Remember the story earlier this month about a potential return of the V8 engines in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and E 63? Well, sorry, that’s not happening after all – the rumour has now been categorically shot down by Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe.
During an interview with The Drive at the Monterey Car Week, Schiebe said he can “definitively deny” that Mercedes-AMG is bringing the V8 back to the AMG C-Class and E-Class models, and doubles down that the electrified route was the right call, considering where the market is headed.
“I don’t like to talk about other manufacturers, but it seems like there are many more performance hybrids coming to the market now. Or at least they’ve been announced,” he said. “So I think we were right when we said, let’s go in that direction.”
Schiebe is probably referring to the E 63’s direct competitor, the next-generation BMW M5, that has long been rumoured to be packing the XM’s hybrid 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 powertrain. And he’s right – even supercar makers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren are all now coming up with electrified models. Granted, with bigger engines, but still.
All this means that the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance will most likely remain as the model’s most powerful variant until its mid-cycle update rolls about, with its 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four hybrid engine making some 680 hp and 1,020 Nm. It’s a massive jump in power compared to the previous-generation V8, but it’s also some 350 kg heavier – and so far, reviews seem to be mixed.
The upcoming Mercedes-AMG E 63 is also expected to feature a plug-in hybrid mill underneath its bonnet, but utilising a 3.0-litre inline-six engine instead. Ahead of the hybrid E 63’s introduction, Mercedes-AMG has now unveiled a “Final Edition” variant as a swansong to the V8 engine.
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Mercedes-AMG’s electrification plan is clearly charging full speed ahead, but with that said, Schiebe clarifies that pure internal combustion Mercedes-AMG cars are not going away just yet. The company is “still improving the ICE cars”, and considering the typical model cycle lasting about seven years for the marque, we can expect AMG V8s to remain on offer in some form, at least until the end of the decade.
One of such examples is the all-new Mercedes-AMG GT that made its debut just a week ago, with a throbbing twin-turbo V8 underneath its long bonnet making up to 585 hp and 800 Nm in the 63 guise. The latest SL convertible also still has two V8 engine options, although we Malaysians only get the option of the 2.0-litre MHEV-powered SL 43, priced at RM1 million.
