This is the engine that mounts the Mercedes-AMG C 63 SE Performance, a 2.0-liter 476 hp, together with another electric motor that reaches up to 680 hp.
The obsession with reducing consumption and, above all, emissions to comply with anti-pollution regulations leads manufacturers to develop mechanics like this, the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the world.
To build a powerful engine, there are two options: increase the displacement, that is, the displacement, or resort to supercharging. For years, the automotive industry has opted for the latter to offer benefits with low consumption and, above all, fewer emissions.
This is what is known as Downsizing, something that became fashionable from the 2010s onwards with low-displacement three-cylinder engines, both gasoline and diesel, in many cases up to 1.0 liters, but with powers of more than 100 CV, even 150 CV.
Mercedes has rounded out the loop and has built a very powerful inline four-cylinder gasoline engine that mounts in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 SE Performance, a block capable of developing no less than 476 HP, but which, thanks to hybrid technology , reaches 680 CV.
Technology from Formula 1
It is the M139L engine, with the ‘L’ referring to its longitudinal arrangement. And it is also the first mass-produced engine in the world to use supercharging through an electric turbocharger. This already explains a bit of the reason for its high power.
This new technology comes directly from Formula 1, where it is used by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, and ensures particularly agile and immediate response throughout the full range of engine speed.
This is the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the world
This engine has four cylinders and a displacement of 2.0 liters, something that may seem conventional. But, thanks to the electric turbo, it develops 476 hp and 545 Nm of torque. In addition, it is combined with an electric motor of 150 kW (204CV) and 320 Nm of torque. All this makes the propulsion system reach a total power of 680 CV and 1,020 Nm of torque.
The system is linked to a nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G automatic gearbox and an AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive scheme with fully variable torque distribution, in addition to Drift Mode.
With this configuration, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 SE Performance accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and reaches an electronically controlled top speed of 280 km/h if the optional AMG Driver’s Package is added.
On the other hand, the propulsion system has another important component. We refer to the battery that feeds the electric motor, lithium ion with a capacity of 6.1 kWh and that provides an electric range of 13 kilometers.
