Mercedes-AMG C63

Performance car ditches its big old V8 engine for a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid in its latest iteration On sale Now Price from £97,530

- Neil Winn

THE NEW Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance is arguably the most important car to come from Mercedes' go-faster division in decades. That's because with the exception of the virtually unobtainable, Formula 1-inspired Mercedes-AMG One hypercar - it's the brand's first plug-in hybrid performance car.

Gone is the previous C63's straightforward set-up of a twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 powering the rear wheels. Instead, you now get a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, three electric motors, a tiny (4.8kWh) battery and four-wheel drive. As a result, the new C63 - which is available in either saloon or estate form - is more powerful and quicker than its predecessor.