Mercedes-AMG C 63 and E 63 could return to V8 power
New report suggests AMG will yield to consumer demand and restore V8 firepower to its medium and large performance sedansThe new Mercedes-AMG C 63 and next-generation E 63 will return to 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 firepower by 2026, marking a major backflip on the German performance car brand’s downsized hybrid powertrain strategy due to popular demand.
That’s the latest word from respected European automotive journalist Georg Kacher, who cited two senior engineers in a recent Car and Driver article as saying the ‘M177’ V8 is currently being modified to meet strict new Euro 7 emissions regulations in order to quell protests from the AMG fanbase.
Mercedes-Benz ruffled a lot of feathers last year when it announced its future ‘63’ performance models would be powered by smaller-capacity plug-in hybrid powertrains, even though the new C 63 S E Performance’s four-cylinder PHEV system outputs a mighty 500kW/1020Nm.
If they prove accurate, Kacher’s claims indicate the Stuttgart performance division has seen the apparent error in its ways and is keen to make amends, especially as BMW M and Audi RS ready a barrage of high-performance competition.
The theory goes that a more efficient version of the monstrous V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces no less than 620kW/1400Nm in the four-door Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance and a mammoth 590kW/1430Nm in the S 63 E Performance will replace both the C 63’s high-output 2.0-litre PHEV system and the inline six-cylinder PHEV set-up expected to debut in the next E 63, thereby reinstating a key cornerstone of AMG’s identity: ballistic V8s.
The updated V8 hybrid system will supposedly debut in 2026 as part of the C 63’s expected mid-life update and in alignment with the implementation of Euro 7, followed by a facelift for the new E 63 that’s expected to appear later this year, based on the upcoming new E-Class.
Kacher’s sources said the C 63 and E 63 will need only minor body work alterations in order to accommodate the force-fed V8 and all of its PHEV electrical hardware – an easy feat to pull off as part of a mid-life makeover.
According to the report, which made no mention of any other 63 models, both the C-Class and E-Class are under evaluation for a life-cycle extension beyond 2028, meaning the hard-core AMG versions may remain in production well into the next decade.
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