While Merc's change of heart regarding AMG's top powertrains is welcome, there's an audible twist coming that old-school V8 lovers might not like

After flirting with a 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain for some of its 63-series models, Mercedes-Benz AMG now looks to be returning to a V-8.

We’ll believe it when we see it, but the Mercedes-AMG C 63 might be reunited with its beloved V-8 as soon as 2026.

A few years ago, Mercedes-Benz announced that V8 and V12 engines would gradually disappear from its AMG performance division. The plan was to switch to a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder block (among others), configured to deliver as much, if not more, power than the big engines.

The CLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe undercuts the old E 53 Coupe by almost 20,000 dollars and offers better straight-line acceleration over its predecessor

AMG has played with smaller engines in the recent past, controversially swapping the V8 out of the C63 for a four-cylinder powerplant. Downsizing is a common trend nowadays in the auto industry, but it was received with varying degrees of love from the brand's faithful as they yearned for that V8 grit.