AMG, Michael Kübler says, is about courage, intensity, character, driving performance. It’s about knowing what you want and having the will to go after it, and prevailing in the end. “And, of course, it’s about the best engines in the world.”

We shadow the 36-year-old during his shift at the shop in Affalterbach, where each V8 engine is hand-made by one person. “One man, one engine” is the philosophy the employees here follow. This means that, in a way, the engines produced here are unique specimens. They’re technological, lightweight masterpieces that unpack an enormous amount of power with maximum energy efficiency.