It seems that 2019 will be the last year of the rear-wheel drive, hooliganistic, Mercedes-AMG C63. In line with the plans to adopt a new, all-wheel drive platform for AMG models due to customer demand (not us, honestly), the performance-bred C-Class won't be the first to say goodbye to lots of unnecessary burnouts. Well, maybe not.

Gallery: 2019 Mercedes-AMG C63

According to an unnamed source that talked to TopGear.com, the hot C-Class will follow in the footsteps of the E63, sporting an AWD system with a drift mode that decouples the front driveshaft, allowing for some rear-biased fun. Switch the car into drift mode, and you have 100 percent of the power sent to the rear wheels, allowing you to do some questionable things on city streets (stick to the track, gentlemen). So, in essence, you get the traction and usability of an all-wheel-drive car, plus the ability to switch things up and light up the rear tyres. Seems like a win-win. 

The source didn't reveal any engine changes, so chances are, it'll be the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that makes 469 bhp and 479 lb-ft of torque for the C63 and 503 bhp and 516 lb-ft of torque for the more potent C63 S. Although, due to some rivalry with another German brand, engine outputs might increase by the time the new Mercedes-AMG C63 is revealed in 2021. The seven-speed automatic transmission will probably be carried over, as well as the adaptive dampers, but with updated settings, we reckon. A hybrid might appear in the C-Class family, too, lifted from the E53, pushing power figures up to 429 bhp.

The current C63, C63 S, SL63, SL65, S65, and AMG GT are the only rear-drive models left in the AMG lineup, and the sweeping changes are far from over, with V12s and V8s starting to sound less convincing to the guys over at Affalterbach, Germany. 

Source: TopGear.com