Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, the fastest accelerating AMG ever

The new AMG GT is only getting V8s in the UK. The team at AMG decided that 579 bhp and 800 nm wasn’t quite enough, so say hello to the new GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE. Siddarth Limaye has all the details.

There is something else roaring on the streets of Shanghai this weekend apart from Formula 1. Mercedes-AMG, apart from bagging second place at the Shanghai GP Sprint, have revealed the highly anticipated hybrid version of the new AMG GT. The new (get ready for this name) Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is the fastest accelerating car Affalterbach has ever made, completing the 0 - 62 mph sprint in just 2.8 seconds. It is a tenth of a second faster than the car that shares a powertrain and a name with it - the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance four door coupé. (Loving these naming conventions).

The engine is the familiar 4.0 litre biturbo V8 which is front-mid mounted and produces 603 bhp and 626 lb ft (850 Nm) on its own. To give it its hybrid tech, there is an electric motor and a 6.1 kWh battery on the rear axle which produces a reasonable 201 bhp. However, combined the GT now produces a staggering 804 bhp and 1,047 lb ft (1,420 Nm) of torque combined. These are monumental figures even when compared to the AMG One hypercar.

The rear mounted batteries also have their own two-speed gearbox and a limited slip differential which allows the electric motor to deliver additional performance from a standstill to the car’s top speed. The battery also boasts new technology, with individually cooled cells for better heat management - these are kept at a constant 45° so they are always at their peak operating temperature. Another benefit of the battery is the 8 miles of fully electric range you get, to leave a neighbourhood in complete silence and then later charge it up from the eight drive modes to choose from.

Speaking of weight, although no official figures have been released yet, as is the case with all battery enhanced supercars, the GT may also be considerably heavier than the outgoing models. Top speed is about the same, electronically limited to 199 mph.

As this will be the range topping AMG GT on sale now, it gets carbon ceramic brakes on 21” alloy wheels as standard. It also gets rear wheel steering and AMG’s Active Ride Control suspension system from the factory to manage all that extra mass. Visually, there is not much that has changed, with subtle red outlines on the badges and a rather awkwardly placed rear charging port, to top up at 3.7kW from a domestic charger. This takes just over 90 minutes, but engineers say that the battery can be fully charged and discharged twice over the course of a half hour mountain drive.

Rush’s own Ken Pearson has already sampled this powertrain and this is what he thinks:

“I’ve been lucky enough to experience the V8 plug-in hybrid setup in the new AMG S 63 E Performance and it is rather effective to say the least; if you put wings on the thing, it’ll take off! The performance is mesmerising from a standstill but it remains relentless as the speed increases. The GT is twinned with the new SL which I’ve driven in V8-powered SL 55 form; that turns like a housefly with the four wheel steering and I know the chassis can take more power. The new GT hybrid will be quite something!”

Mercedes-AMG have not yet released the UK pricing plans just yet but expect a price around £200,000. With the new GT already in production for our market, it’s safe to assume that we won’t have long to wait for pricing to be confirmed. Porsche has yet to release the highly awaited hybrid 911, all we know is the new GT 63 S E Performance will definitely give it a run for its money.