AMG brought the near-closed production C63 prototype earlier this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and will now unveil the sports sedan. There’s little we don’t know about the rival BMW M3, although we’re curious to find out how the interesting technical specs will translate into real-world performance. Unlike its rear-wheel-drive predecessor, the next generation will be sold exclusively with the 4Matic.
Addressing the elephant in the room, the V8 is officially out of date. Peers from Affalterbach have repeatedly confirmed that the new C63 will adopt the 2.0-liter M139 from the “45” model but with more power and mounted longitudinally. The rear-mounted electric motor will take the necessary juice from the 6.1 kWh battery, and yes, the car will be a plug-in hybrid.
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Halving the number of cylinders is sure to anger purists, but with a combined 670 hp, the flagship C-Class should be really fast. Here it is hoped the reveal will also cover the C63 Estate as well, a hot wagon that will battle it out with a new competitor – the M3 Touring. For the record, the new M car that will be released starting in 2023 will also be a plug-in hybrid. However, the Bavarians have no intention of downsizing their combustion engine, pledging to stick with inline-six and V8 engines until at least 2030.
The AMG C63 should offer pure electric range considering its PHEV settings but considering how small the battery is, the combustion engine will run sooner rather than later. Weight is a concern given that even though the four-pot engine is much lighter than the old V8, all the hybrid-related bits are sure to add some fat and we wouldn’t be too surprised if it was going to be a lot heavier than its predecessor. .
The world premiere is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21. AMG will no longer launch the C63 Coupe and Cabriolet as the two-door C-Class and E-Class models will merge into the CLE.
