How AMG Is Making The V8 Engine Sharper

Mercedes-AMG has updated the GLE63 S and GLS63. Affalterbach calls the changes subtle, but the hardware under the bonnet has been reworked. The headline change is a revised M177 4,0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. AMG paired this with mild-hybrid assistance, new combustion and exhaust hardware, and emissions compliance work. This keeps a big V8 legal in more markets for longer.

Our V8 is a central component of our performance DNA and the ideal heart for the new GLE63 S and GLS63. For years, the V8 has stood for impressive performance and great popularity among our customers. With the new M177 Evo generation, we have fundamentally revised the power unit and secured its presence in our portfolio for the long term. The result is an engine that impresses with agile response, strong performance and a pronounced appetite for revs – while at the same time meeting increasingly demanding regulations worldwide
– Michael Schiebe, chairman of the management board of Mercedes‑AMG GmbH

The V8 gets a proper rethink

The old-school appeal of a 4,0-litre AMG V8 was never in doubt, but pressure on these engines has changed. Tightening emissions rules have forced manufacturers to either sand the edges off their performance cars or redesign them properly. AMG chose the second route.

The updated M177 Evo keeps the headline output at 450 kW and 850 N.m. The real changes sit deeper in the engine. The new flat-plane crankshaft reduces inertia inside the block, letting the engine pick up revs more cleanly and react faster to throttle input. AMG also revised the intake camshaft, optimised the injection system, reshaped the intake and exhaust ports, and improved the compressor wheel and turbocharger housing.

The result is an engine that feels more eager without giving up the brutal shove AMG buyers expect. Peak torque still arrives from 2 500 to 4 500 r/min; the character has not been turned into a high-strung track motor. It remains a big-capacity forced-induction V8 built for shove first, theatre second, and cleaner response now than before.

Mild hybrid support

The 48-volt system and integrated starter generator do more than smooth stop-start traffic. AMG’s ISG 2.0 adds 17 kW and 205 N.m to the combustion engine’s output, fills in low-rpm torque, recovers energy on deceleration, and helps restart the engine smoothly.

This support system makes a heavy, high-output SUV feel less lumbering when you roll into the throttle from low speed. It also helps the V8 stay on the right side of future emissions standards without strangling its character. The particulate filter, now fitted as standard worldwide, is part of that same story, along with the updated exhaust aftertreatment package.

Sportscar Performance

The GLE63S and GLS63 remain what they have always been: huge SUVs with too much power and a serious talent for embarrassing smaller performance cars. Now they do it with a more modern V8, a cleaner emissions story, and just enough extra precision to keep the formula alive a while longer.

The GLE63S runs to 100 km/h in 3,9 seconds, while the GLS63 takes 4,2 seconds. Both are limited to 280 km/h. In a market that keeps trying to shrink the V8 into history, AMG has answered with a louder, cleaner, better-armed version of the same old argument.

Sound still counts

AMG developed a new Performance exhaust system for the pair of performance SUVs. The sound can be adjusted through the drive modes or with a button in the centre console. In Comfort, the system plays nicely. In Sport+, it wakes up properly.

The tailpipes and diffuser treatment ensure nobody mistakes them for regular diesel traffic. The front end has also been redrawn with a more aggressive AMG grille, bigger air inlets for the V8’s cooling needs, and exclusive LED lighting with an AMG-specific signature. These are big SUVs, and AMG leaned into that instead of trying to fake restraint.

Adaptive Suspension

Under the skin, both models use AMG Ride Control+ with air suspension and adaptive damping. That gives the GLE63 S and GLS63 the sort of range ordinary performance SUVs can only pretend to offer. It is firm when you want it, more relaxed when the road starts to punish enthusiasm.

AMG Active Ride Control brings active electromechanical stabilisers on both axles, with sensor inputs checked up to one thousand times per second. That system keeps the body from lolling around under load, whether the SUV is changing direction quickly or dealing with one-sided bumps. The new ESP calibration is part of the same package. AMG’s permanent Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive continues with fully variable torque split and specific front and rear drive shafts to cope with the V8’s torque.

The rear axle locking differential is standard too, but it is not the old-school mechanical sort. It is electronically controlled and constantly adjusting to the situation. It improves traction when you pull away hard, settles the car in quick lane changes, and helps put power down in low-grip conditions without killing forward momentum.

Ride height can be lowered by 10 mm in Sport and Sport+, then dropped by another 10 mm at highway speeds in Comfort to cut drag and aid stability. Trail mode raises the body by 55 mm. A manual lift of up to 20 mm is also available on the move or when stationary, broadening the usable range beyond the pavement without pretending these are proper rock crawlers.

AMG Cabin Treatment

Inside, the latest AMG Performance steering wheel is available in Nappa leather, microfibre, or carbon trim, with AMG controls built in for direct access to performance functions. The upholstery menu reads like a tailor’s swatch book, with Nappa leather Exclusive in black, macchiato beige, beech brown, and red pepper.

Trim choices include carbon and aluminium-look finishes. The microfibre headliner keeps the cabin from drifting too far into lounge territory. The new MB.OS interface and high-resolution screens are not just for maps and playlists. Torque split, G-forces, and engine data are all part of the display set.