbike anyone can possibly need for the street. Cycle World magazine, which tested the bike for their November 2010 issue, say the 848 EVO accelerates from zero to 96km/h in 3 seconds, from zero to 160km/h in 6.5 seconds, does the quarter-mile (400m) in 10.59 seconds and hits a top speed of 261km/h. Not too bad for a bike that costs US$13,000, eh?

It’s interesting to see what CW’s Features Editor, John Burns has to say about the 848 EVO. ‘The first Ducati I remember riding was the way cool 851, back in 1989. It made about 80 horsepower and weighed 23kg more than the 848. We loved it,’ says Burns. ‘If you’re Michael Fabrizio or Larry Pegram and racing to make money, you need the big engine [1198]. For street use, for the rest of us, I like the smaller, reviver ones just because the noise they make is the best thing about Ducati superbikes,’ he adds.

On an 848 EVO, the noise at 10,000rpm is the best racket of all. On an 1198, on the street, you’ll seldom go there. On the 848, you can go there a couple of times a block because that’s where the power is and because the 848 is geared shorter to access it. Not to mention that a mere 118 horses [rear-wheel bhp figure, as measured on the CW dyno] feels like more than enough,’ sums up Burns. Well, that still doesn’t stop us from lusting after the 1198SP – that’s what we want for Sunday mornings. But the 848 EVO just might do for Saturdays... :-)

Source aFaster & Faster / Cycle World