Hybrid muscle for new C63
600bhp-plus potential from four-cylinder engine with electric power boost
THAT NOISE YOU CAN HEAR IS THE internet gnashing its teeth at the thought of the next-generation AMG C63 no longer being powered by a hot-vee twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Just wait until they hear that its replacement will have only four cylinders and be hybrid-powered.
It’s part of AMG’S strategy to integrate electrified powertrains not only across its traditional model lines but also Mercedes’ EQ range of electric vehicles, with AMG also developing bespoke EV models.
Before the first of those AMG EQ models arrive, Affalterbach will be busy phasing out pure internal combustion engines and replacing them with hybrid variants under its new E Performance brand, two examples of which we will see this year.
The first will be the GT 73 four-door (above right), a near-800bhp plug-in hybrid to sit at the top of the AMG tree. The second new hybrid AMG is the replacement for the C63, which will be based on the new C-class that has recently gone on sale.
This new four-wheel-drive AMG C-class will get a more powerful and technologically advanced version of the four-cylinder M139 engine that currently resides in the A45 S. Significant changes include the fact that it will be installed longitudinally rather than transversely, while AMG has designed a new electric turbocharger that also features on the AMG Project One hypercar and is said to incorporate design and technology developed for the company’s Formula 1 car.
Powered by a 400-volt electrical system, the new electric turbocharger is integral to the 2-litre engine and spins at up to 156,000rpm, helping lift the peak power output to 443bhp – up from 416bhp in the A45 S.
Coupled to the four-cylinder engine will be an electric motor fitted on top of the rear axle with a two-speed gearbox integrated within it and an electronically controlled rear differential also attached. The hybrid system operates independently from the car’s Amg-speedshift MCT-9G gearbox and generates 94bhp, with up to 201bhp available for ten-second bursts.
The two-speed gearbox provides maximum low-speed torque and high-speed performance, with the second ratio selected at speeds above 87mph. Little wonder AMG is confident its new four-cylinder hybrid powertrain is superior in performance terms compared with the current twin-turbo V8, despite the hybrid system adding 89kg to any car it’s installed within.
With the new C63 being four-wheel drive, the hybrid system drives the rear axle for the majority of the time, but when the rear diff detects any slip or loss of traction the electric motor’s torque can be sent to the front axle to aid traction.
While the current 63 series is set to be replaced with examples of either the new four-cylinder powertrain or a revised hybrid V8, the current 43 and 53 models will soon be phased out and replaced by the first battery-electric AMGS built on the company’s EQ architecture, featuring motors on both axles. And as with its new E Performance hybrids, AMG is claiming its all-electric models will provide V8 levels of performance.
BENTLEY HAS UNVEILED A SPEED VARIANT of the Continental GT, topping the range with a raft of technical and styling changes. All three generations of the Continental GT have now featured a Speed model, and this new one is poised to be the most powerful and capable yet, building on the standard car’s impressive chassis and stonking W12 engine. But it also signals the beginning of the end for Bentley’s W12 engine, as the company prepares for a future reliant on electrification rather than outright cubic capacity.
The W12 itself has been uprated over the standard 626bhp Continental GT to deliver 650bhp, the increase derived from software rather than mechanical changes (torque is unchanged at 664lb ft). According to Bentley, the Speed rockets to 62mph in 3.6sec and on to a top speed of 208mph – marginal gains of 0.1sec and 1mph compared with a standard W12 GT, but still making the Speed the most powerful and fastest series-production model in Bentley history, with only the limited-build Continental Supersports from 2017 beating it.
The Conti’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and rear-biased all-wheel drive system remain, but new for the Speed are an electronically controlled limited-slip differential on the rear axle and the rearwheel steering first seen on the Flying Spur. Given the GT Speed’s shorter wheelbase, this should have a more pronounced effect than in the saloon, turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts at low speeds to increase agility, and with the fronts at high speeds to increase stability.
Bentley has also thrown its latest active chassis tech at the Speed’s handling package, including its active anti-roll system that utilises mechanically driven anti-roll bars to level out the body under hard cornering and give the three-chamber air suspension system an extra hand. The air-springs, dampers, differential, steering, exhaust, stability program and throttle and transmission maps have all been recalibrated specifically for the Speed, too. All the hardware adds up, though, the Speed tipping the scales at 2276kg, 32kg more than a standard W12.
This weight gain can be offset with an optional set of carbon-ceramic brakes, which reduce unsprung weight by a solid 33kg and sit behind bespoke 22in wheels. Both brake options use massive ten-piston calipers up front, four-piston units on the back.
Bentley has left the styling largely untouched, offering a new dark chrome finish to the grille matrix, window surrounds, etc, but many will likely splurge on the Blackline option, which swaps all the Speed’s brightwork for a gloss black finish. Inside there’s a new colour split option, incorporating Alcantara trim for the seats and steering wheel, while a retroinspired machine-turned dash joins the multitude of veneer options for the vast dashboard.
Pricing was not known as we went to press, but expect a hefty rise over the standard W12’s £159,000. Speed variants of the GT Convertible and Flying Spur are also on the cards, sharing similar upgrades.