Mercedes-AMG replaces the V8-powered GT 4-Door with an electric model
Consider this an obituary. It’s the end of the road for the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door and the V8 engine. But the good thing is that the AMG brand isn’t mourning, since its replacement arrives with a fully electric powertrain and power figures that surpass even those of the outgoing V8.
V8 or not, the newly-revealed AMG GT 4-Door rides on the performance division’s dedicated high-performance AMG.EA platform, and uses three electric axial-flux motors – two at the back and one up front for that rear-biased all-wheel-drive configuration. Before we get to the mental power figures, there are two variants on offer: AMG GT 55 and AMG GT 63, both powered by a 106kWh battery pack, giving the high-performance EVs a range of up to 700km on a single charge.
Despite being positioned below the GT 63, the GT 55 is a mean machine with 600kW and a monstrous 1,200Nm. That also translates to incredible performance numbers. Its 0-100km/h time is 2.5 seconds, with a top speed of 300km/h. At the top, there’s the GT 63 with 860kW and 2,000Nm, and it can glide silently from 0-100km/h in 2.1 seconds. The top speed is the same as the GT 55.
Interestingly, AMG says both models can add more than 460km of range in just 10 minutes, thanks to an ultra-fast 600kW charging capability.
Even without a V8 thumping away under the bonnet, Mercedes-AMG promises that drivers will still enjoy that signature soundtrack. In AMG FORCE S+ mode, the car leans on simulated engine sound and artificial gearshifts to recreate the V8 experience. It’s a clever bit of tech, especially with the added haptic feedback that mimics shift jolts and even traction interruptions during the simulated changes.
In terms of looks, the silhouette is still unmistakably a GT 4-Door Coupe, thanks to a dynamic fastback outline, a low-slung front bonnet, and a steeply raked windshield, while an AMG-specific grille with vertical slats gives the performance EV an aggressive stance. At the back, it comes with an active rear diffuser, a red light bar that extends to the width of the car and retro-style circular taillights.
Inside, there are three screens. The digital cockpit pairs a 10.2-inch instrument cluster with a driver-oriented 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, and if you like, you can optionally add a passenger display of the same size. What stands out is the AMG Race Engineer system, which consists of three rotary dials on the centre console, giving the GT a motorsport-style feel.
There are still physical buttons for menus such as the drive mode dials, and from the pictures we can see a mix of leather, carbon fibre, and metal throughout, with the air vents looking like they’ve been picked directly from the S-Class.
This is the end for the AMG GT 4-Door with a V8, and while it’s painful to watch the high-performance sedan go the EV route, the electric version is far more extreme, brutal and undeniably quicker, on paper, at least. Progress or loss? Well, that depends on your belief in what an AMG should be, but the new direction is still astonishing.
