Enthusiasts police the 'Hammer' and 'baby Hammer' labels hard: purists insist a true Hammer requires the bespoke DOHC M117 V8 in 5.6 or 6.0 form, and that a 300E with an AMG-tuned six is not one. AMG's early M103 work is still celebrated — AMG took the M103 to 3.2L while Brabus pushed it to 3.6L, described as the largest displacement ever extracted from that engine by any tuner.
The 'Hammer' and what actually qualifies as pre-merger AMG
Mercedes-Benz W124 E-Class · history