Mercedes-AMG heard the grumbling, and it no longer sounds like background noise. The brand will bring a new V8 back to its lineup before the end of 2026, with SUVs first in line and performance cars following later, according to comments from AMG boss Michael Schiebe. Even AMG now seems ready to admit that an angry vacuum cleaner like the one under the hood of the current C63 with a battery pack is no match for the good old V8. The Big Cars Get The Big Noise First Mercedes-BenzLet’s make this clear from the beginning – do not expect the V8 comeback to turn the next C-Class into a modern W204 tribute. AMG plans to put the new eight-cylinder engine in larger, higher-dollar models, where it has more room to breathe and more room for cooling hardware. SUVs will lead the charge near the end of the year, then coupes and sedans will join the party.The engine itself remains under wraps, but the trail looks warm. Mercedes-Benz has already shown a new version of its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in the 2027 S 580. The automaker lists that engine at 530 hp and 553 lb-ft, but the interesting bit sits deeper inside – reports say this M177 Evo uses a flat-plane crank, a layout most people link with sharper response and a harder-edged sound. AMG versions should turn the wick up. The rumored CLE-based Mythos coupe has already been linked to a 646-hp V8, while AMG has confirmed that a new GT Black Series and GT3 race car will grow from the same extreme GT program. No one at AMG builds a Black Series so it can politely merge onto the freeway. The C63 Lesson Still Stings Mercedes-BenzThe smaller cars will not get the same treatment, though. The next AMG C-Class will move toward six-cylinder power, not a V8, and that says plenty about where the brand draws the line. AMG can use a smooth inline-six to restore some character without blowing up weight, cost, and emissions targets. The new GLC 53 already points in that direction with a 3.0-liter inline-six and mild-hybrid help.That shift also shows why the C63 became such a sore spot. On paper, the current C63 S E Performance brings monster numbers – it is a 671-hp performance hybrid and the strongest C-Class yet, but gearheads do not buy AMG cars with only a calculator. They listen at a cold start, care how the car answers the throttle, and notice when hybrid gear makes a small sedan feel less like a street fighter and more like a very fast science project.Schiebe has also left the door open for more plug-in hybrids. AMG already sells cars like the E 53 Hybrid, which makes 577 hp and 553 lb-ft in U.S. trim, and that kind of powertrain still works well in places with tighter emissions rules. It gives buyers electric driving in town and a big shove when the road opens. That compromise will stay.The new V8 sends a cleaner message, though. AMG no longer wants one answer for every car. The brand now seems ready to let four, six, eight, and even twelve cylinders live where they make sense. For enthusiasts, that is the best news from Affalterbach in years.