Mercedes-AMG Global Communications spokesman Catrin Dunz-Ludwig has recently confirmed to Motor1 that the upcoming AMG C63 will not include a V-8 engine, contrary to previous reports. Other AMG vehicles will continue to receive the new V-8, although it is unknown what the company has planned for the revised C63.
Despite more rigorous pollution standards, Mercedes promised last week to preserve V-8 engines in its lineup. Even the S-Class will retain its V-12 in some markets. The eight-cylinder engine has been updated to meet the impending Euro 7 standard, ensuring its long-term viability. AMG is also developing a “next-generation, high-tech electrified V-8”. According to a fresh rumor, the engine will power both future versions and the present C63.
According to the British publication Autocar, the new V-8, which could debut later this year in the CLE63, will make its way to the top of the C-Class lineup as early as 2026. We called AMG to confirm, and Communications Specialist Catrin Dunz-Ludwig would only confirm the existence of a new V-8:
Meanwhile, the high-performance car is expected to be updated next year, with the removal of the heavily criticized four-cylinder engine. The new powertrain is supposed to be similar to the existing twin-turbo, 4.0-liter engine, but with a flat-plane crankshaft, as seen in the AMG GT Black Series.
The eight-cylinder unit is said to offer mild-hybrid technology, which means the C63’s intricate plug-in hybrid configuration might be deleted. It would be a 180-degree shift from what AMG CEO Michael Schiebe stated in late 2023:
At the beginning of this year, the Affalterbach boss revealed that AMG lost some clients after halving the number of cylinders in the C63. Significant discounts in Germany hint that the car isn’t selling well. It’s possible that a V-8 will fit under the hood of a vehicle that was never designed to have eight cylinders. VUK Manufaktur, an Austrian tuner, recently finished a two-year V-8 conversion project. The alleged flat-plane crankshaft would also enable a more compact crankcase construction.
After the CLE63 and C63, further models are slated to receive the V-8 treatment. It’s uncertain whether the GLC63 will be one of them after discarding the electrified 2.0-liter engine. It is possible, given that it is essentially an SUV version of the C63. Future AMGs with the eight-cylinder powertrain are believed to emit phony engine sounds through the speakers to replicate the oomph of earlier V-8 engines. This would be an attempt to compensate for the new engine’s higher-pitched noise caused by its flat-plane crank configuration.
We think it’s not inexpensive to re-engineer a car during its life cycle to accommodate a V-8 it wasn’t designed for. However, Mercedes and AMG must have done the calculation, anticipating that purchasers will return once the C63 gets the proper number of cylinders under its hood. If the major adjustment is planned, it can only suggest that sales thus far have been dismal.
Returning to the V-8 shows would demonstrate that horsepower and torque figures are not everything. The new C63 may be significantly more powerful on paper, but it is no match for the thrills provided by its predecessor. Buyers shopping in this segment want a car with a strong personality rather than a heavily electrified small gas engine, even if it’s “very, very progressive.”
