Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E: Redefining ‘Hybrid’ the Hard Way
Mad new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance 4-Door Coupé has 843 HP and 1033 lb-ft on tap.
Mercedes-AMG has just unleashed a significant cat among the electrified pigeons. It has waded into a new era with this monster GT 63 S E Performance 4-Door Coupé. It doesn’t just ruffle the likes of the current hybrid king Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid’s feathers.
E Performance blows its plumage completely off!
E Performance Has An Astounding 843 HP, 1033 lb-ft
Set to make its public debut at next week’s relocated Munich IAA expo, the most powerful AMG yet delivers an astounding 843 HP and 1033 lb-ft to smash the 60 mph barrier in 2.9 seconds, 120 mph in ten seconds and blast on to an unhindered 196 mph top speed. That’s as quick as a two-door GT Black Series. Yet this hybrids manages 32.8 mpg on the dreaded WLTP combined cycle.
Affalterbach’s first plug-in hybrid, E Performance Coupé is based on the regular AMG GT 63 S 4-Door’s 639 hp 900 Nm 3,982 cc direct injection biturbo 4-liter V8 driving its AMG Speedshift MCT 9G biturbo V8. But in the hybrid, that’s aided and abetted by a 204 hp 235 lb-ft so-called P3 drive electric motor on the rear axle. Using tech nicked from from Mercedes-AMG’s Formula 1 hybrid drivetrain, it brings optimal weight distribution and the quickest possible torque deployment.
It’s an interesting system. The independent electronically controlled two-speed electric motor has an actuator. To shift it into second gear at 85 mph, or when it is spinning at around 13,500 rpm. Designed to deliver “fast power delivery and draw rather than a longer range,” electric power “is always available for quickest acceleration.”
The new PHEV will drive 7.5 miles and at speeds of up to 81 mph on battery power alone. The car’s regenerative braking has four levels of severity to one-pedal driving in certain conditions.
Double the Power Density of a Lithium-ion Battery
The e-motor is powered by a non-conductive liquid cooled 6.1 kWh 560 cell 400 volt AMG battery. It sits above the rear axle to for a best weight distribution. Boasting double the power density of a lithium-ion unit at 1.7 kW/kg, it provides 70 kW continuous and 150 kW peak output. It can be charged via a 3.7 kW on-board charger, at charging stations, via household sockets or wall boxes. A separate 10 HP belt-driven starter generator meanwhile drives the AMG hybrid’s ancillaries.
The E Performance hybrid gets standard AMG Ride Control + multi-chamber air suspension. With automatic level control with adaptive electronically controlled adaptive damping. And a larger standard ceramic composite 6-pot front brake system.
You must squint to see the differences between this hybrid monster and its already more than adequate petrol only ‘little’ brother. The hybrid gets its front bumper remodeled on the two-door GT. There are new badges, exhaust tips and exclusive 20- and 21-inch alloy wheel designs. Not much changes inside. Beyond new hybrid displays for certain MBUX infotainment settings, an EV range indicator, real-time power consumption data. And an electric motor power gauge.
E Performance Greets AMG’s Electrified Future
“The new GT 63 S E Performance 4-Door Coupé transports our brand into an electrified future,” AMG chairman Philipp Schiemer confirmed, in a recent press statement. “We have followed our own technical path and that makes AMG so special and desirable.”
“Developed entirely in Affalterbach, the performance hybrid offers a fascinating level of driving dynamics. It rightly bears our new technology label E Performance. We’re also opening up to new target groups who will experience Mercedes-AMG as the performance luxury brand of the 21st century.”
Pricing and availability are to be confirmed. Expect a fair premium over the standard GT 63 S 4-Door Coupé’s $161,900.
Photos: Mercedes -AMG