Why Is The Mercedes-AMG C 63 Replacing Its Throaty V8 With A Tiny Hybrid?

• The current C 63 S uses a 4.0-litre Biturbro V8 that produces 500PS and 700Nm of torque.
• The replacement will be a 2.0-litre good for 500PS of power with the help of a hybrid setup.
• C 43’s 3.0-Litre Biturbo V6 will also be replaced by the new hybrid powertrain.

From what appears now, various reports are stating that the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 destined for 2021 will have a hybrid four-cylinder in place of the 4.0-litre turbo V8, which is nothing short of a finely tuned musical instrument. Mercedes-AMG bossman Tobias Möers has already hinted about the sad news by announcing that the A 45’s  2.0-liter four-cylinder will find its way into the AMG version of the C-Class sedan. What we all feared is happening, but we can find some respite in the knowledge that the new four-cylinder will be tuned to make more poke than the V8 with the help of a hybrid setup. And it's only a matter of time before eco-ed up updates make it to Indian shores.

The current motor, the M177 4.0-litre Bi-turbro V8 is a motorsport-derived “one man, one engine” meticulously handbuilt V8 that makes in excess of 500PS and 700Nm of torque in the C 63 S. Zero to 100 kmph from standstill is 4.0 seconds away with a top whack of 289kmph. The replacement we are looking at is the M139, 2.0-litre four-cylinder that is expected to make 500PS of power with the help of a hybrid setup using a 48V integrated starter setup. Currently, this engine, in its non-electrified iteration, puts out around 416PS in the A 45 and its sedan versions.

It is not only the C 63 that is getting the downsize but the smaller C 43’s 3.0-Litre Biturbo V6 will also get the boot. The upcoming C 63 will come in three body styles -- saloon (sedan), coupe and convertible while the estate version will be exclusive to the C 43. The same electrified powertrain is also likely to eventually make its way into the AMG versions of the GLC.

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AMGs are not just fast cars, they are much more than that. These tarmac-shredding muscle cars from Affalterbach pack some of the best-sounding engines on this planet. What makes them so special and close to our hearts are those large-capacity orchestral V8s and V12s with explosive power delivery and enough torque to reverse earth’s rotation. The Mercedes-AMG C 43 getting downsized to a four-cylinder from a six-cylinder is understandable, but cutting down a V8 to half its size is a blasphemy in all honesty. 

Yes, it will make more power and torque than before and might pump in a faux V8 engine note. But it will never be able to fill in the shoes of the W205 or the rorty W204 C 63 AMG with a 6.2-litre NA V8 (which is actually more than three times the size of the new engine making it look like a generator in comparison). Things we do for our planet, sigh.