Sales of Mercedes-Benz continue to accelerate, a positive consequence of the very ambitious program of new electrified products, and the sports sub-brand Mercedes-AMG has been participating in the celebration, reaching a record number of sales. The sports versions of the C-Class are a very important part of this success, although not always peaceful…
The electrification of the C 63 AMG, in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) format, represented an important turning point in the history of this legendary sports car. In place of the previous V8, emerges what is currently the most powerful 2.0-liter production engine, supercharged, with “only” four inline cylinders, and 476 hp of power. This engine is supported by an electric motor of 204 hp, mounted on the rear axle, for a combined maximum output of 680 hp and 1020 Nm!
In addition to the hybrid system inspired by Formula 1 technology, the supercharging system is taken care of by an electric turbocharger, capable of ensuring an almost immediate response when stepping on the accelerator, minimizing the famous “turbo lag”, that is, the delay in response. The electric motor only powers the rear wheels (4Matic+ all-wheel drive system), with Mercedes announcing a range of up to 13 km in purely electric mode.
But not everything is good news: it seems that some fans of the Affalterbach company, founded about 50 years ago (1967), and which Daimler has owned 100% only since 2005, would be dissatisfied with the change, a fact that fueled the rumor that the brand would exchange the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine installed in the C63 for a 4.0-liter V8. Michael Schiebe, the head of the sports division, in an interview with TopGear, set the record straight: the four-cylinder stays! He admitted that AMG cannot persuade all V8 fans to buy the new model with a 2.0-liter engine, but he emphasizes its importance in the PHEV range, attracting customers who would not even consider a sports sedan otherwise.
