Mercedes-AMG’s four-cylinder hybrid C63 super sedan sure hit the big power numbers. But fans also noted that it is a bit like driving a powerful and efficient washing machine, the experience detached from all the sights, sounds and feelings traditionally stirred up by AMG’s V8 engines.
Mercedes-AMG is now (hopefully) set to rectify this matter. And it seems it is coming back swinging, bringing the A game back to the premium C-Class performance saloon, with a mighty new AMG V8 expected to replace the wheezy two-liter four-cylinder engine, coupled to a hybrid drivetrain. More great news is that this V8 will, just like the 730 hp V8 powering the iconic Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, get a flat-plane crankshaft, hiking the rev limit to more than 7,000 rpm.
This will be a first for a Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG model, and so arises the hope that the next-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 will again get V8 power. Big, beautiful, high-revving V8 power.
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Where Is The Thunder At?
2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E PerformanceMercedes
2025 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance
Engine
2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4 & rear electric motor, 4.8 kWh battery
Power
671 hp
Torque
752 lb-ft
0-60 mph
2.9 seconds
Top speed
174 mph
Right, so let’s call a spade: the latest Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance is the fastest C-Class ever made. Period. With a combined 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque, the C63 S E Performance plug-in hybrid blasts to 60 mph in a whisker less than three seconds, and will go on to a top speed of 174 mph. In short, it is monumentally fast.
The blistering turn of speed comes courtesy of a highly efficient, plug-in hybrid drivetrain, comprising a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels, and an electric motor for the rear axle. But the C63 S E Performance, as fast as it is, lacks a bit of soul, with the sound effects to match. Previous generation C63s came with high-power V8s. These V8s came with all the thunder and show that befits an AMG saloon.
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In short, Mercedes-Benz got it wrong. The company’s product planners were convinced that C63 fans would prefer a very rapid hybrid over a thunderous V8. Thing is, the C63 S E Performance has zero thunder. In fact, in the case of the S E Performance, there is not even a dark cloud in the sky, just a light breeze. Want an emotional driving experience? This C63 does not provide such a thing. The extra weight of the hybrid system didn’t help the SE Performance’s cause in the corners either, further diminishing its dynamic edge.
Now AMG has (hopefully) seen the light. The V8 light, to be sure. And the engineers have gone digging in the AMG parts bin and come up with a flat-plane crankshaft version of the brand’s well-known four-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Yep, similar to the one used in the magnificent Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, with 730 hp. Bless.
On A (Flat) Plane…
The Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Black Series has 730 hp of twin-turbocharged V8 under the hood. It’s fast. Very fast.Mercedes-Benz
2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Engine
4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8
Power
730 hp
Torque
590 lb-ft
0-60 mph
3.1 seconds
Top speed
202 mph
In 2021, Mercedes-AMG unleashed the GT Black Series upon the performance world. This bespoke track car came with Mercedes-Benz’s familiar four-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine, but it was not like any other M177 or M178 engine available in the AMG catalog. The GT Black Series is powered by the M178 LS version, which gets a flat-plane crankshaft, bigger turbochargers, new camshafts and exhaust manifolds, and a different firing order. It not only revs to a tasty 7,200 rpm, it also produces bucket loads more power than the ‘stock’ M178 V8, peaking at 730 hp. What a glorious thing it is.
Mercedes-AMG’s engineers are clearly feeling the weight of the mistake in going the four-cylinder hybrid route with the halo C-Class performance model, and have decided to not only make amends, but to create a thing that will make the C63 SE Performance seem like a bad dream, as if it never really happened.
And so, the next-generation C63 is expected to be powered by a reworked version of the four-liter V8 engine, called the M177 Evo, complete with a flat-plane crankshaft. And no EV battery or electric motor in sight. Like the Black Series, it gets a new firing order, which results in higher engine speeds. At the same time, those higher revolutions will be achieved with less internal vibration, increasing the longevity of the V8.
Mercedes-Benz reduces S-Class production to just one shift following reduced demand.Mercedes-Benz
2027 Mercedes-Benz S580
Engine
4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8
Power
530 hp
Torque
553 lb-ft
The completely reworked M177 Evo V8 engine, which is due to make its debut in the MercedesBenz S580 saloon, is not only more powerful than its predecessor, it also meets more stringent emission regulations. And it produces 553 lb-ft of torque, which is an impressive number for a high-revving V8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft.
Mercedes-Benz M177 Evo V8 EngineMercedes-Benz
In the majestic S-Class, the engine is linked to a mild, 48V hybrid system, which is really just a glorified stop-start system with an integrated starter-generator (ISG) set-up. There should be no additional electric motors in the game.
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To Be, Or Not To Be?
2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe front 3/4 on the roadMercedes-AMG
2026 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+
Engine
3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-6
Power
449 hp
Torque
413 lb-ft
0-60 mph
4.2 seconds
Top speed
155 mph (limited)
But wait, is there a twist in the C63 tale? Late in 2025, a Mercedes-Benz senior executive stated during an interview with AutoExpress, as conveyed by a CarBuzz report, that some cars currently equipped with a four-cylinder engine may be upgraded with a high-revving, straight-six engine. Earlier this year, a Motor1 report stated that a Mercedes-AMG executive let it slip that the next generation will definitely not be powered by a four-cylinder engine, but by a turbocharged straight-six engine. Gulp.
Enter the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic. On sale already, the coupe version of what is ostensibly the coupe version of the C-Class is powered by a three-liter, straight-six turbocharged engine, delivering a handy 449 hp. The power is sent to all four wheels via AMG Performance’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system. The system uses an electro-mechanically controlled clutch that uses the input from sensors to adjust torque between the front and rear axles to provide the best traction in the prevailing conditions. As an added bonus, for those less sensible moments, the driver can switch to rear-wheel-drive mode, allowing the CLE to be driven hooligan style, the tail hanging out, and the rear tires smoking. Still, it lacks the ultimate thunder of a mega V8 engine.
2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe taillightsMercedes-AMG
So here’s our take on the situation. Mercedes-AMG will in all likelihood replace the current C43 four-cylinder saloon with the C53, using the same drivetrain as the CLE 53. Like the CLE, it will come with a 48V mild hybrid system, which will have very little impact on weight, handling and overall performance. Fitted with a specially designed AMG performance exhaust system, the engine makes the right noises, bringing some thunder to the C-Class game.
But ultimately, we reckon, it will (and should) only serve as the supporting trick for the headline act, the full-fat C63, powered by the new M117 Evo twin-turbocharged V8 engine, producing 530 hp, and revving to more than 7,000 rpm.
The Mercedes-AMG C53 will get a turbocharged inline-6 and replace the PHEV 4-cylinder C63.CarBuzz/Mercedes-Benz
Just imagine the thunder it will bring. Compared to the breezy C53, it will bring a hurricane to the C-Class party. Surely Mercedes-AMG, after learning some expensive lessons from the four-cylinder C63 blunder, will see that this is the only way it can redeem itself to the AMG enthusiasts and fans who feel the brand lost its way with the two-liter hybrid experiment.
Let’s dream on some more. After the initial hype of the C63, powered by a twin-turbocharged V8, simmered down, Mercedes-AMG gives us the C63 S. This version comes with a tuned version of the Evo engine, producing 600 hp. It also has a rev limit closer to 8,000 rpm, and weighs even less than the C63… oh boy.
That will be a C63 that will make AMG fans (and a lot of other gearheads) weak at the knees, and form a line in front of Mercedes-Benz dealerships. #justsaying
Sources: Mercedes-AMG, Motor1, AutoExpress.