The Next Mercedes-AMG C63 Will Be A 2000kg, 550bhp I4 Hybrid
After hearing that Mercedes-AMG was to switch the C63’s mightly 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 for an inline-four, we argued that the setup might actually be pretty sweet. Our main thinking was related to weight - the current C-Class-based super saloon is a hefty thing, so a lither four-pot equivalent with similar performance might just work.
It was thought at the time that even with the hybrid gubbins factored in, the new four-pot C63 would be a smidge lighter or around about the same. But according to a new report in Car Magazine, it’ll be near enough two tonnes.
The A45-borrowed M139 inline-four is 60kg lighter than the V8 it replaces, but indicating Mercedes is using a sizeable battery pack in the C63, the hybrid system adds 250kg. It probably doesn’t help that the new C-Class is also bigger than the old one, either. Most of the weight gain from the electric stuff will be down low and closer to the centre of the car, though.
Plus, with a 60kg lighter engine sitting on the front axle, it should feel more nimble overall, despite being around 200kg bulkier than the old one. The weight distribution will be the ideal 50:50, compared to 54:46 in the old car.
The usual setup for a car like this involves using an electric motor to drive the front wheels and the internal combustion engine for the rear axle, but Mercedes is taking a different route for the C63. According to Car’s source, both the 420bhp internal combustion engine and a 200bhp will power the rear axle, with thrust sent to the front wheels as necessary via an all-wheel drive system.
Although the peak outputs of each bit of the powertrain amount to more, the combined peak power figure will be 550bhp, with the torque sitting at 590lb ft - pretty much E63 S territory. The 0-62mph time meanwhile will be just 3.5 seconds, some four tenths brisker than the new BMW M3 Competition.
We’ll have a little while longer to get used to the idea of a hybrid four-pot C63, with a full reveal not expect until the tail end of 2021.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
How it’s even possible to put so much weight in a car of this size? Sorry, but that’s twice the weight of my Volvo. No matter, how fast the acceleration might be and so on… for my taste, light weight- but quick cars are so much more fun to drive.
True, but your Volvo is smaller, slower, older, less stiff, less comfortable, and less technologically advanced. And less expensive too.
But I definitely agree, lighter cars are much more fun.
Hot take: They should have gone straight to EV rather than drop to a four cylinder. Either that or use the hybrid inline 6 they’ve been developing. I mean, if its already this heavy with a four banger, might as well use the 6 pot or pure electric drive.
Compact super-saloon? 2 tonnes?? Hybrid I4??? No wonder Tobias Moers walked straight out of that boardroom and into Aston Martin.
No amount of e-diff, synthesized noise and body control magic can save this surely. No other reason to buy one other than to flex on other people
It’s all cool and stuff but I wonder who’d provided Car Magazine so detailed data about power/torque/acceleration etc. There’s no sign of Daimler claiming any of those numbers. The only officially confirmed things are that the car is going to be a plug-in hybrid with an inline-4 M139 engine and integrated starter-generator. I’ll just wait until the 63’s reveal with different performance numbers.
What would partially make up for the loss of the V8 would be a cross-plane crankshaft for the M139 inline 4. If they though of switching to a flat-plane crank in the GT Black Series, maybe they thought of switching to a cross-plane crank for the new C63…