A Diesel Van From Mercedes-AMG? There Was A Time...

Mercedes-AMG applies its performance-enhancing talents to just about everything wearing the Silver Star, from coupes and convertibles to sedans, wagons, and even SUVs.

The line it seems to draw falls on this side of Benz's commercial vehicles, but there was a time when it delved into that territory too.

The German automaker flipped back the pages of its history books to remind us via Facebook of the Mercedes-Benz MB 100 D from 1989 – precursor to the Viano – modified by the engineers in Affalterbach.

It's described as “the only diesel vehicle to date that AMG ever got involved in,” packing an oil-burning, 2.4-liter inline-four good for all of 72 horsepower... or less than a fifth of what you'd find in the A45, CLA45, or GLA45, which constitute the “base” models in today's AMG lineup.

Could Daimler's performance division do the same with the V-Class today? Or the Sprinter? Or even a diesel-powered passenger car? Only time will tell. But as this nearly 30-year-old van goes to show, it wouldn't be unprecedented.