Mercedes-AMG E 63: electric successor could deliver up to 900 hp

Mercedes-AMG fans can breathe a little more easily. The V8 is not dead, and the marque already has a new eight-cylinder engine ready for the coming years. It is an evolution of the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, now featuring a flat-plane crankshaft, and it will power the forthcoming CLE 63.

However, there is still a considerable gap between that news and celebrating the return of a V8 to the E-Class. Mercedes-AMG has not confirmed that the new engine will make its way into the current E-Class and, for the moment at least, there is still no genuine replacement for the last E 63.

The previous generation bowed out in 2023 with a 612 hp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. In the current range, the E 53 HYBRID 4MATIC+ sits at the top, pairing an inline six-cylinder engine with an electric motor to deliver 585 hp - or 612 hp in Race Start mode with the AMG Dynamic Plus package.

That does not mean the E 63 is finished, though. The badge could indeed return, albeit not necessarily with eight cylinders. Mercedes-AMG is developing a high-performance version of the forthcoming electric E-Class, and it was this very model that we “spotted” testing near the Nürburgring.

Up to 900 hp and Mercedes-AMG GT technology?

There are no official figures or specifications yet, but the available information points to an output of between 800 and 900 hp. That would represent a substantial increase over the last E 63's 612 hp, placing this future AMG well above the current E 53.

The technical architecture for this model also remains unknown, but it is almost unavoidable to look at the new electric four-door Mercedes-AMG GT to understand the technology the brand already has available.

The GT introduced the AMG.EA platform and a range of technologies developed specifically to draw performance from an electric powertrain. These include axial-flux motors, which are more compact and lighter than conventional radial-flux electric motors, while also offering high power density.

The battery may be even more significant. In the four-door AMG GT, AMG employs an 800 V architecture and cylindrical cells cooled directly, one by one, with a dielectric fluid. The aim is not simply to produce spectacular figures for a few seconds, but to repeat that performance without rising temperatures forcing the system to reduce its output.

This technology would make complete sense in a future electric E 63. One of the major challenges for high-performance electric cars remains balancing power, range and, above all, weight with the thermal endurance required to withstand intensive use.

The prototype's presence at the Nürburgring also suggests that AMG is not merely interested in building a saloon that impresses in a straight line. Its ambitions lie elsewhere.

Large brakes, wider tracks, a lower body and several aerodynamic elements point towards much more serious intentions.

Goodbye to the EQE's styling

Although the camouflage still conceals much of the exterior, one thing already appears clear: this future electric E-Class will be very different from the EQE it is expected to replace.

The EQE was created during a period when Mercedes-Benz wanted to set its electric cars clearly apart from the rest of its models. Hence its highly rounded silhouette, forward-set cabin, short bonnet and almost unbroken line running from one end of the body to the other - the so-called One-Bow philosophy.

That solution brought aerodynamic benefits, but it was far from convincing in the marketplace. The spy photographs reveal a traditional low, wide three-box saloon, with a clearly defined bonnet, a more rearward cabin and a proper boot lid. Judging by its proportions alone, it would be easy to believe the camouflage was hiding an E-Class with a combustion engine.

That is no coincidence. Mercedes-Benz is once again bringing the design of its electric vehicles closer to that of its established ranges. The new electric GLC and electric C-Class have already demonstrated this strategic shift: instead of creating a visually separate family under the EQ designation, electric models are now more clearly adopting the identity of the cars to which they belong.

The AMG details are equally hard to miss: large brakes, wider tracks, a lowered body, aerodynamic add-ons at the front and a sizeable spoiler on the boot lid.

As for everything else, it is still too soon to tell. False panels cover the entire body, while both the front and rear ends remain almost unrecognisable. The interior is also being kept under wraps.

Will it really be an E 63?

For now, that question remains unanswered. Mercedes-AMG has yet to confirm this model's name, so there is no guarantee that the E 63 designation will be used.

Nor has a future E-Class fitted with the new flat-plane-crank V8 been ruled out entirely. AMG has already confirmed this engine for the CLE 63, and it can already be found in the 63 versions of the updated GLE and GLS. The company has also acknowledged that it is considering further applications, but has not disclosed what they will be.

In other words, there is currently more certainty surrounding the existence of an electric AMG E-Class than there is about the return of an E 63 with a combustion engine. Who would have thought it?

When will it arrive?

Mercedes-AMG has not announced any date so far. The new electric E-Class is expected to arrive first, reportedly in 2027, with this high-performance version following afterwards. Available information points to a debut in late 2027 or early 2028.