• Mercedes may also sell the new CLE 63 with a plug-in hybrid system that could out-muscle the V8.
  • The sub-par reaction to the C63 S shows that enthusiasts still want big-capacity performance engines.
  • The CLE 63 could be unveiled in 2025.

The new Mercedes-AMG C63 S may have 671 hp and enough torque to change the rotation of our planet, but the switch from V8 power to a turbocharged four-cylinder plug-in hybrid upset many purists. Fortunately, Mercedes-AMG hasn’t made the same mistake with the upcoming CLE 63.

A couple of months ago, our spy photographers snapped the new car testing at the Nurburgring in the heart of Germany but until now, we hadn’t had the opportunity to hear it. That’s now changed as several CLE 63 prototypes were recently filmed up close in Europe and it’s clear there’s a thumping great V8 under the hood.

Read: Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Could Pack A Twin-Turbo V8 Punch

Details about the V8 used in these prototypes aren’t known, but it’s widely expected to be the latest version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo unit the carmaker has been using for several years now. It sounds very familiar and certainly has a lot more character than the four-pot of the C63.

The existing Mercedes-AMG SL 63 rocks this same engine and produces 577 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. That may be significantly less than the 671 hp and 752 lb-ft (1,018 Nm) of the C63, but it’s still plenty of power. While we’d like to see AMG’s engineers tweak this engine for use in the CLE 63 to over 600 hp, there’s no guarantee that’ll happen. Nevertheless, the lack of a visible charging port on any of these prototypes suggests that V8-powered CLE 63 models will not use any significant electrical assistance, although a mild-hybrid system remains a possibility.

There’s also been some speculation that the new CLE 63 could be offered with a second powertrain. Apparently, this version could be known as the E-Performance and may have the same plug-in hybrid powertrain as the C63 S.

The launch date for the new car remains a mystery, but we suspect Mercedes will unveil it sometime in 2025.