Mercedes-AMG C 63 electric spotted testing with three motors and almost 800 hp

Mercedes-AMG has been anything but idle. Just days after unveiling the radical CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, the marque is lining up a major electric push: a new SUV engineered from the ground up by AMG, an E-Class, and this C-Class, which we have “caught” undergoing testing.

Beneath the bodywork of this forthcoming electric Mercedes-AMG C-Class, as its name suggests, there will be no room for a V8, an inline six-cylinder engine or even the current C 63’s plug-in hybrid four-cylinder unit. Instead, it will rely solely on a collection of electric motors and a high-capacity battery.

The rear wing is not merely decorative

Although camouflage conceals much of the body, one feature visible in these images stands out: the active rear wing. Mounted on the boot lid, it can rise to produce additional downforce when required, particularly at higher speeds.

This prototype is covered in especially heavy camouflage, extending over the rear light clusters and the lower sections of the doors.

Even so, it is clear that the future AMG will look more aggressive than the standard electric C-Class, thanks to bespoke bumpers, side skirts and wheels.

Three electric motors and almost 800 hp

Mercedes-AMG has yet to confirm the specifications of the upcoming C 63, but rumours indicate that it will use a three-electric-motor layout developed by Yasa, identical to the one fitted to the AMG GT 4-door “super saloon”.

Its combined output could be around 790 hp, placing the future C 63 above the new CLA 45 4MATIC+, which delivers 680 hp from an equally three-motor configuration.

Like the electric AMG models already revealed, the C-Class is also expected to provide an acoustic experience made up of synthesised combustion-engine sounds. It should additionally simulate gear changes and even use active seat vibrations, in an effort to reproduce some of the sensations lost in the move to electric propulsion.

As for the battery, it is expected to use the largest pack available in the “standard” C-Class, with a 94 kWh capacity. This allows it to claim up to 762 km of range, although the AMG version is likely to offer less.

Farewell to combustion

The arrival of the new C 63 will represent another shift in direction for one of AMG’s best-known models.

After the current generation replaced the V8 with a plug-in hybrid four-cylinder engine - a solution that prompted considerable debate - the next generation will go further still by removing the combustion engine entirely. At least until a completely new combustion-powered generation is confirmed.

The new C 63 will be electric and will need to find a way, in this format, to retain what AMG considers essential to the driving experience.

It will not be alone in this transition. BMW is also developing its first electric M3, putting two of Germany’s best-known sporting saloons in front of a new reality at almost the same time.

The next contest between the C 63 and M3 will therefore be very different from the one we know today.