The AMG Mercedes-Benz M156 engine is one of the German company’s finest ever powertrains and now serves as the heart of a truly wild Toyota HiLux residing in South Africa.
Mercedes-AMG built its fabulous sounding 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine for a number of years and first introduced it with the 2007 CLK63 AMG where it pumped out 475 hp and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque. It went on to power other models including the CLS63 AMG, E63 AMG, ML63 AMG, C63 AMG, SL63 AMG, S63 AMG, and CL63 AMG and produced upwards of 518 hp and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) in some models.
An improved version of this V8, dubbed the M159, went on to power vehicles including the SLS AMG, AMG GT3 race car, and SLS AMG Black Series where it delivered no less than 622 hp.
Watch: 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series Is Ready To Bite Your Face Off
Yes, that’s an AMG V8 lurking under the hood – screenshots via Youtube@Speed and Sound Magazine
In addition to being extremely powerful, AMG’s 6.2-liter V8 sounds absolutely glorious and makes this HiLux one of the craziest anywhere in the world.
We’re not sure of the name of the company responsible for this wild engine swap but the result is something to behold. From inside the cabin, it sounds just like a C63 AMG but from the outside, looks just like a slightly modified Hilux with some stickers on it. Making the car all the more impressive is the fact that the V8 is mated to a manual transmission, an option that was never available with the M156 engine from the factory.