Report: Electrified Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Ain't Impressing Buyers Who Flock to the BMW M3

Two men who worked for Daimler's motorsport department were pouring their hearts and souls into mechanical wonders meant to bring home trophies. But the company decided to leave the racing world for a while, and the engineers had to find another way to keep their passion going.

One AMG founder famously said, "You can't really improve a Mercedes, but you can make it different." Their commitment to add that missing piece that made a Mercedes-Benz vehicle more special quickly spread the word. Consequently, customers of the German brand were buying their cars and immediately taking them to Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in Großaspach.

The two were forced to start a company because they could not meet demand. Back then, BMW and VW units were commonly tuned, but Mercedes-Benz opposed this practice and expanded this belief to customers. But they were thirsty for more performance, so AMG quickly became their shop of choice.

Mercedes-Benz smelled the potential of a high-performance division for its brand, so it signed a partnership with AMG in 1990 and expanded it in 1993 with the launch of the C 36 AMG. Six years later, Mercedes-Benz became AMG's majority shareholder. In 2005, Hans Werner Aufrecht sold the remaining shares, and AMG became Mercedes-AMG, a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz.

The beginning of a beatiful and profitable friendship

All in all, it was a brilliant move. The Affalterbach badge is highly sought after, and that only guarantees more revenue for Mercedes-Benz. But why don't people what the brand-new C63 S E? After all, it follows a successful recipe for high-performance sedans adapted to fit the current powertrain and emissions trend. It makes sense, right? Well, not for Germans.

The plug-in hybrid 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E boasts trickled-down F1 tech, a two-speed 204-hp electric motor, a high-power but not heavy 6.1-kWh battery, and the world's most powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. This engineering jewel puts out 680 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque when everything is set to the max and the battery is charged. All that and a new interior will set you back around $127,000 in Europe. At the time of writing, the automaker has not released the MSRP for the US market.

This vehicle is the most powerful C-Class ever, but it needs all this power because it weighs 4,684 lb (2,129 kg).

But a report from Germany says there's next to no demand for the hybridized high-performance sedan. Salespeople from multiple parts of the home country of Mercedes-Benz told mbpassion.de that they are not receiving orders for the C63 S E. Moreover, they're unaware of any ledger book that includes prospective customers waiting to complete their deposit and agreeing to eventually buy the PHEV.

"Demand for the C 63 S E is currently largely and consistently close to zero," explained the advisors.

The stark reality of abrupt downsizing

When asked why this is happening, salespeople said that BMW M and Audi RS vehicles are making people switch from AMG because of their already proven drivetrains. Another significant advantage of something like the M3 Competition or the Audi RS3 is that they are available at better price points.

Keep in mind that people are willing to jump ship to BMW M or Audi RS even though not all their models have a V8. A 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder powers the M3, while the RS3 boasts a 2.5-liter five-cylinder. Even the RS5 hides a 2.9-liter V6 under its hood.

Salespeople also believe that Mercedes-Benz is not genuinely delivering on its promise to combine luxury and true high performance with this new iteration of the C Class.

Independent reviews of the C 63 S E have also not been very good. Most journalists that drove one said that the car feels heavy, the turbo lag is noticeable, the chassis isn't set up properly, the sway bars are too stiff, and it's overall a rough experience.

The light at the end of the tunnel

The sound system trying to compensate for the natural exhaust noise loss also contributes to a tiring behind-the-wheel experience because of the bass pounding on your eardrums.

Maybe that's why another report claimed Mercedes-Benz decided to put the V8 back into the C63 S. Hopefully, that'll convince fans of the brand to get the sedan. Or is this a sign that Mercedes-Benz should have ditched high-performance plug-in hybrids and gone directly for the likes of Tesla Model 3 Performance?

We'll know soon enough. For now, one thing can be said - those that choose a C 63 S E for their garage won't be able to put that sticker next to their car's badge saying, "Only milk and juice come in two liters."

In the end, Mercedes-AMG tried to please everyone and ended up pleasing nobody.