Our spies have spotted the next C-class. Unlike other prototypes, this test mule sports immense wheels, quad exhaust pipes, and a mesh grille. Sources indicate this is the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The C63 will adopt AMG's new 503-hp naturally aspirated V-8 engine. The less powerful C350, C280, and C230 will share most of this AMG's sheetmetal.

Tired of your oh-so-boring 367-horsepower C55 AMG? There's hope: Mercedes' next C‑Class will be available in C63 guise with AMG's sophisticated new 6.3-liter V-8. The engine is capable of pumping a massive 520 horsepower, but likely to be tamed to around 400 to 420 hp for the C-Class sedan. That's still in line with BMW's new M3, and an increase of around ten percent over today's model.



We expect the new C63 AMG to break out just after the standard C's launch in Frankfurt next year, with a possible introduction at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

The deep front air dam and big air intakes on this 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class are sure signs there's no ordinary V6 under the hood. This is a test mule of the high-performance 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Caught testing on Germany's infamous Nürburgring, it's Mercedes' answer to the 2007 Audi RS4, which is already on sale, and the V8-powered 2008 BMW M3, which is still in the hopper.

Mercedes has been stuffing its new 507-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 into everything. We've already seen the CLK63, the E63, the S63, the CLS63, the R63 and the ML63. Now the smallest sedan in the company's lineup will get the 6,208cc four-valve DOHC V8. Official output is 507 hp at 6,800 rpm and 465 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm in most applications, but in the CLK63 and the C63 the new V8 produces 475 hp at 6,800 rpm, and 465 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm, which is a 30-percent and 24-percent increase over the 2006 C55's 5.4-liter output.

That power will be sent to the C63's rear wheels with the company's now ubiquitous 7-speed automatic transmission. This prototype wears a set of mismatched 18-inch wheels, which are no doubt bolted to the same fade-resistant composite-construction front brake discs we sampled on the 2007 CLK63.

Even with those mismatched wheels and massive amounts of camouflage, we already like the way this new C-Class looks. Up front it's clear the 2008 C-Class will adopt the styling of the 2007 S-Class by tossing its oval headlights in favor of more rectangular-shaped housings. The grille stretches wider across the front with a narrower, lower air intake than the current model. More prominent side mirrors are also an obvious change. In back, the production taillights will also have a shape similar to the S-Class, and those quad pipes are hard to miss.

Look for the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class to make its debut at the Paris auto show in September with U.S. sales starting next spring. The C63 won't be far behind.