Despite increasingly stringent emissions regulations, Mercedes vowed last week to keep V-8s in its portfolio. Even the S-Class’ mighty V-12 will continue in certain markets. The eight-cylinder engine has been tweaked to meet the upcoming Euro 7 standard, so its future is safe. Concomitantly, AMG has a “next-generation, high-tech electrified V-8” on the way. A new report claims the engine is not just for future models but also for the current C63.
The new V-8, which could premiere later this year in the CLE63, is allegedly coming to the top dog in the C-Class lineup as early as 2026, according to the British magazine Autocar. We’ve contacted AMG to confirm, and Communications Specialist Catrin Dunz-Ludwig was only willing to confirm the existence of a new V-8:
“We can confirm that AMG is developing a new V-8 engine. However, we ask for your understanding that we do not comment on a detailed rollout plan.”
In the meantime, the high-performance sedan is apparently due for an update next year, which will involve dropping the much-criticized four-cylinder engine. The new powertrain is said to be related to the existing twin-turbo, 4.0-liter mill but with a flat-plane crankshaft, which AMG enthusiasts will remember the GT Black Series had. The eight-cylinder unit is claimed to have mild-hybrid technology, so the intricate plug-in hybrid setup currently used by the C63 could be dropped. It would represent a 180-degree turn compared to what AMG CEO Michael Schiebe said in late 2023:
“We want to be very, very progressive when it comes to technology. And we are convinced of the hybridization concept, there we will stay with the four cylinder.”
At the beginning of this year, the boss from Affalterbach admitted AMG lost some customers after halving the cylinder count in the C63. Significant discounts in Germany have suggested the car isn’t selling all that well. Whether a V-8 fits underneath the hood of a car that was never engineered to accommodate eight cylinders, it just might. Austrian tuner VUK Manufaktur recently completed a V-8 conversion after two years of work. The rumored flat-plane crankshaft would also allow for a more compact crankcase design.
After CLE63 and C63, other models are expected to get the V-8 treatment. It’s unclear whether the GLC63 will be one of them by also abandoning the electrified 2.0-liter unit. It could happen since it’s essentially an SUV version of the C63. Future AMGs with the eight-cylinder powertrain are said to pump fake engine sounds through the speakers to mimic the grunt of older V-8s. Doing so would represent an attempt to compensate for the new engine’s higher-pitched noise due to the flat-plane crank layout.
We imagine it’s not cheap to re-engineer a car during its life cycle to fit a V-8 it wasn’t supposed to get. However, Mercedes and AMG must have done the math, hoping buyers will return once the C63 has the correct number of cylinders under its hood. If the radical change is planned, it can only mean sales so far have been terrible.
Returning to the V-8 shows would show that horsepower and torque numbers aren’t everything. The new C63 may be substantially more powerful on paper, but it’s no match for the thrills delivered 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.”
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