Report: V8 Reboot For AMG C63 And E63 Dismissed By “Insiders”

Sorry folks, it seems the mighty V8 might not return to the W206-gen C63 or upcoming W214-gen E63.

ICYMI, US legacy automotive title Car & Driver made waves online recently when it published a report indicating that Mercedes-AMG is looking to reboot both the C63 and E63 super-saloons with a V8 heart again. To the title’s credit, it did cite multiple unnamed sources from within said performance arm of Mercedes-Benz.

Now though, a report by leading German automotive title Auto Motor und Sport says that these V8 reboot plans are not true. Said German title cites an unnamed "employee familiar with product development" for their rebuttal report, calling Car & Driver’s initial report as “pure nonsense” even.

Latest W206-based C63 S E-Performance is the latest 'victim' of tightening emissions regulations. It saw its engine literally downsized to half from a V8 previously to a 4-cyl, albeit with an added PHEV boost.

Should this latter rebuttal stand true, then it will see the latest W206-gen Mercedes-AMG C63 S super-sedan retaining its new and somewhat controversial 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo plug-in hybrid (PHEV) setup. While it outputs similar levels of power and grunt as a V8, this downsizing did not sit well with many fans.

With that in mind, the upcoming W214-based E63 equivalent is also widely touted to feature a similar setup, though some reports online suggest that the larger E-Class sedan will benefit with a larger 6-cyl mill instead. What’s certain for now though is that the V8 engine will not be seen in either models just yet.

Though there are V8-based PHEV performance models like the AMG GT63S E-Performance, the likelihood of seeing its electrfied V8 setup repeated in the C63 or E63 appears slim.

As noted prior, this drastic downsizing is fuelled by the ever-tightening Euro 7 emissions regulations all European carmakers must conform to when it takes effect from 2025 onwards. Through said regulations, the future of large-capacity combustion engines, sans any form of electrification, is now in jeopardy.

Adding to which is the increased taxes imposed over performance cars with such engines, thus making them less obtainable. This, in turn, slows down both demand and sales. Whilst a number of brands were quick to adapt through added electrification, it comes at the cost of cylinder count and capacity.

In other words, this might really be the end of an era for things such as an AMG-built super-saloon featuring a ‘pure’ V8. In other words, this is perhaps the best time to scout for deals on select AMG V8 models as these will soon become sought-after collectibles…