Mercedes-AMG just added a flagship electrified variant to sit at the top of the GT 4-door range, called the GT63S E Performance. It relies on the same 4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the main motivator, but it in this performance plug-in hybrid it is aided by an electrified rear axle to produce the most power of any AMG model ever.
Its powertrain produces a combined 831 horsepower and torque peaks at 1,033 pound-feet (or 1,400 newton-meters), thus enabling this rather big sporty fastback to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds and to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 10 seconds. Interestingly, while it is quicker to sprint to 100 km/h, it is actually around one second slower than the non-electrified 730 horsepower Black Series two-door model to reach 200 km/h; the 63S E’s top speed is 316 km/h (196.3 mph).
The electric boost is provided by a rear motor that’s mounted on the rear axle, which makes 201 horsepower and 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) and it draws from a relatively small 6.1 kWh battery pack located right above it. There’s also an electronically controlled limited-slip differential at the back and this enabled Mercedes to give this vehicle a dedicated drift mode and, unlike many electrified ICE vehicles, this AMG can actually power the front wheels via the electric motor too.
It’s pretty clear that unlike some other powerful, electrified vehicles along the same lines as the new four-door AMG, such as the Porsche Panemera Turbo S E-Hybrid, put more emphasis on efficiency, but this new Mercedes uses its electrification to maximize performance. The manufacturer says it only has an electric range of around 12 km (under 7 miles) and its average fuel consumption is rated at 8.6 l/100km (27.35 US mpg / 32.8 UK mpg).
Gallery: Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance
Jochen Hermann, Technical General Manager of Mercedes-AMG GmbH says that with the new GT63 S E,
Mercedes-AMG has always stood for top performance and maximum driving dynamics. In developing our E PERFORMANCE hybrid strategy, it was therefore clear from the outset that we would pursue a stand-alone concept for AMG that combines our core brand values with high efficiency. It is now entering series production with the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE. The layout with the combustion engine at the front and Electric Drive Unit on the rear axle offers numerous advantages. The optimised weight distribution, best possible utilisation of torque and the very fast power delivery promise driving dynamics at the highest level. Added to this is the high-performance battery developed in-house, which has twice the power density of conventional drive batteries and, like many other components, is inspired by technology from Formula 1.
Where the AMG GT63 S E won’t be as good as its non-plug-in model variants is through the corners where its extra weight will render it more cumbersome and harder to control. Weighing in at 2,380 kg (5,247 lbs), it needs the standard carbon brakes to ensure it stops well every time, thanks to massive 420 mm disks up front. The model will be made available in the next few months and it will also become the most expensive model in the AMG GT 4-door lineup.
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