I test drove a 26 AMG GT63 coupe (not the SE) today. Beautiful car and plenty fast. When toggling through comfort mode to Sport and Sport+ I coudnt help but notice the engine/exhaust note in the cabin sounded a bit artificial. Is there a small element of some pumped in fake exhaust notes? I didnt get out of the car to hear whether there is any exterior fake noise, but just wanted to get your thoughts? I actually do not really mind if its fake as the car sounds AWESOME, but I wanted to make sure I wasnt crazy as the sales guy didnt seem to have any commentary on it. I currently have a 24 S Class 580 and the cabin is quiet as a mouse whether I am in comfort or sport+, but that is my daily so I want it quiet.

Side question - those who have or do not have the front axle lift....do you use it? It is necessary in your opinion? The one at the dealer had it, but again the sales guy didnt know how to activate it. I guess I need to do my own due diligence and then go back to re-test drive.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

It's not fake, but amplified. The GT63 is equipped with AMG Real Performance Sound. This system uses microphones in the exhaust and engine to capture the real sound and then play it amplified over the speakers into the cabin. It does sound unnatural, though. I didn't particularly like it.

 

I do not have the FAL but I wish I did... I am lowered and was not paying attention and blew out the lower bladder. It was cheap (free due to dealer connect) fix but still. Get it if you can. I have very good roads and hardly any places with weird egress and ingress angles but Id rather be safe than sorry.

 

I use the lift regularly, glad I have it. Didn't get ceramics, wish I did. While I like the deeper sound of the exhaust when turned on, I hate the pops and gurgles when in sport (plus) mode.

 

FAL is an uncommon option in the USA. It was really the main reason I had to order new to get the options paired with it. these GTs sit a little vs stock 911s I think (or maybe its just the approach angle with the front splitter?

 

I see, not fake...just amplified. Thanks for the info. Wonder if you can toggle on and off that feature?

 

Good to know on FAL. I dont see it paired much on many of them here in So Cal, but this particular GT63 did have it.

 

There is no way to turn it off in the regular menus, there is a thread floating around that shows how to get into the back end of the system, however when I messed around with it, I was not able to turn it off, nor do I think anyone else was.

I would imagine to fully disable it, it would need to be coded that way. But thats above my pay grade.

I don't personally care for it, but it's not the end of the world also.

So as of now, to my knowledge there is no way to turn if off, unless there is an aftermarket coding option to have it done.

 

I have it on my GT63, it comes in handy pulling into my driveway with a regular rolled curb. It's also kind of cool to be able to set it to automatically rise every time I pull in my driveway. you can get away with out it, its not imperative, but the front is pretty low, and the FAL makes a substantial difference in the height. Only issue is it could be a little faster to rise in my opinion, and it only works I think below 25MPH. Over 25 it automatically lowers back down.

 

welp, I have FAL, and I just did the same exact thing. the rubber bladder thing on mine also just got partially ripped off. Do you mean dealer connect as in a friend type of hook up? Or is this something that could be covered somehow?

I'll need to have mine repaired also.... ****.

 

Dealer owner/friend- not a warranty item for sure

The part was not readily available at the PDC because its rare and they flew it in from Germany.

Edit- I think it was around 700.00 for the part

 

Wonderful... LOL.

It's just a piece of rubber. I got under and had to take a razor blade and cut it off the rest of the way.

Funny thing is I dont even think it was from a specific scrape when it was down. I actually think it happened from even when its up, and there was slight scrape like on a rounded curb or something. Like it almost grinds the rubber away until it kind of broke free on one side. The mechanical piece that extends wasnt effected and looks fine. I just need to un screw the screws and put a new rubber flap on. Looks relatively easy to do. But also looks very easy that it will happen again.

Maybe not a great design by MB with how low the front is, and i'm not even lowered like you are. But I do have FAL.

Problem with front axle lift is, it's great, if you know, and can prepare with enough time for it to slowly lift, but its the areas you dont expect or dont have enough time to raise it. Oh well. I imagine this rubber will be a very very common piece that people need to replace. Seems a little too easy to rip it off accidentally.


*** edit*** Vic you wouldn't happen to have that part # handy do you? All the online part sources dont show it, at least where I can see it, and have a feeling I'll want to rip my ears off at a dealership. Would prefer to just order online and put it on, looks like a very simple repair.

 

LOL I used shears to cut mine out --- and of course my mechanical process was still intact. I think my dealer did it in like 40 minutes, rack to de rack- and since they paid for it they just did it fast.

 

What purpose does this rubber bladder serve, and why spend $1000, guessing the cost including labor, to replace it?

 

well it’s not technically a bladder, it looks like it inflates but it doesn’t it’s basically a rubber flap that covers a mechanical lower spoiler type of thing that extends down at certain speeds to increase down force. “Venturi” effect essentially sucking the car down to the ground with air flow/pressure. The rubber is probably too fragile in my opinion with how low the front of the car is. I have a feeling this will be a common repair item.

it doesn’t appear that replacing it would be very labor intensive, but I haven’t messed with it yet. So I’m not sure if I’ll do it or just have dealer do it.

 

So after I blew up my front aero spoiler (ripped during a slower knucklehead move on my part)- I still drove the car at higher speeds and could sense the lack of the spoiler and its functionality. Dont get me wrong, the car was still planted but the effect of the under body spoiler really does create a suction force which keeps that front end in line especially when over 100 mph.

I got mine fixed for free but would still do it for several reasons; the results of the spoiler at higher speeds and I dont want to ever sell the car or trade it in without all the items on the car functioning.

 

I don't know from the top of my head at what speed the active aero deploys, but usually it's somewhere around 70-80mph. Don't really wanna go above that if it's not working. As it's not guaranteed that it'll stay on the road in all situations. My previous car had an active rear spoiler that deployed at 75 mph. The manufacturer put a warning into the owner's manual to not exceed 75 mph if the spoiler fails to raise, as otherwise the rear end could get too light and unexpectedly lose traction. Aero dynamics is an essential part of these cars and the faster you drive, the more important it is that it works. Unexpected lift in the front can have rather nasty outcomes.

 

it deploys im pretty sure below 70-80 mph. It may also deploy at different speeds depending what setting the car is in. With that said, while I could notice a little lighter feel in the front it wasn't anything too notable or sketchy, but I also wasnt driving hard around any corners or anything. maybe at 120+ it could be sketchy. There is holes in it that im sure get air flow under the flap while deployed.

It's able to be manually lifted and lowered also. So I doubt the car would raise up in the air if the rubber ripped, but I suppose it's possible at high speed cornering to lose a little stability. But I did not notice anything too worrisome while normal/spirited driving.

At any rate.... I was able to pick one up at my local dealer they had them in stock, not sure if the same part is on any other cars, but it was about $400.00 from my dealer. They wanted $300.00 to install, which is absurd. It was maybe 10-12 plastic plug/clips, and 2x 8mm bolts.

Took me longer to find my jack and get the car in the air than it did to replace. Very easy, and only need an 8mm socket/wrench and something to pop the clips out. the clips go back in by hand.

Really really easy, and no way I would pay more than about $25.00 to have someone install it. New part comes with a new plastic bracket that holds it in place.

Photo shows a few of the clips, they go all the way around. Kind of cool it appears the flap that gets pushed down may be carbon fiber but was hard for me to tell as I didnt get fully under the car. But in the photo the rubber was already cut off and not put back on yet, with it on youll see the rubber piece covering the front end of the carbon fiber flap.

Here is the part # which may be nice to keep in handy, for some reason all the online parts sites for some reason it's impossible to find. But here it is :