► AMG GT coupe revealed
► 4cyl, V8 and PHEV options revealed
► V8 model on sale in the UK from £164,765
Mercedes-AMG has revealed the 63 S E-Performance plug-in hybrid of its two-door AMG GT sports car in China.
The new Mercedes-AMG GT coupe has gone on sale in the UK in V8 form already. But the two-door coupe’s range has been expanded to include this new, flagship plug-in hybrid as well as a GT 43 four-cylinder rear-wheel drive model.
The first batch of V6 GT 63 Premium Plus, Performance and Launch Edition models start at £164,765 in the UK. That’s a lot of money for Merc’s 911 rival, but the price is inflated because it’s launching in punchy Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4Matic+ spec, meaning it’s the ballistic 577bhp AMG version complete with bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8.
The addition of the four-cylinder model and the plug-in hybrid will definitely expand the options available for those looking at AMG’s flagship coupe.
Are you sure this is a new one?
We’re sure – mainly because this new GT shares its footprint and wheelbase with the SL convertible.
Key design highlights include what the design team call ‘power domes’ over the bonnet, new headlights with triple-dash day-running lights (DRLs) and 3D-shaped rear light clusters. As standard, the AMG GT has an active rear wing, while an aero package on the options list features the fixed wing pictured above.
Inside, it’s almost entirely like its SL roadster sibling. Mercedes-Benz’s ‘hyper analogue’ display comprises a deeply inset driver’s instrument panel and a central touchscreen that rises up from the dashboard.
Unlike the SL’s version, though, it doesn’t adjust back and forward depending on sunlight. Given it’s a coupe with less chance of catching the rays in bright sunshine, this shouldn’t present a problem.
The biggest change, though, is the fact the AMG GT is now a 2+2. Given it runs on the SL platform (to save development budget), some of the SL’s traits have come along for the ride. But, given the low roofline, the rear seats are only for those measuring up to 1.5 metres tall, according to Mercedes-Benz. They can also fold down, boosting boot space – which, itself, is larger than before.
CAR has sat in the rear seats and can vouch that they are pretty diddy rear pews for occasional use or children. Handy for bags though.
So it’s more practical? What about performance?
As of April 2024, there are four-cylinder, V8 and plug-in hybrid models of the AMG GT.
The range starts with the new AMG GT 43: a rear-driven GT model using the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from the A45, which develops 416bhp. Mercedes-AMG claims a 4.6sec 0-62mph sprint and a top speed of 174mph.
Then, there are the V8 options: GT 55 and GT 63, which both feature 4Matic all-wheel drive. The GT 55 delivers 469bhp and 516lb ft, sprinting to 62mph in 3.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 183mph. The GT 63 develops 577bhp and 590lb ft, good for a 3.2sec 0-62mph sprint and a top speed of 195mph.
On top of that, technology like AMG’s Ride Control adaptive suspension with active roll control is included, as is a rear differential and rear-wheel steering. Carbon ceramic brakes are optional.
Ahead of the 2024 China Auto show, Mercedes-AMG has also revealed its plug-in version of the SL. It has a rather long name: the GT 63 S E-Performance, but comes with a nuclear-powered 805bhp electrified powertrain – the same as the top-spec SL convertible, conveniently – that allows it to sprint to 62mph in 2.8sec. That means the GT 63 S E-Performance is the fastest-accelerating series production AMG ever.
How much is an AMG GT?
For the UK market, we currently only get the V8-powered GT 63. Prices start at a punchy £164,765 for a Premium Plus, rising to £175,765 for a Performance model.