Yes, there are still automobiles that spark spontaneous enthusiasm. With the biker who fights his way up the winding mountain road and gives a thumbs-up in approval as he approaches. Or the school children who walk a few meters behind in the village so that they can see and hear something for longer. Or the young man in his driveway who nods approvingly as he drives past. The Mercedes AMG GT 63 is a popular figure. At least on Spanish country and village roads.
The Mercedes designers have made some efforts to ensure that it stays that way with the second generation of their top model. Because the AMG GT, which is being built in Bremen and is scheduled to be delivered from spring 2024, almost lost some of its dynamic elegance. At 4,728 mm, it is almost 18 centimeters longer than its predecessor, the height has increased by seven centimeters and the width by 4.5 centimeters. It also weighs around 300 kilograms more.
A deep and wide radiator cowl, the narrow headlight units and the elongated bonnet with the two power domes are just as important as the low, round rear with the extendable spoiler, the long wheelbase with the short overhangs, the steep windscreen and the side view without beads or edges like the voluminous wheel arches, help to maintain the visual dynamism of the sporty coupé. And technically, a number of further developments ensure that the GT 63 drives the way it still looks.
The increase in length did him some good, especially on the inside. It is also optionally available as a 2-seater. At least children should have enough space in the second row. Since the backrests can be folded down, the normally 321 liter trunk provides up to 675 liters. The loading sill is a bit high, but the tailgate opens wide. There is plenty of space for taller passengers in the front row. You can get in and out through the wide-opening doors without too much contortion, you don’t feel squeezed in despite the generous center tunnel and the comfortable sports seats can also be pushed far back.
Everything is elegant, everything fits together. The combination display in front of the driver can be programmed in a variety of ways, the optional head-up display offers space for the most important information, the 11.9-inch display on the center console, which extends far up into the dashboard, offers a clear navigation display and serves as a Control center for the on-board computer.
As is usual with AMG, the V8 petrol engine under the bonnet, assembled by hand in Affalterbach, provides plenty of propulsion. As before, the four-liter biturbo produces 585 hp / 430 kW and a maximum torque of 800 Nm, which is available from 2,500 rpm. This provides plenty of power: it goes from zero to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and, according to AMG, it stops at 315 km/h. The power is by no means brutal – if you don’t want to: the athlete can also be controlled very sensitively when parking in front of the supermarket. Nevertheless, the thirst is corresponding: Mercedes states 14.1 liters of Super Plus as the average consumption. This corresponds to CO2 emissions of 319 grams per kilometer. With a species-appropriate driving style it is significantly more.
No matter whether it’s a parking lot or a winding mountain road: the engineers have installed plenty of technology to ensure that driving the AMG GT 63 is as enjoyable as it is problem-free. For example, the rear axle, which steers up to 2.5 degrees, ensures small steering bends and safe cornering. Mercedes has almost eliminated the rolling movement with a sophisticated system. In principle, the car’s individual dampers are connected. The front left damper is connected to the front right damper via a hydraulic line. There is also a connection to the rear dampers via a line running across the vehicle. A second circuit also connects the other sides of the damper chambers. Sounds complicated? It is. But it works. The athlete has a variable all-wheel drive as standard, which distributes the drive power depending on the situation and continuously between 50:50 between the axles and 100% to the rear axle. There are six driving programs to choose from, which can be switched at any time using a button on the steering wheel. The nine-stage automatic transmission switches quickly and hardly noticeably. If you like, you can also change gears manually using two large paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
As usual, all of this comes at a price. The Mercedes AMG GT 63 Coupé costs from 188,704 euros, the Plus version costs 198,557 euros – which can be expanded upwards as desired. In a slimmed-down version, the AMG GT will also be available as a 55 from summer 2024, with 476 hp / 350 kW of power.
