There’s good news and bad news about the Mercedes-AMG E 63. On the one hand, it’s set to return to the German performance sedan playground, and it could have up to 900 horsepower. But on the other, as new images from our spies reveal, that massive grunt is expected to come from an all-electric powertrain. Sure, 900 hp would make the new E 63 much more potent than the current BMW M5, which produces only 717 hp, but with an electric powertrain, it’ll be even heavier than that Bavarian plug-in hybrid (nearly 5,400 pounds). Perhaps a better choice would be to cater to both combustion and electric camps.
Mercedes-AMG E 63: Two Flavors Coming?
Autoblog/SH Proshots
Mercedes-AMG’s decision to put a hybridized four-cylinder in the C 63 was not met with a warm welcome, and while the W214 E 63 still had a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, its final model year was 2023, with the turbocharged inline-six hybrid-powered E 53 being the most potent version of the current E-Class. Now, with a new V8 engine appearing in the S-Class, and several versions thereof expected to arrive in various applications, not to mention comments from senior Mercedes executives indicating a V8-powered E 63 is something to “stay tuned” for, the prototype in these images may not be the only kind of E 63 Affalterbach is working on. While redeveloping the current C 63 for a V8 may prove too costly, the next E 63 is another story.
Related: The World’s Most Powerful Gas Hot Hatch Is Bowing Out
This electric version is expected to debut in late 2027, with deliveries scheduled for 2028, and if two kinds of E 63 are coming, the combustion version will likely debut thereafter. Our spies also report that the electric E 63 will, despite its appearance in these images, drop the designs of past EQ models, which were rather blob-like. A more classical, boxy look is expected to be introduced, and while styling alone won’t be enough to attract new buyers, it should help.
Autoblog’s Take
Autoblog/SH Proshots
While we don’t get to sit in on product planning meetings or board discussions, it appears that Mercedes is trying to please everyone with the next E 63. The EV may not be sold in the U.S., but it’ll be necessary in Europe, where much more stringent regulations all but demand a variety of powertrain options to bring average fleet emissions down. Doing this could help a dirtier V8 justify its existence, while in places like America, the V8 may be the only version customers want. Of course, we don’t yet have any concrete information on a combustion-powered E 63, but offering AMG customers multiple flavors seems sensible, and we expect to see development mules before too long.
Autoblog/SH Proshots
