Mercedes-AMG is returning to the twin-turbo V8 engine, upgraded with a 48V mild hybrid system in the upcoming Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 due to debut towards the end of 2025.
Mercedes fans can be happy. Mercedes-AMG officials have confirmed to Britain’s Autocar magazine that Mercedes is returning to the twin-turbo V8 engine in the upcoming Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 which will launch towards the end of 2025.
Mercedes made the decision due to the very poor sales of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance equipped with the new P3 Hybrid system that combines a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor at the rear axle.
Mercedes hasn’t been reporting separate sales figures for the AMG division for a few years now, but only the Top-End figures which include AMG, S-Class, GLS, Maybach, EQS/EQS SUV, and G-Class sales. But from information circulating on the internet, Mercedes sold only about 140,000 AMG units in 2024 compared to 206,000 BMW M models.
Some sources announce that the V8 bi-turbo engine will then be re-implemented in other AMG models including the facelifted AMG C 63, but a Mercedes spokesperson, quoted by the same British magazine, denied this.
The twin-turbo V8 engine will undergo a major change, such as adopting a flat-plane crankshaft instead of a cross-plane layout. This type of crankshaft layout was first adopted on the M178 LS2 version in the Mercedes-AMG GT Black-Series in 2021.
This configuration allowed for a more compact crankcase, more spontaneous throttle response, and higher revs but disappeared that traditional baritonal sound of the AMG V8 engine.
Due to stricter emissions standards, the AMG V8 will get a 48V mild hybrid system with a small electric motor integrated between the gearbox and the combustion engine, so the power of the electric engine will add to that of the ICE engine.
The previous-generation Mercedes-AMG C 63 S W205 was equipped with the M177 twin-turbocharged 4.0 liter V8 engine with cross-plane crankshaft that developed 510 PS and 700 Nm, less than the 680 PS and 1020 Nm delivered by the P3 Hybrid system in the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance W206.
However, the previous-generation AMG W205 offered a much more engaging driving experience and a much more exciting sound.
There are no details yet on the performance of the new V8 mild-hybrid engine, but using the electric motor solution integrated into the gearbox, we expect more power and more efficiency than the previous generation W205.