Mercedes C63 Plug-In Hybrid

[Ron Texas]

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/official-new-amg-c63-will-be-4cyl-hybrid-electric-turbo

Two years ago I mentioned this rumor and several members around here laughed at me. Here is is, with over 600hp. One drawback of this approach is the cost of two drive trains. A BEV is a whole lot simpler. My guess is this vehicle will cost more than $80k. Don't worry too much about carbon because MB isn't going to sell tons of these. The petrol motor is highly stressed, but it might hold up because it probably will rarely be running at full boost. I expect this sort of drive train will be available in the US for some time as Biden has said plug in Hybrids will be allowed. I'm not getting on the waiting list.

 

[mhardy6647]

Really? $80k (USD)?
As best I can tell -- $80k is chump change for anything approaching "real" cars nowadays -- heck, you might get an entry-level trim, extended-cab Amurrican pickup from a desperate dealer for $80k if it's a slow month. Haven't been many of those (slow months, that is) since, ohh, 'bout April 2020, though.

In seriousness, I would think maybe twice that... although maybe there'll be Federal discounts and rebates since it's so green(?).

 

[Wes]

Porsche is way ahead...

 

[Ron Texas]

Really? $80k (USD)?
As best I can tell -- $80k is chump change for anything approaching "real" cars nowadays -- heck, you might get an entry-level trim, extended-cab Amurrican pickup from a desperate dealer for $80k if it's a slow month. Haven't been many of those (slow months, that is) since, ohh, 'bout April 2020, though.

It could easily go north of $100k and $80k is my guess for a base model with MB-Tex upholstery.

Porsche is way ahead...

Care to elaborate instead of just pontificating? Define "way ahead".

 

[Wes]

pontificating????

 

[Ron Texas]

pontificating????

That means acting like the Pope making pronouncements. Do you want to tell me about Porsche? I'm curious.

 

[blueone]

I seriously considered a 2020 version of the C63S, with the twin-turbo V8. I didn't buy only because on the test drive I was turned off by how large a C-class sedan had become. I jokingly asked the sales guy if this was really a C, or did he sneak me into an E-class? It felt huge. Nonetheless, it had an absolutely awesome drivetrain, great brakes and steering, and it handled great to boot, impressing me on an interstate cloverleaf. The transmission was especially interesting, being a planetary gear / wet clutch design. Would I consider a 4cyl-hybrid version? Absolutely, positively NOT. If you're going to spend a lot of money and waste a lot of energy you might as well do it right, or not do it at all.

 

[Ron Texas]

Would I consider a 4cyl-hybrid version? Absolutely, positively NOT. If you're going to spend a lot of money and waste a lot of energy you might as well do it right, or not do it at all.

Same here.

 

[Vincent Kars]

4cyl?
https://www.abarth.com/abarth-595-competizione

 

[Ron Texas]

4cyl?
https://www.abarth.com/abarth-595-competizione

Well, the Fiat 500 isn't such a great car, and 180 hp is no beast. There are fancy cars with 4 cylinders like the Porsche Cayman, Boxter and Macan. However, a 2L, 4 cylinder in line turbo of around 250 hp has become the engine found in most upscale European cars. A Fiat designed engine of this type even comes in the iconic Jeep Wrangler.

 

[Tks]

Whatever they do, I hope they hurry the hell up with this interior. Those god awful screens they've been using all these years are absolutely gross.

 

[mhardy6647]

Whatever they do, I hope they hurry the hell up with this interior. Those god awful screens they've been using all these years are absolutely gross.

Looks like it has one big screen to me...

 

[Tks]

@mhardy6647

Better than this trash behind the steering wheel found even on the S-Class. But if I had the choice it would be an analogue tach. Instead we currently have this vertically floating screen like someone glued the thing down in the middle of nothing..

Or you can pay a lot more, and get this abomination of a screen. It's like someone took a skateboard and blocked the air vents, with the screen jammed between two portions of the upper and lower. It seems this company bought a ton of these garbage screens with inch+ thick bezels, and just simply refuses to throw them in the dump. Instead they ruin what is essentially the best interiors for cars in the entire industry (until you start getting into Bentley pricing).

 

[cursive]

@mhardy6647

Better than this trash behind the steering wheel found even on the S-Class. But if I had the choice it would be an analogue tach. Instead we currently have this vertically floating screen like someone glued the thing down in the middle of nothing..

Or you can pay a lot more, and get this abomination of a screen. It's like someone took a skateboard and blocked the air vents, with the screen jammed between two portions of the upper and lower. It seems this company bought a ton of these garbage screens with inch+ thick bezels, and just simply refuses to throw them in the dump. Instead they ruin what is essentially the best interiors for cars in the entire industry (until you start getting into Bentley pricing).

Mmm... brown leather and wood. Though the 4 vents right in a row in the center is kind of questionable.

Interesting to see that nowadays it's pretty much just how creative and stylishly designers can integrate screens into interior spaces now. I'll admit just one big flat plane of screen on that new mercedes with big black glass bezel between each area looks kind of odd too, but I suppose that's the future. High res screens and responsive tablets are so cheap, so no more excuses for crappy unresponsive touch controls (ahem... tesla model3).

 

[mhardy6647]

mmmm --- those current S-class screens are indeed tacky.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Genesis must have been influenced by that big barrier in the C8 Corvette.

 

[thewas]

I hate this gross automobile LCD screen hype which imho is just cheap, like a LCD watch compared to a nice chronograph.

Here is a imho nice ergonomic and driver oriented interior (like BMW used to have) of a new and affordable car (although the tachometer in the middle is unfortunately also a display):

Also Mercedes used to have so nice and great to use interiors in the past:

Now they all are removing all discrete buttons which were so easy to find and non distracting to stupid touchscreens and menus which distract the drivers view for several seconds...

 

[Puddingbuks]

Why all this horsepower yet again? Where are the normal EV/hybrid cars with a reasonable price tag?

 

[Blumlein 88]

Why all this horsepower yet again? Where are the normal EV/hybrid cars with a reasonable price tag?

Tesla showed everyone why the proper way is starting at the high end and trickling down. How you use EV advantages to do things IC powered cars can't match. Get people to adopt it for its unique advantages and then build upon that. If M-B put all this tech in some $24k everyman's car first they wouldn't make money and secondly it wouldn't get much attention.

 

[Jim Matthews]

Why all this horsepower yet again? Where are the normal EV/hybrid cars with a reasonable price tag?

I believe these sort of figures are chasing "legacy" buyers that have owned similar vehicles before. I fell prey to this with my woefully unreliable Audi A8l. Unless you're towing Cargo ships through the Suez canal, this amount of torque won't help you commute.