Mercedes-AMG CLE Extreme New Model With C 63 AMG Black Series Vibes

The Mythos ultra-luxury brand of Mercedes, which is positioned higher than Maybach, is cooking up a very hot CLE that appears to pack V8 muscle. Clearly inspired by the C 63 AMG Black Series from the good ol’ days of naturally aspirated muscle, this model has recently started testing in Sweden.
 

Although the camouflaged prototype gives the impression of rear-wheel-drive shenanigans, bear in mind the six-cylinder CLE 53 is exclusively all-wheel drive. AMG further made a case for all-wheel drive on its V8 models, including the soon-to-be-redesigned S 63 E PERFORMANCE.
 
The yet-unnamed model does not feature a charging flap, yet Mercedes is all too aware that anything other than a V8 would be pointless in a vehicle that brandishes the Mythos name. Mercedes and the AMG performance division are currently putting the finishing touches on a new flat-plane lump that should be viewed as a combination of M177 and M178 LS2 componentry. The Stuttgart-based automaker calls it M177 Evo, and its displacement has been confirmed to stand at 4.0 liters.
 
We’ll first hear and see this mill on January 29, 2026, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. According to BMW’s biggest rival, the S 580 will pack this engine and 48-volt electrification for a declared output of 530 mechanical horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Newton-meters). Considering that AMGs are punchier, the second car in the Mythos series after the SL-based PureSpeed is certain to impress.
 
The switch from a cross-plane crank in the M177 to an M178 LS2-inspired FPC will also pay dividends in terms of maximum engine speed and aural pleasure. Switching to a flat-plane crankshaft also means improved gas exchange, turbo efficiency, thermal management, rotational inertia, and packaging as well due to the smaller crankcase and lower center of gravity.
 

Mercedes refers to the newcomer as being an “extreme new model” that is “backed by a correspondingly powerful drivetrain.” The camouflaged prototype sports a completely new front bumper from the outgoing CLE 53. The lower intake is especially interesting due to supposed aero slats. The upper grille, however, seems to be your usual Panamericana design.
 
A quartet of square tips helps the anticipated flat-plane V8 sing the song of its people, and the ginormous rear wing replaces the far more discrete spoiler of the CLE 53. Equipped with pre-facelift headlights rather than star-motif clusters the carparazzi spotted on prototypes of the heavily anticipated refresh.
 
Look closer, and you will also notice slightly wider lightweight alloys housed within slightly wider fenders. Based on what Mercedes did with the PureSpeed, this interpretation of the CLE is likely due in limited numbers as well. Drawing visual inspiration from the ONE and the 300 SLR, the PureSpeed is limited to 250 units globally.
 
The big question, though, is whether Mercedes will give its most extreme CLE yet more than 577 ponies. In the PureSpeed, the cross-plane M177 engine develops 577 mechanical horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) at full chatter, enabling a top speed of nearly 196 miles per hour (315 kilometers per hour).