Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Spotted, But Unfortunately Not Heard

We’re all excited that the forthcoming Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 has a good ol’ fashioned V8 under the hood instead of a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, and one of the primary reasons is the noise. The twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that showed up in the previous-generation C63 coupe is an unholy terror, sonically speaking, with a loud bellow under full throttle that climaxes with pops and burbles on overrun and downshifts. So you’ll understand if the latest spy video (embedded below) of the V8-powered CLE has us a bit concerned: It’s really, really quiet.

Run Silent, Run Deep

As seen in videos lapping the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit, the Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 betrays some clear V8 tendencies, with an occasional burble that sounds a lot like the engine found in the plug-in S63 E Performance sedan. However, when accelerating out of the pit lane and hammering down the track’s straights, there’s barely any engine noise at all, apart from an indeterminate “whoosh” coming from the tailpipes that betrays the likely use of turbochargers. It’s probably fair to assume the CLE 63 will get a version of Mercedes’ corporate twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, which appears in everything from the GLE 580 luxury SUV to the AMG SL 63 roadster.

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On video, the CLE 63 looks nicely planted in the corners, and although the pace is brisk rather than balls-to-the-wall, we can still assume that the coupe is going to be a feisty, sporty thing. Model for model, the C-Class coupe was about 400 pounds lighter than its CLE-Class replacement, but we still expect the CLE 63 to be as aggressive and apt to hunt M4s as its C63 predecessor was. That said, the V8 under the hood is disappointingly bereft of character, although that effect might be temporary.

A Multi-Mode Exhaust Might Be To Blame

Manufacturers often use a number of tricks to obscure the details of cars that are in development. Psychedelic wrap jobs hide body contours, thick carpet mats conceal interior panels… and multi-mode exhausts silence the tailpipe pulses that might give an engine layout away. It’s our hope that Mercedes-AMG is using that last deceit to keep pundits like us from postulating on the V8 that’s almost certainly under the hood of the high-performance CLE. It’s possible the company is running its car under a stringent noise-level test to ensure it passes regulations in each market in which it’ll be sold, and if that’s the case, it’s likely the CLE 63 will offer a track setting that’ll allow the pipes to play a bit louder.

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The automaker could also be playing coy because it doesn’t want to admit any wrongdoing in developing the C63 E Performance sedan, which controversially switched from a twin-turbo V8 to a single-turbo four-cylinder bolstered with an outrageously powerful (and unfortunately heavy) plug-in hybrid system. Although the C63 PHEV is quicker and more powerful than its V8 forebear, customers have reportedly been staying away – possibly due to a loss of character since the four-pot isn’t nearly as snarling.

We Want Answers

Unfortunately, Mercedes hasn’t committed to a specific launch date for the CLE 63 just yet, but given how frequently it’s been showing up on test tracks, we don’t think it’ll be much longer before we learn the car’s inner secrets. Plan on the newest AMG coupe to take a bow in time for the 2026 model year, hopefully with a spring debut and an autumn on-dale date.

Source:
Car Spy Media
via
CarScoops