AMG Boss Says The V8 Lives Again—Bye To Four-Cylinder Hybrid

AMG is preparing to reintroduce V8 power into parts of its lineup, though not in all the places it once lived. The idea of a C63 AMG sedan with eight cylinders—something that people fell in love with through the 2000s and into the last decade—is effectively dead.

The company's next batch of V8 vehicles will sit higher up the range, where pricing, packaging, and customer expectations make the numbers easier to justify.

AMG CEO Michael Scheibe told Car Magazine the first models with AMG's new V8 are scheduled to arrive before the end of the year, with SUVs leading the rollout. From there, the engine will filter into other parts of the lineup. Larger vehicles can better absorb the weight, cooling requirements, and cost of a high-output eight-cylinder, and they tend to be sold to customers less sensitive to fuel consumption figures.

The V8 engine itself is expected to evolve from Mercedes-Benz’s current 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, internally known as the M177. In its latest form—used in the S-Class and GLS—it incorporates a flat-plane crankshaft, allowing for higher revs and quicker throttle response compared to the cross-plane setups AMG used in the past. In AMG applications, output will increase from the standard 530 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, though the company hasn’t provided figures.

Outside of larger SUVs, Mercedes-Benz’s U.S. leadership has already suggested that a coupe based on the CLE could receive eight-cylinder power, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see future versions of the GT or other upper-tier models follow a similar path. We know AMG is working on a new Black Series GT, which is almost guaranteed to get a hot-rodded version of the V8.

At the same time, AMG won't abandon electrification. Six-cylinder plug-in hybrid models like the GLE53 and E53 will remain part of the portfolio, particularly in markets where emissions regulations leave little flexibility. Europe will continue to push automakers toward lower fleet averages, and hybrid systems offer a way to balance performance with compliance.

Alongside the returning V8, a revised inline-six strategy is taking shape. The next C-Class AMG, for instance, is expected to move away from the four-cylinder hybrid and adopt a version of the M256 six-cylinder. In its current form, that engine produces 443 horsepower, with a brief overboost function pushing torque to 472 lb-ft.

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