Merc AMG marks ‘dawn of a new era’

The new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E draws on know-how from Formula 1 to bring state-of-the-art technologies from motorsport to the road. 

With a  two-speed electric motor positioned on the rear axle supporting a 2.0-litre turbo engine mounted at the front, it lays claim to being the most powerful production four-cylinder in the world.  As such, says Mercedes-AMG, it marks the dawn of a new era.

As in Formula 1, the electric support of the exhaust gas turbocharger eliminates the turbo lag of the combustion engine, while at the same time the electric drive pushes powerfully from a standstill. The electric powertrain and the high-performance battery with 400 volts are AMG-exclusive, in-house developments.  

“With the C 63 S E Performance, we are opening a new chapter in our brand history,” says Philipp Schiemer, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-AMG. “The new C 63 in particular is a real game-changer. With its revolutionary concept, it brings a completely new approach to the segment, which until now has been primarily characterised by the promise of pure performance.”

The MBUX infotainment system includes various AMG- and hybrid-specific displays and functions that can also be extensively personalised. These include special displays in the instrument cluster, on the portrait-orientation multimedia central display in the centre console and on the optional head-up display. The AMG-specific Supersport style is particularly impressive. 

A lithium-ion energy storage system is inspired by technologies that have already been proven in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s Formula 1 hybrid racing cars. The AMG high-performance battery combines high power that can be called up frequently in succession with low weight to increase the overall performance of the vehicle. 

The high-performance battery offers a capacity of 6.1 kWh, a continuous output of 70 kW and a peak output of 150 kW for 10 seconds. The low weight of only 89 kilograms helps to deliver the very high power density of 1.7 kW/kg. Charging takes place via the installed 3.7 kW on-board charger with alternating current at a charging station, wallbox or household socket. The battery is designed for fast power delivery and draw, not for the longest possible range. Nevertheless, the electric range of 13 kilometres allows a practical operating radius, for example for quiet and emission-free driving from a residential area to the outskirts of the city or to the motorway.

Mercedes-Benz provided the follwing information on the vehicle’s drive programs, and other features: 

The eight AMG Dynamic Select drive programs – “Electric”, “Comfort”, “Battery Hold”, “Sport”, “Sport+”, “RACE”, “Slippery” and “Individual” – are precisely tailored to the new drive technology and thus offer a wide range of driving experiences – from efficient to dynamic. The drive programs adjust important parameters such as the response of the drive system and transmission, the steering characteristics, the suspension damping or the sound. The boost power of the electric motor also depends on the selected drive program. The peak output of the electric motor with a boost of 150 kW can be called up at any time via the kick-down function. 

• “Electric” drive program: the focus is on the electric driving experience. All-electric driving is possible from standstill up to 125 km/h, with the combustion engine always switched off. The mechanical connection to the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ components means that all-wheel drive is always available: if the rear wheels suddenly have too much slip, the power of the electric motor is also transmitted to the front wheels via the propeller shaft and drive shafts. If the battery has run down or the driver requests more power, the intelligent operating control system automatically switches to the “Comfort” drive program and the combustion engine starts up to provide propulsion. 
• “Comfort” drive program: Starting off is mostly undertaken in electric mode. Combustion engine and electric motor run as the situation demands – with electric drive at low speeds, for example in residential areas or in the city centre, hybrid driving with combustion engine and electric motor in the countryside and on the motorway. The boost power of the electric motor is a maximum of around 25 per cent. Overall, the result is a harmonious and consumption-optimised driving impression, thanks in part to the early upshifts of the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT-9G transmission. Suspension and steering are set up for an emphasis on comfort. 
• Battery Hold” drive program: As in the “Comfort” driving mode, the combustion engine and electric motor run based on the situation with a maximum boost of around 25 per cent. The biggest difference is that the operating strategy keeps the battery state of charge constant. For example, if the battery is at 75 per cent charge, it remains in this range in “Battery Hold”. The use of the electric motor is then limited and optimised for low power draw, which is compensated for by recuperation, for example. Advantage for drivers: they can decide when to make full use of the battery charge again, simply by changing the drive program. 
• “Sport” drive program: starting off with combustion engine and electric motor and interaction of the two drives based on the situation. More boost from the electric motor is enabled, up to around 65 per cent. Sporty driving impression owing to more agile accelerator response, shorter shift times and earlier downshifts. A more dynamic suspension and steering set-up. 
• “Sport+” drive program: starting off with combustion engine and electric motor and interaction of the two drives based on the situation. Even higher boost performance of up to 80 per cent. Extremely sporty character thanks to even more agile throttle response and targeted torque intervention during upshifts with cylinder deactivation for optimum shift times. Increased idle speed for faster starting. An even more dynamic set-up for suspension, steering and powertrain.
• “RACE” drive program: for highly dynamic driving on closed race tracks. In this mode, all the parameters are configured for maximum performance. Starting off with combustion engine and electric motor and situational interaction of the two drives. Electric boost power of the electric motor up to 80 per cent. Strong battery recharging at low power demand for maximum electrical availability. In addition, the “Boost Mode” can be called up via the left steering wheel button. The boost power is then limited to a maximum of 30 per cent in order to conserve energy reserves. These can then be used specifically on the race track for spontaneous power demand via kick-down and 100 per cent boost power – for example for an acceleration manoeuvre or powerful acceleration out of corners. 
• “Slippery” drive program: optimised for slippery road conditions, with reduced power and a flat torque curve. Electric-only driving and recuperation adjustment are deactivated. 
• “Individual” drive program: individual customisation of the drive, transmission, AMG Dynamics, chassis, steering and exhaust system. 

New sound experience 

When driving on all-electric power, the legally required Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System warns the surroundings that the Performance hybrid is approaching. A specially composed, low-frequency and speed-modulated AMG sound is emitted to the outside via a loudspeaker at the front and a soundbar with two loudspeakers at the rear. 

In addition, the AMG developers also use the external speakers for a more advanced sound experience. For this purpose, they pick up the real sound of the combustion engine via a pressure sensor in the exhaust system and enrich it further before it is emitted in the interior via the entertainment sound system, thus making it possible to experience the typical AMG sound at first hand. In addition, the sound is modulated via the existing external loudspeakers as well. 

Recuperation selectable in four stages 

Because the high-performance battery is always in the optimum temperature window of around 45 degrees due to direct cooling, recuperation can also be optimised. Normally, a battery heats up strongly at a high recuperation rate so the energy recovery level needs to be limited. Recuperation starts when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator pedal, i.e. in overrun mode without touching the brake pedal. The driver can select four different levels of recuperation using the right-hand AMG steering wheel button, with the energy recovery being designed differently according to the driving mode.

• Level 0: The vehicle behaves similarly to a conventional combustion-engine model with manual transmission, where the clutch is disengaged, and rolls on with the least resistance when the accelerator is released. The recuperation level is very low, and only serves to maintain the vehicle’s power supply. With the combustion engine switched off, friction losses in the drivetrain are reduced to a minimum. 
• Level 1: This is the standard setting, at which recuperation is already noticeable to the driver, and corresponds approximately to the deceleration of a conventional combustion engine when the clutch is engaged. 
• Level 2: Stronger recuperation, the brake pedal hardly needs to be used when moving in traffic.
• Level 3: Maximum energy recovery, making so-called “one-pedal” driving possible as in an all-electric car. Depending on the driving status, more than 100 kW of power can be fed back into the battery. 
• Special feature of the RACE drive program: On the racetrack, the driver wants to squeeze the maximum time possible out of any braking action. In the “RACE” drive program, recuperation is automatically set at level 1 to allow the most reproducible vehicle behaviour possible at the limits.