$20,000 A Cylinder: The 2024 Mercedes C63 AMG Starts At $85,050

• The new C 63 AMG is a very expensive car at $85,000 to start.
• It also lost the V8 that defined the C 63 for more than a decade.
• Was this the right move? Only future sales charts will tell the tale.

You've probably already made up your mind about the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance (to give it its full name), and today's news probably isn't going to change your mind one bit. The new C 63 starts at $85,050 once destination chargers are applied. That might not seem like a crazy figure when you realize the BMW M3 Competition xDrive (the C 63's main rival) costs a tiny bit more as standard, but the real disappointment is that AMG wants 85,000 of your hard-earned dollars for a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

That's right: The once raucous and completely bananas 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 that sat under the hood of the C63 is gone. In its stead is that turbocharged four-banger and an intricate plug-in hybrid system. Total system output is 671 horsepower and an eye-watering 752 lb-ft of torque. In technical terms that's a lot. It sends power to all four wheels via a variable all-wheel-drive system that features a Drift mode. You also get 2.5 degrees of rear-axle steering, adaptive dampers, high-performance brakes to lug you down from the endless launches you know you'll end up doing, and a Burmester sound system as standard.

There is one other trim in the new C 63 lineup — the top-spec Pinnacle model. For a starting price of $87,100 you're granted access to a head-up display and augmented reality navigation. It's a small jump in price for a commensurately small bump in kit. You also get the impressive interior trappings of the C-Class, which features two massive and bright displays, neatly trimmed surfaces, and a ton of tech thanks to Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system.

But ... and it's a big one: We've already driven the new C 63 and came away unimpressed. The character that once defined AMG is completely missing, and though it's more powerful and quicker than ever, we don't know if hardcore fans of the AMG brand will be pleased. If you are interested, or at least curious, the new C 63 will heat dealers in the spring of this year.

Edmunds says

Time will tell, but the C 63 may have already jumped the shark, folks.