Riding with AMG’s tech chief in the new C63 PHEV

AMG is preparing for the EV age. Jochen Hermann, chief technical officer of Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance sub-brand, says it learned a lot working on the PHEV drivetrain of the new C63 S E Performance.

This electrified four-cylinder replacement for the V8 C63, a car with strong appeal for performance-loving Australians with deep pockets, was a challenge for Hermann’s team of engineers.

“Everything that we have done in the past as AMG – improving driving dynamics, the way we work with the ESP, the way we set up a suspension – now we’re combining all this with all these different driving modes,” he says.

“This new level or new dimension that we bring into play, like in Formula 1, where you have to deal with energy managment, is a very important part for the future.”

“Because if you go fully electric – that’s the next big thing – how can you manage rather smartly the way you deal with the energy that’s available?”

As he speaks, Hermann is steering very speedily around the handling track that’s part of Mercedes-Benz’s massive Immendingen Proving Ground in south-west Germany. The car is a pre-production C63 S E Performance wearing carefully colour-co-ordinated camouflage, and he’s skilfully demonstrating its many modes and moods.

This is a car with a very complex drivetrain. There’s a 350kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with a high-voltage electric turbocharger under the bonnet. It’s connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission, and a mechanical all-wheel-drive system.

But the rear axle of this AMG also houses a 150kW electric motor with its own two-speed gearbox. The drivetrain’s clever design means this motor can drive all four of the C63 S E Performance’s wheels in electric-only mode.

It’s near-silent and smooth-riding in E-for-electric, as Hermann showed on the Bergstrasse, Immendingen’s hillclimb road section. Comfort and quietness were never words for the old C63. It was always loud and lumpy.  

And the new C63 PHEV absolutely smashes its immediate ancestor for performance, grip and handling. With an extra 125kW compared to the old C63 V8 the plug-in hybrid has a total of 500kW on tap.

What’s more, the hybrid system’s maximum torque exceeds 1000Nm. No wonder AMG’s engineers decided the new C63 needed all-wheel-drive, something the model has never had before.

The new C63 also has a longer wheelbase than a regular C-Class. Its front axle is moved forward. The axles are wider than Mercedes-Benz’s medium-size sedan, and AMG added a total of eight different braces and reinforcing plates to increase the stiffness of the body. 

“We have never changed so many things in a series car to make it a C63,” says Hermann.

While the larger footprint naturally brings handling advantages, he explains that the longer nose of the C63 was also needed to create space for extra radiators. 

“We are not only cooling the combustion engine, but also the battery in the back.” Keeping the car’s compact but power-dense battery pack in its temperature comfort zone is one of the keys to the C63 PHEV’s stunning performance.

“Staying at 45 degrees all the time, we can always pump in as much energy as possible and, of course, suck out energy as much as possible all the time. And still also take care of the lifetime of the cell.”

Hermann demonstrates how much regenerative energy the battery can absorb in a single savage ABS stop. Then he selects the Boost function that’s only available in the new C63’s Race mode.

“I have this Boost function,” Hermann says, tapping a button on the steering wheel. “I now accelerate. Still enough power, but I am limited to 50kW from the back.”

“If I go into kickdown, we will have an additional 100kW.” He pushes through the resistance point near the end of the accelerator pedal’s travel, and the car, already accelerating hard, surges forward. “Feel that? It’s like shifting gears.”

“This is a dimension we brought into the C63 that’s only known from supercars, like the (AMG) One.”

Hermann knows some existing C63 customers treasure its V8 soundtrack. “It might be possible some people will say ‘It’s not my car any more’, but I am very sure with the new part that we brought into this car we will also maybe gain new customers.”

Younger, tech-savvy types, used to digital racecar simulations, will feel at home with the new C63 PHEV’s multiple driving modes and set-up options, he believes.

“It’s a little bit grown up, but not having lost the crazy part. It’s this mature car that still sticks to its heritage of being an aggressive, sporty car.” 

As well, the C63 S E Performance is a taste of the company’s future. “It gives you an outlook on what is about to come from AMG once we have another full electric car,” he says.

The new C63 PHEV makes the old C63 V8 seem slow and simple. It proves, beyond doubt, the effectiveness of well-engineered PHEV tech for high-performance applications.

But the C63 S E Performance itself will soon be overshadowed future AMGs based on the high-performance EV platform the company is already developing.