New Mercedes-AMG C 63 capable of even higher outputs

As we found out at its recent global launch, the new 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is a tyre-shredding powerhouse that delivers far more muscle than the 375kW V8 sports sedan it replaces.

But Mercedes-AMG reckons it can squeeze even more performance from what’s already billed as the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain – which is dubbed ‘P3’ and generates an almighty 500kW of power and 1020Nm of torque.

Indeed while the new C 63 already blows the doors off competitors like the six-cylinder turbo BMW M3 Competition (375kW/650Nm) and Audi RS 4 Competition Plus (331kW/600Nm), Mercedes-AMG is ready for a power war and says it has plenty of scope for more power and torque from the epic PHEV powertrain – for either the C 63 or other AMG models.

Steffen Jastrow, the director of vehicle development for Mercedes-AMG, told carsales the high-tech and agonisingly complex P3 powertrain’s petrol engine – which debuted in the current A 45 hot hatch as the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder – is “probably at its limit”.

But the AMG decision maker said the PHEV system’s rear electric motor could be modified to elevate the C 63 S E’s outputs beyond the C 63’s 500kW/1020Nm figures.

“Yes, I think that's definitely possible to do that,” he stated.

However, Jastrow added there were currently no plans to do so, arguing that right now the challenge with such extraordinary levels of performance is making sure the tyres can transfer all that torque to the road effectively, predictably and safely.

So it’s unlikely Mercedes-AMG will boost the power levels of its P3 system in the short-term, but if Audi Sport or BMW M up the ante with the next BMW M3 and Audi RS 4, you can bet AMG will do everything it can to defend its position as the most powerful car in its class.

Mercedes-AMG’s vehicle development chief was also quick to point out that even without its hybrid module (comprising a 6.1kWh lithium-ion battery and 150kW e-motor) the C 63’s 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is “the world's most powerful four-cylinder” and has a specific output of 176kW per litre.

Fitted with a new electric turbocharger that hikes its outputs to 350kW/545Nm, the Mercedes-AMG A 45 hot hatch’s engine is combined with a rear-mounted 150kW/320Nm electric motor and an F1-derived electric ‘boost’ function to bang out more than 1000Nm and about 670hp in the old money.

Mercedes-AMG’s head of development for driving dynamics, Rene Szczepek, said there is a lot more to the plug-in hybrid system that meets the eye.

“We have an electric turbocharger which is also able to regenerate battery capacity back as soon as we close our throttle body. And you could imagine what new rules were necessary to get that working in a car,” he said.

“So it's not just the challenges of an electric motor standalone or a combustion motor standalone.

“What’s the tricky thing is in the end is that we are engineers, and we like to have challenges. So we decided, OK, let's go for it and develop a hybrid performance drivetrain, which has never been seen before anywhere else on the world. And so we did.”

Given all the time and money sunk into the new PHEV powertrain, which is the single most expensive component the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance, it stands to reason it will be deployed in more AMG models.

“These kind of drivetrains aren't cheap, so you can imagine that we don't use it for just one car,” confirmed Szczepek.

Asked if we might see the wild P3 powertrain pressed into service in the next Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S and the Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 S (which will replace the C 63 S Coupe), Jastrow responded: “Stay tuned! Probably yes.”

We’ve already seen spy photos of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance mid-size luxury super-SUV, so it’s only a matter of time before Mercedes-Benz’s top-selling model gets the AMG PHEV treatment.

Of course, it’s also a safe bet the 500kW P3 system – or an even more powerful version of it – will go on to power other future AMG models based on the bigger E-/GLE-Class, S/GLS-Class and perhaps even the G-Class.

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