Mercedes is working
on an all-new C-Class and details are starting to emerge about the
next-generation C63. According to Top Gear’s sources, the high-performance
model will follow in the footsteps of the E63 and come equipped with a standard
all-wheel drive system. That news might disappoint some fans, but the model
will reportedly have a Drift Mode that decouples the front driveshafts for
occasional rear-wheel drive fun.
Little else is
known about the car, but it is expected to use a familiar twin-turbo 4.0-liter
V8 engine. The current C63 has 469 hp and 649 Nm of torque, while the C63 S packs 503 hp and 699
Nm of torque.
In order to stay
competitive with the BMW M3, the C63 is expected to receive a significant power
boost. Detailed specifications aren’t available, but the publication says the
next-generation C63 S could have 542 hp. If that number pans
out, the sedan could rocket from 0-100 km/h)in the low three second
range.
Those won’t be the
only AMG variants either as there’s word of a C53. It is expected to borrow a
hybrid powertrain from the E53 and CLS53. As a result, the model should have a
turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with an EQ Boost electric motor that
can deliver an additional 21 hp and 249 Nm of
torque. It remains unclear if the powertrain will be detuned for use in the
C-Class, but it develops 429 hp and 520 Nm of
torque in the E53.
