Photo: Mercedes-AMG
Revealed in December 2013, the fourth-generation C-Class is the best one yet. In Mercedes-AMG C63 S flavor, it also happens to be a tire-shredding sedan thanks to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that develops 510 PS (503 horsepower) and 700 Nm (516 pound-feet) of torque. The thing is, Mercedes-AMG has other things in mind.
Tobias Moers, the chief executive officer of the three-pointed star’s performance division, thinks that “the formula is perfect for now, but for sure we need to have a close look at viable alternatives.” Adding fuel to the fire, Mercedes-AMG isn’t “strictly linked to the number of cylinders” in the pursuit for more performance.
Speaking to Car Advice on the sidelines of the 2018 New York Auto Show, the official let it slip that the “next-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 will be a hybrid – that’s now a given.” On the flip side, Moers hinted that the rear-wheel-drive layout “could change in the next generation” with the help of the 4Matic+ system.
When you think about it, hybridization is the best option Mercedes-AMG has without increasing displacement or the number of cylinders. Proven in the CLS 53, the EQ Boost mild-hybrid system represents the tip of the iceberg as far as the three-pointed star’s ambitions in electrification are concerned. But all-wheel-drive?
We’re not sure if Mercedes-AMG will go forward with this setup. On the one hand, BMW is rumored to go M xDrive for the next-generation M3. And on the other, the GT 4-Door Coupe comes from the get-go with 4Matic+, be it the V8 or inline-six engine. The S63 sedan, coupe, and cabriolet also use the all-wheel-drive system, which is why the next-gen C63 with 4Matic+ doesn’t sound like wishful thinking.
On a related note, Moers dropped a clue about what to expect from the replacement for the SL-Class. “It’s going to be something very different from the current car,” he told Car Advice, probably referring to some sort of hybridization.
The SL 65 faces discontinuation because the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is too antiquated to keep on life support, leaving the SL 63 as the range-topping model.
Speaking to Car Advice on the sidelines of the 2018 New York Auto Show, the official let it slip that the “next-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 will be a hybrid – that’s now a given.” On the flip side, Moers hinted that the rear-wheel-drive layout “could change in the next generation” with the help of the 4Matic+ system.
When you think about it, hybridization is the best option Mercedes-AMG has without increasing displacement or the number of cylinders. Proven in the CLS 53, the EQ Boost mild-hybrid system represents the tip of the iceberg as far as the three-pointed star’s ambitions in electrification are concerned. But all-wheel-drive?
We’re not sure if Mercedes-AMG will go forward with this setup. On the one hand, BMW is rumored to go M xDrive for the next-generation M3. And on the other, the GT 4-Door Coupe comes from the get-go with 4Matic+, be it the V8 or inline-six engine. The S63 sedan, coupe, and cabriolet also use the all-wheel-drive system, which is why the next-gen C63 with 4Matic+ doesn’t sound like wishful thinking.
On a related note, Moers dropped a clue about what to expect from the replacement for the SL-Class. “It’s going to be something very different from the current car,” he told Car Advice, probably referring to some sort of hybridization.
The SL 65 faces discontinuation because the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is too antiquated to keep on life support, leaving the SL 63 as the range-topping model.
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