With electrification being the future, automakers are preparing to say goodbye to big V-8 and V-12 engines. Think about Lamborghini for example, who is ready to replace its famous V-12 with a hybrid powertrain. The same goes for Mercedes, which just announced the end of the V-8 era for the E-Class lineup. However, it seems that the E-Class will not be the only model in the lineup to drop the V-8. The same will happen for all the other AMG models, and the next C63 won't be an exception.

Prototypes of the next generation C63 have been caught testing many times before, and we should expect an official debut in the coming months. But before that happens, a concept version of the next C63 was presented to the media during a special event at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring this past weekend. The presentation came to confirm that we already knew: the next C63 will drop the current 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 engine in favor of Mercedes’ new turbocharged 2.0-liter M139 engine.

When launched in the Mercedes-AMG A45 model - and its related siblings - the M139 engine was described as the world's most powerful four-cylinder engine in serial production. The engine delivers 382 horsepower in the A45 version and 416 horsepower in the A45 S version. Not bad numbers for small hatchback models, but that's not the end of the story. Mercedes is on a mission to prove that the most powerful four-cylinder engine is capable of delivering a lot more.

In the next C63 model, the M139 engine will be paired with a 201-horsepower electric motor that powers the rear axle. The engine itself, however, was tuned to deliver a total of 470 horsepower - or 54 horsepower more than the AMG A45 S. With a combined output of 670 horsepower, the next C63 will not only redefine the idea of what's possible with four-cylinder engines but will also how hybridization can rendering big engines obsolete. Think about the fact that the M3 only delivers a total of 593 horsepower in Competition form – about 77 horsepower less than the next C63. Not to mention that these numbers are a huge improvement over the current C63. To put things into perspective, the V-8 mill churns out 469 horses in the current C63, and a shade over 500 in the C63 S.

The hybrid system will also deliver a combined 553 pound-feet of torque and will be mated to Mercedes’ nine-speed torque-converter MCT Speedshift gearbox. Also, when compared to the current V-8, the next M139 engine is significantly lighter. This will help lower the car's center of gravity and improve its agility and body control. The next C63 will also be offered with the company's new four-wheel drive system that will allow the sedan to be driven with rear-wheel-drive only in certain driving modes.

More details about the next C63 AMG and its powerful four-cylinder engine will be unveiled in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned!