The new Mercedes CLA EV hasn’t even launched in many regions outside of Europe, including North America, yet development is already well underway for the upcoming AMG variant. As a debut nears, the camouflage is starting to come off and reveal more about the high-performance model.

Starting up front, we can see a unique front bumper with large intakes. They’re joined by a new central opening, which features a unique mesh pattern. Additional details are hard to make out, but the model has a fully enclosed grille as well as starry headlights.

More: Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Could Be A 500+ HP EV With Fake V8 Sounds

The styling makeover continues with sportier sides skirts and lightweight wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The latter are backed up by a beefy braking system, which sports red calipers up front. We can also see what appears to be AMG-specific badging on the front fender.

The rear end doesn’t look too remarkable at first glance, but a closer inspection reveals an active spoiler. We can also expect a modified bumper and diffuser to help distinguish the AMG variant from the regular model.

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Spy photographers didn’t get a good look inside, but the cabin should have a minimalist interior with a sport steering wheel and a handful of special touches. We can also expect a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14-inch infotainment system, and a 14-inch front passenger display.

Mercedes has been tight-lipped about powertrain details, but previous reports have suggested the car will have axial flux motors developed by Mercedes’ Yasa subsidiary. There could be a total of three motors altogether, giving the car a combined output in excess of 500 hp (373 kW / 507 PS).

Also: The New Mercedes CLA EV Can Only Use 800V DC Fast Chargers

That should put it in direct competition with the Tesla Model 3 Performance, which delivers 510 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds, along with a top speed of 163 mph (262 km/h).

Rumors have also suggested the AMG variant will have a unique battery pack and a “V8 Mode.” The latter reportedly replicates the sound of a roaring V8, as even Mercedes appears to be acknowledging that’s what people actually want.

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Mercedes-AMG has stripped away some of the body cladding and camouflage of its long-awaited electric sedan, giving us our best look at the car yet. The car will push AMG into a new market and serve as a rival to the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Audi RS e-tron GT. So, is it worth getting excited about?

These new teasers show a prototype with a sleek and low-slung design that shares unmistakable similarities with the Mercedes Vision AMG Concept from three years ago. Like that car, the new electric sedan from Affalterbach has striking LED daytime running lights mimicking the shape of the Three Pointed Star. Similar DRLs are featured on the new CLA and will be added to other new Mercedes models, but AMG has enlarged them for this car.

Read: AMG’s New V8 Isn’t Just Coming Back It’s Coming For Everything

There’s no sign of a traditional front grille, although we can see some slats towards the base of the bumper that will provide some cooling.

The side profile of the car is certifiably sexy and has been paired beautifully with tightly-spoked wheels that should also aid in aerodynamic performance. At the rear, this prototype ditches the ugly temporary lights of other recent testers and gets a pair of circular LED taillights, which again have the star motif. There will also be an active rear wing.

The Good Stuff

While both the Taycan and RS e-tron GT represented dramatic departures for both Porsche and Audi, both cars are excellent, and AMG had better be at the top of its game to make a compelling rival to them. All the signs point towards it being just that.

Underpinning the all-electric cousin to the AMG GT 4-Door will be the new AMG.EA architecture with a battery pack from Sila Nanotechnologies in the US and electric motors from British firm Yasa. Mercedes-AMG is reportedly pursuing a four-digit horsepower figure, giving it enough power to compete with the flagship Taycan and RS e-tron GT models.

Fortunately for those who still want a thunderous engine, Mercedes-AMG will continue to sell this new EV alongside the ICE-powered AMG GT 4-Door.

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Even as the auto industry lurches toward electrification with all the grace of a three-legged shopping cart, Mercedes-AMG is reminding everyone that the V8 still has a pulse. The German brand copped a lot of flak for turning the C63 into a four-cylinder hybrid, and raised plenty of eyebrows when it confirmed a pair of high-performance EVs for production. However, enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that the AMG V8s we all know and love aren’t going anywhere, at least for the time being.

In fact, fans of AMG’s signature V8s can breathe a little easier, at least for now. According to AMG boss Michael Schiebe, there’s still a future for combustion engines, thanks in part to regulatory breathing room. With the European Union’s combustion ban not taking effect until 2035 and no firm ICE cutoff in the U.S., there are “some years to come with the V8,” he says.

Schiebe didn’t specify how many years the current engine might hang on, but it sounds like AMG isn’t just keeping the lights on. They’re actively working on a new generation of the V8.

Read: New Flat-Plane V8 Coming To Mercedes-AMG CLE 63, But It Won’t Sound The Same

Speaking with Car and Driver, Schiebe explained that the next-gen V8 could find its way into multiple future models. That’s opened the door to speculation, some hopeful, some wildly optimistic, that the engine could even make its way back into a revised C63.

“We are in the midst of developing our next generation of the V8 and I see a lot of positions within our existing portfolio, or maybe even new ones, where we could actually imagine to have a V8,” he said.

We’ve known about the next-generation V8 from Mercedes-AMG for several months now. According to reports, it will ditch the cross-plane crankshaft of the current V8 family in favor of a flat-plane crank. The company is also developing the engine to work with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that could incorporate a starter motor into the gearbox, while also adding some extra power and better efficiency.

Schiebe reinforced the idea that AMG won’t go all-in on hybridization with this engine. In his words, they don’t “necessarily need to go that far on hybridization,” suggesting this new V8 will stay closer to its roots than some feared.

That strategy could also extend the life of models like the AMG GT 4-Door, which many assumed would quietly exit stage left as AMG’s all-electric performance sedan comes to market. But according to Schiebe, that might not be the case, at least not yet.

“Let’s see how long we continue with a GT 4-Door,” he said. “Maybe there is a successor, but I don’t want to speculate about that.”

So while AMG’s future is undoubtedly electric, the V8 isn’t on the chopping block just yet. If anything, it looks like the automaker is doubling down on its combustion credentials, if only for a little while longer.

Mercedes’ design department has been in a funk as for every hit, there’s multiple misses including the CLA, EQE, and EQS. However, another home run is on the horizon as the company appears to be teasing a sleek new sedan.

Mercedes-AMG isn’t saying much at this point, but they revealed “something big is coming” in June. The message was accompanied by a dark teaser image that shows a stylish sports car with a protruding nose and prominent headlights.

More: 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door EV Is The Cure For Boring Jelly Beans

They’re joined by a rakish windscreen that flows into a dynamic roofline that continues almost all the way to the end of the car. We can also see muscular rear haunches and an expansive greenhouse.

While the company is playing coy, the performance brand appears to be teasing the redesigned GT 4-Door. Spy photographers have caught the model on numerous occasions, but it’s been heavily disguised so we weren’t expecting something quite so stunning.

The car is slated to go into production later this year and the company has previously confirmed it will ride on the “first dedicated electric vehicle architecture developed by Mercedes‑AMG.” It’s known as the AMG Electric Architecture (AMG.EA) and the model promises to be a “technological trailblazer, which will pioneer a number of new innovations.”

Details are few and far between, but the Porsche Taycan competitor is slated to have a high-performance battery as well as axial-flux motors. The model was previewed by the Vision AMG concept and rumors have suggested the range-topping variant could have around 1,000 hp (746 kW / 1,014 PS).

Baldauf 

Mercedes-Benz previewed the new all-electric GLC earlier this month, and now, our spy photographers have snapped a prototype of the AMG version during testing. While it’s still wrapped in that signature camo, there are some key visual differences that set this hotter GLC apart, and some intriguing updates under the skin.

This prototype is covered head-to-toe in white and black camouflage, but there are some notable differences between this AMG GLC and the regular model. The hood looks a little more muscular, and a different set of headlights, although these appear to be temporary units. The lights of the finished product should be very similar, or identical, to the standard GLC.

Read: 2027 Mercedes GLC EV Strips Away Bulky Disguise, Dons Stylish New Slimline Camo Suit

Mercedes-AMG has also fitted the electric SUV with distinctive new wheels, making the whole thing look a little meaner. Much of the rear end has been covered in snow, but there’s a large lip spoiler at the rear – but it’s clearly temporary, and won’t look like this on the finished model.

This all-new Mercedes GLC will replace the EQC and is one of the 17 new electric vehicles that Mercedes has promised to deliver in the coming years. When it hits the market, the GLC will square off with the BMW iX3, which itself is undergoing a complete overhaul for its next generation.

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Platform and Charging Power

All new GLC models will ride on Mercedes’ MB.EA platform, a modular electric architecture that can handle 800-volt charging, with a max charge rate of up to 320 kW. This means quicker charging times and more efficiency across the board.

Unlike the outgoing EQC, which never got a full-fledged AMG version, the upcoming GLC EV AMG will bring the power in spades. The EQC’s AMG Line model topped out at 402 hp, but this new AMG variant will likely push over 500 hp, possibly even cresting the 600 hp mark with a pair of potent electric motors.

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Last month, Mercedes-AMG previewed the all-electric super SUV it’s currently working on. This new model is being developed alongside AMG’s first in-house electric sedan, and much like that car, is bound to court controversy. After all, many enthusiasts are accustomed to AMG models with thumping V8 engines, and this is partly why the four-cylinder hybrid C 63 has been a flop. However, the German brand believes electric is the future, and it’s cooking up something rather special.

Prototypes spotted by our spy photographers, along with official images released by Mercedes, were heavily covered in body cladding and camouflage, obscuring most of the design details. However, there’s a chance the EV, which is rumored to receive the GT SUV moniker, will have many similarities to its sedan counterpart that’s tipped to draw inspiration from the 2022 Mercedes Vision AMG Concept.

Read: First Look At Mercedes-AMG’s 1,000 HP Electric SUV Flagship

With this in mind, artist Nikita Chuyko created illustrations for Kolesa based on the test mules and recent renderings of AMG’s Taycan fighter, offering a preview of what the new SUV might look like. If it ends up resembling these images, it will certainly stand out in the Mercedes lineup, though we’re not entirely convinced it’ll be for all the right reasons.

The front of the SUV showcased here is dominated by a faux grille, which is to be expected in an EV, while the headlights are connected by a light bar. They also sport the Three-Pointed Star DRLs coming to a slew of new Mercedes models.

For as interesting as the front of this rendering is, the rear end is even more so. Taking cues from the Vision AMG Concept’s styling, it sports a wraparound LED taillight design, which brings to mind the Kia EV6 – an interesting choice, though one that works better on the Mercedes.

Power, Performance, and Ambition

Moving away from the design, the GT SUV is expected to mirror the size of the 2022 Vision AMG concept, stretching about 5.1 meters (200 inches) in length, with a wheelbase pushing over 3 meters (118 inches). That’s a bigger footprint than the gas-guzzling AMG GLE 63, putting it in the same league as the fully electric EQS SUV flagship.

Under the skin, the new AMG electric SUV will be built on the brand’s proprietary AMG.EA platform, featuring an 800-volt electrical system for faster charging and greater efficiency. It will also sport newly developed axial-flux electric motors from the British company Yasa, potentially delivering more than 1,000 hp. That kind of power will make it a serious contender against other electric crossovers like the Lotus Eletre R, which puts out 905 hp.

A release date hasn’t been announced yet, however it’s likely that the production version will debut in 2026, with sales kicking off later that year or early 2027, depending on the market, just ahead of its Porsche K1 rival. In theory, it’s a serious competitor for any luxury electric crossover, but its commercial success depends largely not just on its tech or power figures, but its design as well.

Baldauf for Carscoops