Latest news with #C63
Auto Blog
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Mercedes-AMG CEO Responds to the Backlash Around the C63's Four-Cylinder Engine
You can tell when fans are unhappy In recent years, loyal and passionate enthusiasts who dwell on forums, comment sections, and social media platforms have been very vocal about the changes that automakers enact on their beloved vehicles. Often, fans feel unrestrained to express their emotions and opinions when it comes to decisions that they see as controversial. No other phenomenon is just as apparent as the vocal internet enthusiast backlash surrounding the revamped Mercedes-Benz C63 S E-Performance, which swapped the 4-liter biturbo V8 for a turbocharged 2-liter inline four-cylinder with a performance-oriented plug-in hybrid system. Though it makes earth-shattering 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque, numbers on paper could only go so far. 2025 Mercedes-AMG C63 AMG CEO: We could've 'better explained' the C63 powertrain In a new interview with MotorTrend, Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Shiebe addressed the response associated with the decision to replace the C63's brashly loud twin-turbo V8 powerplant for a turbo-hybrid four-banger in the new model. 'We probably could have better explained the technology to our customers. There are pure V-8 fans, and it's hard to convince them of this four-cylinder hybrid technology,' Schiebe told the publication, adding, 'It's my job to do a constant review of our portfolio. I'm pretty confident that we will fulfill our customers' dreams in the next two to three years.' The latest statement from the Mercedes-AMG CEO reflects similar ones in past interviews. In a July 2024 Autocar interview, Shiebe noted that some customers 'take time to really be excited for the technology,' and that 'it's important to be open-minded when it comes to technology.' Additionally, in an April 2025 interview with British CAR magazine, he admitted that some of AMG's 'very loyal customers struggle[d] a bit with the concept,' and that it 'lost some customers who are just into V-8s.' However, he felt confident that the doubt would melt away behind the wheel. Mercedes-AMG E 53 HYBRID 4MATIC+ 'We jumped far ahead with this technology, but we should have explained the technology more to our salespeople and customers,' the AMG boss told Car. 'We will continue to do that and further improve. There is a German saying, 'You never have a second chance at a first impression.' Maybe we missed out on the first impression, but if you have the opportunity, I'm sure you will be convinced of the technology.' AMG's CEO says its future models will be 'different' In the same interview, Shiebe noted that AMG's future cars will be distinctively AMG. When asked about how its future EVs would distinguish themselves among the lineup, he noted that 'There won't be such a difference between them, because all these cars need to be an AMG first and then an ICE or EV second. When you buy an AMG, you buy the performance, the emotion.' He also added that making AMG's offerings visually different than mainstream Mercedes-Benz models is as important as ever, noting that its buyers 'love the distinctive AMG look and the differentiation it brings. Our future cars will be more expressive in that dimension. If you look into the future, I would say you can expect cars that will be more visually differentiated—AMG will be doubling down on design; our design language will be more expressive.' MSCHF x AMG: Not for Automotive Use Final thoughts Ultimately, buyers buy with their wallets, regardless of the badge on the hood, grille, and trunk lid. We live in complicated times, where automakers must juggle tariffs, electrification, and emissions regulations, as well as a vocal buying public that can drop the ball at any time. I don't think the decision to use a turbo-four was entirely made in a vacuum, but if the Affalterbach boffins are aware of the feedback to their product, they would probably know by now.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Mercedes-AMG CEO Responds to the Backlash Around the C63's Four-Cylinder Engine
In recent years, loyal and passionate enthusiasts who dwell on forums, comment sections, and social media platforms have been very vocal about the changes that automakers enact on their beloved vehicles. Often, fans feel unrestrained to express their emotions and opinions when it comes to decisions that they see as controversial. No other phenomenon is just as apparent as the vocal internet enthusiast backlash surrounding the revamped Mercedes-Benz C63 S E-Performance, which swapped the 4-liter biturbo V8 for a turbocharged 2-liter inline four-cylinder with a performance-oriented plug-in hybrid system. Though it makes earth-shattering 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque, numbers on paper could only go so far. In a new interview with MotorTrend, Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Shiebe addressed the response associated with the decision to replace the C63's brashly loud twin-turbo V8 powerplant for a turbo-hybrid four-banger in the new model. "We probably could have better explained the technology to our customers. There are pure V-8 fans, and it's hard to convince them of this four-cylinder hybrid technology," Schiebe told the publication, adding, "It's my job to do a constant review of our portfolio. I'm pretty confident that we will fulfill our customers' dreams in the next two to three years." The latest statement from the Mercedes-AMG CEO reflects similar ones in past interviews. In a July 2024 Autocar interview, Shiebe noted that some customers "take time to really be excited for the technology," and that "it's important to be open-minded when it comes to technology." Additionally, in an April 2025 interview with British CAR magazine, he admitted that some of AMG's "very loyal customers struggle[d] a bit with the concept," and that it "lost some customers who are just into V-8s." However, he felt confident that the doubt would melt away behind the wheel. "We jumped far ahead with this technology, but we should have explained the technology more to our salespeople and customers," the AMG boss told Car. "We will continue to do that and further improve. There is a German saying, 'You never have a second chance at a first impression.' Maybe we missed out on the first impression, but if you have the opportunity, I'm sure you will be convinced of the technology." In the same interview, Shiebe noted that AMG's future cars will be distinctively AMG. When asked about how its future EVs would distinguish themselves among the lineup, he noted that "There won't be such a difference between them, because all these cars need to be an AMG first and then an ICE or EV second. When you buy an AMG, you buy the performance, the emotion." He also added that making AMG's offerings visually different than mainstream Mercedes-Benz models is as important as ever, noting that its buyers "love the distinctive AMG look and the differentiation it brings. Our future cars will be more expressive in that dimension. If you look into the future, I would say you can expect cars that will be more visually differentiated-AMG will be doubling down on design; our design language will be more expressive." Ultimately, buyers buy with their wallets, regardless of the badge on the hood, grille, and trunk lid. We live in complicated times, where automakers must juggle tariffs, electrification, and emissions regulations, as well as a vocal buying public that can drop the ball at any time. I don't think the decision to use a turbo-four was entirely made in a vacuum, but if the Affalterbach boffins are aware of the feedback to their product, they would probably know by now. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Motor 1
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Mercedes Says It Could Have 'Better Explained' the C63's Powertrain
The internet well and truly bashed Mercedes-AMG for swapping out the C63's snarling V-8 for a hybrid four-cylinder. So much bashing was done that AMG has hinted at replacing the four-cylinder in the near future. With that in mind, Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Shiebe recently sat down with MotorTrend to reflect on AMG's direction. The interview produced an interesting snippet about the brand's most controversial AMG product to date. Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1 Regarding the car, Shiebe said, "We probably could have better explained the technology to our customers. There are pure V-8 fans, and it's hard to convince them of this four-cylinder hybrid technology." The statement keeps with the tone of Mercedes-AMG's previous communications on the product: It's the consumers who don't understand the product, not a fundamental problem with the product itself. That line of reasoning has held firm, even as AMG was forced to sell the C63 at crazy-steep discounts in order to move inventory. Shiebe noted later in the same interview that Mercedes-AMG also plans to build more visually distinctive cars to help separate AMG from Mercedes's mainline products. But that's never been the C63's problem; it's a gorgeous little car with excellent proportions, one that balances stealthy and sinister to perfection. Like all great AMG's, the C63 looks gorgeous in black. Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1 Indeed, we've driven and talked about the new four-cylinder C63 plenty—both on video and in a controversial column . In response to consumers' general outrage, Mercedes told us that falling in love with the new four-cylinder C63 would simply take time , even after admitting it lost customers over the switch away from V-8 power. It's unlikely that we'll drive a new V-8-powered C63 again, but here's hoping that the brand either nails its messaging strategy with the next car or listens to their customers; they tend to vote with their wallets. More On The C63 The AMG C63 Is Reportedly Dying. Mercedes Won't Comment Bad News: The AMG C63 Won't Get a V-8 Engine Source: MotorTrend Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Next Mercedes-AMG C63 Will Get A PHEV Six-Cylinder Motor As Rumors About Its Powerplant Continue To Swirl
I know you're tired of hearing what motor is going to be under the hood of the next Mercedes-AMG C63. Hell, I'm getting tired of writing about it. It seems like every couple of weeks, there's a new piece of information or a new rumor about what sort of engine will power Benz's compact sports sedan. Well, the current flavor of the week is a plug-in hybrid straight-six motor. The change from the current C63's much-maligned PHEV turbo-four to the new turbo-six is expected to come as part of a midcycle refresh of the sedan in 2026, according to Autocar. Mercedes-Benz confirmed to the outlet that it will move on from the four-popper it introduced in 2022. Despite the fact the 2.0-liter engine and rear-mounted electric motor put out 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque (making it the most powerful C63 ever), it never really won over consumers who missed the big ol' V8 previous C63s had. Now, the German automaker is going to try something new. When the facelift comes around next year, the C63 will be powered by a new-ish plug-in hybrid drivetrain with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder motor. I say "new-ish" because it's not really a new engine. It's just an updated version of what can already be found in the E53, GLC53 and CLE53. It'll just have even more horsepower than it does in those applications, Autocar reports. Specs aren't exactly pinned down yet, but it's expected the motor will put out well over 650 hp and 650 lb-ft torque. I wouldn't be shocked if it bested the numbers set by the I4 C63. You can't have a new car that's less powerful than the old one. That's sacrilege. It's also expected to do away with the rear-mounted electric motor in favor of an electric motor placed between the engine and gearbox. Read more: Nobody Does Land Yachts Like Cadillac, And These Are Five Of The Best Ones It isn't just the C63 that is doing away with the idea of an F1-inspired four-cylinder PHEV motor, either. The upcoming CLE63 coupe and convertible will get a flat-plane-crank version of AMG's M177 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. It would be sort of confusing — and honestly, a non-starter for most — if the CLE63 made do with a four-popper while the CLE53 got a straight-six. We previously reported on rumors that the V8 would find its way into the C-Class as well, but for now, that doesn't seem to be the case. Here's more on why there's not going to be a V8 under the hood of the C63, from Autocar: Engineers involved in the C-Class programme say packaging constraints within the model's MRA platform make the adoption of the new AMG V8 unfeasible. "It requires more space, not just in terms of physical dimensions but also for associated cooling systems and crash protection measures," Autocar has been told. The current C-Class's engine bay, optimised for four- and six-cylinder engines, would require significant structural changes to accommodate the V8 - changes that would likely necessitate a fresh round of crash testing and regulatory approval, which our sources suggest isn't viable at this stage of the model cycle. The other big update coming to the C63 is sure to piss off the anti-screen crowd. Get ready for the Superscreen display and the MB:OS operating system to make an appearance in the new AMG. Sorry to let you all down. Regardless, if this report from Autocar is to be believed (and I've got no reason to doubt it), it finally puts to bed the question of what'll be under the hood of the next C63, and I — for one — am grateful for that. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Affalterbach battle: Can a CLE 53 keep up with a CLK Black Series?
Old meets new: does the CLE 53 capture some of the CLK's magic? The arches give it away. The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupé arrived on a wave of exciting claims – ones we knew we would have to put sternly to the test. But given that AMG had gone to the effort of extending its rear wheel arches by 75mm (accommodating a similarly widened axle and wheels wrapped in bespoke Michelin rubber), it was safe to assume it would hit harder than the 53s before it. And it promptly did. Golly, did AMG need the shot in the arm that the CLE 53 brought too, after its reputation had been more than a little shaken by the response to a hybridised C63 with half the usual cylinder count. That car had proved a far cry from the AMG glory days – a time perhaps no better represented than by this gleaming white CLK 63 Black Series. Launched in 2007, the model became a bona fide modern classic very soon after. It's a pure distillation of the DNA scattered more sparingly beneath the CLE's skin. The perfect barometer to see just how 'AMG' this 53 really is, it also has bruising rear arches, although it wears them like uncouthly tacked-on shoulder pads. On a biting winter's day like today, when the roads are cold and greasy, the newer car should be the more immediately inviting of the two, but the scarcity of the CLK makes its door handle impossible to resist. Just 30 were allocated to the UK at its launch, and while this left-hand-drive example suggests a few might have sneaked over since, reckons just 28 remain in Britain. No wonder it's worth more now than its 'frankly ridiculous' £99,517 at launch. Yes, those are the words of our ever-scrupulous testers… 'This is the most extreme Mercedes currently on sale, including the SLR,' we declared when we drove it in January 2008. The gawps and guffaws it still elicits at mere walking pace prove its enduring shock value. And there is true substance to back up its style. This was the contemporary Formula 1 safety car wearing a pair of numberplates. Over and above the 'regular' CLK 63, it gained 26bhp, revisions to its gear ratios, brakes and steering and a newly adjustable suspension set-up (albeit manually), with wider tracks – 75mm front, 66mm rear – necessitating those cartoonish arches. There was extra bracing in the engine bay and swathes of carbonfibre just about everywhere – even across the chasm left empty by its absent rear seats. Yet its kerb weight matched its base car, despite a bank of blanked-out switches; there's not even a parking sensor to be found, somewhat terrifyingly, given the car's value. However, this doesn't immediately feel like the track-hardened, driver-focused weapon it was lauded as in the late noughties. Sure, its engine fires ferociously into life, practically rocking the bodywork around you. But the steering wheel looks mundane Merc, no aggressive wings or roll-cage latticework fill your mirrors and a fiddly lever operates an occasionally reticent automatic gearbox. It's a world away from the lightened flywheels and chuntering revs of other Stuttgart-born specials of the era. Like the very best driver's cars, though, the Black Series' magic is easily found. While the transmission does feel ponderous under interrogation (even its sportier modes need a mental 'one… two…' between shifts), every other element of the car feels so constantly alive that you'll never pine for anything else. Beyond the Comfort, Sport or Manual modes of the 'box, there's nothing left to press beyond the ESP button (which does 'on' or 'off' with a mere tap), so you can get right into the thick of driving it. It's surprising how compliant the ride feels. We're used to the gnarliest specials rattling our teeth and spine in road use, but the Black Series is never anything other than a fast, ferocious Mercedes-Benz, smoothing the edges of Britain's road surfaces. You could spend hundreds of miles ensconced in its bucket seat and feel brilliant. There's certainly little need to trailer it to a track day, even if an SUV with a tow hook might deliver better fuel efficiency. But you will almost certainly set an early alarm so you can take the long route there. This is a real 'last gallon on Earth' contender, a car designed with its focus almost unwaveringly on fun. And despite its incongruous comfort, it's no softie, providing the feel and fidelity of some of the greatest track specials yet demanding little of their commitment. Its steering bubbles away, telegraphing the movements of a car that teeters on the edge of mimicking a V8 Caterham in its swagger. You feel the moment its driven wheels begin to relinquish grip, as the rear starts to arc wide, and it's your choice whether to feed in more power and indulge it or back off and neaten things up. It can do neat and tidy, but it feels at its most authentic moving around, smearing the Tarmac even with the ESP on. And, boy, is it quick once you're pointing straight, bounding forwards in a way that belies its 1.7 tonnes. It's a car I simply don't want to hand back. If it's this spectacular now, what must it have felt like at the time? The CLE 53 can never match such large heart and character, but it exhibits real dynamism right from the off. Its 4Matic+ four-wheel drive continually shifts power around but has a definite rear bias and, allied with all-wheel steering (a first in a 53 model), it demonstrates more urgency than its endlessly plush (and pixel-rich) cabin might otherwise suggest. There's certainly no bank of blank switches in here. Mind, it's disarmingly easy to manoeuvre compared with the burly Black Series. The rear steer and an abundance of parking cameras make moving it around a doddle, yet as soon as you're rolling, there's evident nous to the more mechanical bits beneath. It exhibits real tension in the ride, whichever of the multitudinous modes you've selected, and a pleasing snarl from the six-cylinder up front in its sportier settings. The whooshes and hisses of turbocharging that are proudly absent in the vociferously atmo CLK bring welcome character to the progress you make in here. Although it will never match the gargling war cry of that venerable 6.2-litre V8, this CLE sounds good. Its powertrain is largely free of lag too (gaps in the power delivery are papered over by a 22bhp mild-hybrid element), but the keener among us are still encouraged to wring out the revs. Just shift up slightly below the limiter in manual mode: it cuts in keenly. Even though its headline accelerative benchmark betters that of the Black Series, the CLE 53 doesn't feel as outrageously quick, its 58 fewer horses and 165 extra kilograms taking some of the blame. I like its relative modesty, though: it's not as outlandishly, unusably fast as some sports saloon rivals have become and you can at least feel like you're exploring its performance and approaching its limits like in the more slapstick CLK. This CLE represents a much more rounded package and can't help feeling a bit staid in such company. But even a cursory scroll through its bewildering mix of modes unleashes something that can thrill, something that will provide depth as an ownership proposition. It's never going to imitate the slightly unhinged hot rods it shares those evocative three letters with, and it definitely prefers grip to slip, but its rear wheels can still scrabble naughtily on dank days. You can take it by the scruff on the right road. A whole suite of AMG Dynamics stuff keeps the 4WD, rear steering and stability control systems in check through a range of 'difficulty levels' from Basic to Master. Spec the optional £7500 Pro Performance Package (not present here) and you even get a higher, Black Series-matching 186mph top speed and a RWD-only drift mode, once you have loosened the electronic helpers to enable it. But this AMG is an involving car without it, even if you do need to be laying on at least a little aggression to unleash its mischievous side. It only ever moves under your duress, whereas the old CLK is unashamedly, belligerently itself and drags you along with its whims while keeping you fully versed on its intentions. The CLE 53 makes you go looking for its own, cloaking them beneath a few more layers of luxury and awaiting your command to loosen its inhibitions. But crucially, it still will. Just as those arches promised. ]]>
