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Tuner Fixes Mercedes-AMG C63 S by Ditching Lame Hybrid-Four for the V8 It Deserved
The 4.0-liter V8 actually makes less power and torque stock than the C63's hybrid powertrain—but that's not the point. The post Tuner Fixes Mercedes-AMG C63 S by Ditching Lame Hybrid-Four for the V8 It Deserved appeared first on The Drive.
Mercedes made a whoopsie with its newest AMG C63. Instead of using the beloved 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that’s been around for years, AMG decided to go in a different direction and adopt a four-cylinder hybrid setup. It backfired. AMG fans, and car enthusiasts in general, were up in arms about Merc’s performance label ditching its iconic V8 for a four-pot. So Vuk Manufaktur, a tuning shop in Germany, decided to right that wrong and fix the current “W206” Mercedes-AMG C63 S by throwing out the four-cylinder and putting the old V8 back in.
Before any tuning, dropping in the V8 actually makes for a power and performance downgrade. With its stock 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and electric motors, the new C63 S sends 671 horsepower and an astonishing 752 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. It’s heavy for a small car—you can thank batteries for that—tipping the scales at 4,654 pounds. But, on the other hand, it still hits 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Back when the V8-powered car was still on sale, it made 503 hp and 516 lb-ft from the factory and reached 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Reverting to the V8 isn’t just a loss of power—it’s a massive cliff drop.
It’s unclear if Vuk was able to keep any of the hybrid’s electrified power, but that seems unlikely. The hybrid system is probably designed solely to work with the smaller engine and would seem like a nightmare to modify for a different one. If not, that twin-turbo V8 lump is more than capable of handling additional power with just a simple software tune. It shouldn’t be hard to get this achtzylinder to perform the same as, if not better than, the hybrid powertrain.
That said, the retrofit will be a massive upgrade when it actually comes time to start the damn thing. AMG’s V8 bark and growl is among the best in the industry, rather than the Dyson-esque four-cylinder. Getting to hear the V8 rumble back to life in the new C63 is cathartic.
If you’re wondering why anyone would bother going through all this trouble to engine swap an old V8 into a complex hybrid vehicle, rather than just buying an older used AMG C63 that already has a V8, you’re not alone. But I kind of understand the appeal here. Not only is Vuk creating the sedan many wished AMG had, but it’s also combining the best of both worlds. You get the stellar twin-turbo V8 noise, character, and excitement of the old car combined with the new car’s looks, interior, and improved handling. While there was initially hope that AMG might have learned its lesson and was bringing the V8 back, we now know that it didn’t and won’t be. So for now, if you want a big, stonking engine in your brand-new C63, this is what you’ll have to do.
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The post Tuner Fixes Mercedes-AMG C63 S by Ditching Lame Hybrid-Four for the V8 It Deserved appeared first on The Drive.
