While Mercedes-Benz has broadened the C-Class portfolio with the new electric version, many brand faithfuls are still lamenting the demise of the much-loved V8-powered AMG C63.

It’s been well-documented the model lost a major chunk of its fan base when Mercedes-AMG opted to turf the V8 in favour of a four-cylinder turbocharged plug-in hybrid powertrain, but Mercedes-Benz’s head of product management and global training, Klaus Rehkugler, poured cold water on the notion that a new fire-breathing C63 V8 could rise from the ashes.

“We have announced that you will see a true V8-powered performance car in the form of the CLE coupe and cabrio, but most likely not in the C-Class,” he told CarExpert.

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“Although the four-door C63 was a very popular car in several markets, including North America, Australia, Japan, China and Korea, we’re not planning a return of the V8 model.

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“It comes down to a question of ‘can you get the amortisation back given the remaining lifecycle of the current C-Class?’ and the answer is ‘probably not’.”

However, Mr Rehkugler stopped short of ruling out a V8 for the next-generation combustion-powered C-Class, which is likely due by late 2028.

He adds V8 power – in various applications that currently include the S-Class, AMG GT coupe, SL, G-Class and GLE – can be kept alive until “well into the 2030s… at least until 2035”.

“I think you need to have a regional look at it, but the fact remains that the V8 remains very popular in North America and the Middle East,” he said.

“I spent seven years in North America, and people there take great pride in saying ‘I drive a V8’, and this is linked not just to image, but also the driving characteristics of this powertrain.

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“Overall, I think there’s enough global demand to keep the V8 alive for at least another 10 years, but maybe not so much in Europe with stringent CO2 regulations, which are very restrictive and punitive.”

Mr Rehkugler also concedes that ever-tightening drive-by noise regulations mean that AMG V8s may not be as raucous as they once were.

Even so, he adds “There’s the unmistakable feeling you get when you drive a V8, not just when you listen to it. The driving characteristics will continue to be truly V8-like, and there’s a lot we can do in that regard.

“But it’s true that noise regulations are getting more and more restrictive, especially when it comes to AMG V8s, controlled misfires and those types of things that customers just love and embrace.”

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