More and more cars are catching the downsizing bug due to stringent emissions regulations. These increasingly stricter laws are forcing automakers to cut the cylinder count and add a hybrid component. The latest C63 is the most eloquent example since it has eschewed its brawny 4.0-liter V8 in favor of a small 2.0-liter four-cylinder. There had been some rumors about Affalterbach’s plan to install a bigger engine, but that’s not going to happen.
In an interview with Top Gear magazine, AMG CEO Michael Schiebe admitted people have been asking why the V8 has been dropped from the BMW M3 competitor. The man in charge of Mercedes’ performance division explains: “We want to be very, very progressive when it comes to technology. And we are convinced of the hybridization concept, there we will stay with the four cylinder.”
He went on to admit AMG can’t persuade each and every V8 fan to buy the new 2.0-liter model. Seeing the glass half full, Schiebe says the plug-in hybrid C63 has lured in buyers who otherwise wouldn’t have been interested in the sports sedan. Lest we forget Mercedes has also launched a C63 wagon while the coupe and convertible models are dead. The two-door variants of the C-Class and E-Class are being replaced by the new CLE, which recently gained an inline-six for the “53” models. Should there be a “63,” that one too is likely to have a 3.0-liter engine.
If you’re in the “there’s no replacement for displacement” crowd, Mercedes still has got you covered. That said, we reckon the V8’s demise would’ve been more bearable had AMG given the C63 that inline-six engine. Going forward, you’ll have to get a CLE Coupe/Convertible to have more than four cylinders under the hood.
Should you want four doors and extra cylinders, chances are the next E63 will also rock an inline-six but the larger sedan/wagon is also expected to get a charging port. Spy shots have suggested it’ll utilize a plug-in hybrid setup. Its nemesis, the BMW M5, will also be a PHEV, but the Bavarian monster is going to retain the beefy V8 engine for one more generation. Better yet, the M5 Touring is coming back.
