Don't look for a V-8 engine to power a future C 63 or E 63, Mercedes-Benz AMG CEO Michael Schiebe has revealed.
When asked during last week's 2023 Monterey Car Week about a recent Car and Driver report that cited anonymous sources claiming AMG will offer a V-8 engine in the current C 63 and the next E 63 by 2026, Schiebe told The Drive that he can “definitively deny” the possibility.
Schiebe went on to justify AMG's position on using hybrid powertrains with downsized engines by suggesting that the market is headed that way.
"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."
Michael Schiebe
AMG ditched the V-8 engine for its C 63 when it redesigned the compact performance machine, opting for a sophisticated plug-in hybrid powertrain built around a 4-cylinder engine instead. While power has been boosted to a stout 671 hp, the added hardware has increased weight over the old V-8 model by almost 800 pounds.
The same is thought to be planned for the next E 63, though rumors point to a 6-cylinder engine serving as the internal-combustion combustion component of its plug-in hybrid powertrain.
BMW is about to launch a redesigned M5 that will likely be equipped with a V-8 plug-in hybrid powertrain similar to the setup found in the XM flagship SUV.
AMG also has a V-8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, though this is currently reserved for the high-end S-Class and GT 4-Door Coupe lines. It delivers around 800 hp.
