The company still sees a future for big engines. Even in the electric age.
Mercedes-Benz believes there’s still room for big engines in today’s world of electric cars. Even though many carmakers are switching to smaller, cleaner engines, Mercedes’ AMG division is working on a brand-new V-8 engine. This new engine won’t just be used in cars that already have a V8. It might also be added to some cars that currently have fewer cylinders.
Michael Schiebe, the head of AMG, told that their team in Affalterbach is developing this new engine. Mercedes has said before that this next-generation V-8 will be high-tech and partly electric. But Schiebe says they might not need to go too far with hybrid technology. Some drivers still prefer a regular gas engine, especially in performance cars like the GT63 Pro, which is lighter and feels more like a race car than the plug-in hybrid GT63 S E Performance.
So why is Mercedes sticking with V-8s when most other brands are downsizing? According to AMG, there’s still strong demand for powerful luxury cars. Customers still want them, and Mercedes believes it’s worth the investment. Schiebe says the V-8 has “some years” left before it disappears. And while Europe plans to ban new gas cars by 2035, many other places like the United States still allow them, so there’s a big global market.
Unfortunately, the C63 model won’t be getting its V-8 back anytime soon. Earlier this year, AMG confirmed that those rumors were false. In fact, there were even rumors that Mercedes might cancel the C63 and replace it with a six-cylinder C53. Mercedes didn’t comment, so nothing is certain yet.
But there is still hope. Mercedes might give the upcoming CLE63 coupe a V-8 engine, which many fans would love to see.
And remember, the V-8 isn’t even Mercedes’ biggest engine. They recently said they’ll keep building the massive V-12 engine, which has two turbochargers and 6.0 liters of power. This engine is used in the top version of the S-Class and also in the Pagani Utopia, a supercar that uses engines from AMG.
Big engines like the V-12 are rare these days. BMW stopped making them in 2022, and Audi hasn’t sold a W-12 since 2017. Bentley also ended its W-12 engine last year. But some brands like Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Gordon Murray Automotive still offer V-12 engines.
