AMG C63 Sedan

Segment
Sedan

Speaking with Australian publication Drive, senior AMG engineering executive Steffen Jastrow has revealed that the performance arm of Mercedes is "open" to making the next-generation C63 all-electric.

The recently revealed 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance has a ridiculously long name to make up for its laughably small (by AMG terms) engine: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot paired with an electric motor that, combined, produces an obscene 671 horsepower and 752 lb-ft of torque. The model it replaces had a characterful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, but it could only muster 468 hp and 479 lb-ft. Those aren't bad numbers, but as the horsepower wars are reignited in the age of electrification and decarbonization, a hybrid was AMG's only option.

But for the new model's replacement, that may not be viable any longer, meaning the following C63 could be an EV. And you thought the C63 was disappointing when it dropped the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8.

Although Mercedes has said there is still room for V8 engines in certain vehicles beyond 2030, the brand is going all-electric by then, with uber-luxury subsidiary Maybach also heading down the electric road.

With these factors in mind, one can't help but wonder where the C63 is headed after the 2024 model is retired towards the end of the decade. In response to a question on this, Jastrow said, "Stay tuned. First, we have a facelift, and then we are dealing with the successor."

With such a typically noncommittal answer, Jastrow was pressed further, being asked if an all-electric version of the 2024 C63 could be produced, but the engineer was just as cautious in his response: "The car for this generation is already defined."

That means that the current underpinnings of the C63 may or may not be ready for full-scale electrification, but it appears unlikely. But what of the next generation to follow the W206?

Again, Jastrow did not provide a clear answer, but AMG is open to the idea of an all-electric next-generation C63: "Mercedes has a strategy to be fully electric by 2030, and of course, AMG also must think about that. Yes, we are open to it."

And it's not guaranteed that the hybrid four-cylinder can keep up. When asked if more power could be extracted from the power plant, the engineer replied, "I think we are approaching a limit. I would say, 'never say never.' But I think it would be very expensive to find even more output from such a small displacement engine [...] and face all the emissions regulations and so on. From my opinion, it's not easy."

Initial drives of the 2024 C63 indicate that, while rapid, the new hybrid sports car has a massive downfall: weight. If it goes all-electric, its ability to be a scything sports sedan will be all but eliminated. Fingers crossed that AMG can find a way to make EVs fun to drive.