AMG C63 Sedan

Segment
Sedan

Last year, we caught spy shots of the new Mercedes-AMG C63 testing in the snow. Reports suggest that the V8 will no longer reside under the hood, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot taking its place and a hybrid system making up the difference. As disappointing as that initially seems, the 2023 C63 will boast F1 tech, so perhaps it won't be all bad.

We'll try to reserve judgment until we've driven it, but while we wait, our spy photographers have captured the Estate (station wagon) version of the BMW M3 Touring rival being tested in the same sort of icy conditions that we saw its sedan sibling being evaluated in last year.

Unfortunately for our snappers, most sightings of prototypes are fleeting, but on this occasion, they came across their subject while the test engineers were taking lunch, meaning that they could really get close and give us a detailed look at the car from various angles. As expected, the C63 gets bigger brakes and a distinctive quartet of squared-off exhaust tips, while decals on the windscreen and the interior dashboard once again confirm that hybridization is on the way.

The headlights and taillights look bolder than before, and a subtle roof spoiler is also present. We don't see any indication of fender vents or accents, but these were very mild on the last model. We suspect these will be added later, although accents may be limited to just badges.

Back to the powertrain, and we're expecting that record-breaking M139 turbo-four to be mated to an electric motor and a nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT automatic transmission. Our most recent info suggests that the engine will be capable of "more than 442 horsepower" on its own, while the electric motor would provide 201 hp, which would make it even more powerful than the 503-hp Competition version of BMW's M3.

BMW is expected to update its performance car soon though, so the fight may be closer than these numbers initially suggest. Hopefully, all speculation will come to an end soon, as the C63's debut is slated for early this year. Unfortunately, the wagon version isn't expected to come to the States.