New 671bhp hybrid Mercedes-AMG C 63 displayed at Nurburgring 24hrs

Development of the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 is nearing its end and the German firm has showcased a prototype version at the Nurburgring to give us a glimpse of its new super saloon. 

The reveal of a camouflage car confirms that the next-generation C 63 will ditch the current car’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in favour of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine supported by an electric motor.

Although Mercedes didn’t confirm the name at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, calling the car “the next E-Performance model, based on a C-Class”, there are telltale signs this is the new C 63. 

The car was sporting an aggressive body kit made up of wider wheel arches, larger air intakes, vertical strakes in the AMG division’s ‘Panamericana’ grille and quad-exit exhaust tips sitting beside a rear diffuser insert. There are also AMG-specific alloys hiding huge drilled and ventilated brake discs.

Those big brakes will be needed as the new C 63’s powertrain will produce a supercar-baiting 671bhp. We’ve seen the new C 63’s M139 engine before, in the firm’s current A45 S AMG hot hatch, where it produces 415bhp and 500Nm of torque. 

For the next C 63, Mercedes-AMG has managed to squeeze 470bhp from the combustion engine, which will make it the most powerful four-cylinder engine in production. In addition to this, the in-house tuning division has paired the petrol unit with a 201bhp electric motor on the rear axle for a total power figure of 671bhp. 

The switch from a V8 to a four-cylinder engine will mean a lot less mass over the car’s front axle as a result, even with the addition of the hybrid system. This could help boost agility in partnership with a host of other chassis upgrades and performance-focused electronic systems.

The new C 63 will feature Mercedes’ 4MATIC four-wheel drive system – matching rivals such as the new all-wheel drive BMW M3 – but with a specific AMG calibration, as per the larger E 63 S. This means the front axle could be decoupled depending on the driving mode selected. With the added traction of four-wheel drive, a 0-62mph time of less than four seconds should be possible, helped by the near-instant torque its electric motor will add.

Our spy photographers have already caught the C 63 testing in estate guise, which will prove more important than ever as BMW plans to launch its first-ever M3 Touring. 

Of course, a super estate such as a C 63 has to offer practicality as well as performance, so expect the car to offer usable boot space – but packaging a battery for the hybrid system means it might not quite match the standard C-Class Estate’s 490 litres of boot space. 

We’d expect prices for the new AMG C 63 Estate to start from around £80,000 when it goes on sale next year.

Check out the latest on the new Mercedes-AMG One hypercar here…