Mercedes is adamant there’s still a place in an electrified automotive world for a large-displacement engine. Despite increasingly stringent emissions regulations, the AMG performance division is hard at work preparing an all-new V-8. Not only will it power existing eight-cylinder models, but it could also be shoehorned into cars that currently don’t have as many cylinders.
AMG head honcho Michael Schiebe told Car and Driver that engineers in Affalterbach are developing a new V-8. Although Mercedes previously described it as a “next-generation, high-tech electrified V-8,” Schiebe says AMG doesn’t “necessarily need to go that far on hybridization.” He notes that track enthusiasts prefer the pure ICE experience of the GT63 Pro over the heavier plug-in hybrid GT63 S E-Performance, even if the latter delivers more oomph.
Why is Mercedes betting on V-8s when just about everyone else is downsizing? AMG has realized there’s still solid demand for eight-cylinder luxury cars and wants to “fill customers’ dreams.” It has run the numbers and determined that investing in a large engine will likely pay off in the long term. Schiebe emphasized the V-8 still has “some years” ahead, even though the European Union will effectively ban sales of new gas cars starting in 2035. Beyond the 27 EU countries, however, the rest of the world, where regulations are less strict, still represents a big market. AMG cited the United States as a prime example.
Although the new V-8 could see broader use, it sadly won’t be returning to the C63 anytime soon. In a statement to Motor1 earlier this year, an AMG spokesperson refuted rumors of restoring the C63’s missing four cylinders. A wild rumor from Germany last month even suggested that Mercedes might cancel the C63 and replace it with a six-cylinder C53. We reached out at that point for clarification, but the company declined to comment on the speculation, so take it with a grain of salt.
If the V-8 C63 isn’t coming back, we can only hope AMG will make things right with the upcoming CLE63 and give the high-performance coupe the engine it deserves. Lest we forget that the V-8 isn’t even the biggest engine Mercedes offers. The company recently pledged to keep the mighty V-12 alive, a twin-turbo 6.0-liter powerhouse reserved for the S-Class. Well, the Pagani Utopia also uses a twelve-cylinder engine from AMG.
The twelve-cylinder engine is a dying breed. BMW dropped it three years ago, and Audi hasn’t sold a W-12 car since 2017. Bentley’s version of the W-12 was discontinued about a year ago. Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Gordon Murray Automotive still offer V-12s, while Bugatti has gone even further, developing a bonkers V-16.
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