A plug-in hybrid system makes the AMG GT 63 S E Performance the quickest Mercedes ever, but it comes with a weight cost.
The plug-in hybrid has 805 hp and 1,047 lb-ft, but it's heavyBetween two farms outside of Mercedes’ proving grounds in Immendingen, Germany, I pull theto the side of an open country road. With my foot on the brake, I turn the steering wheel dial to Race mode, then floor it. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster flashes “Race Start Ready,” and I let go of the brake.
However, the meandering route from AMG headquarters in Affalterbach to Lake Konstanz that Mercedes has chosen for the bulk of the media drive is also telling. The route features short spurts of Autobahn, very few tight turns, and softly winding country roads. This might be the most powerful car in the brand’s most expensive sports car range, but Mercedes bakes in no track time or long stretches of mountain roads, likely because the car is simply too heavy.
Driving through some of Germany’s quaint small towns seems like the perfect time to try the EL electric mode. Powered only by the motor, the AMG GT 63 S E Performance isn’t nearly as quick as it is with the aid of the engine, but it also isn’t as slow as many other plug-in hybrids. The rear motor can add 94 hp continuously and deliver its 201 hp shots when needed and the driver stomps the throttle past a detent at the end of the pedal travel.
The small battery provides about eight miles of electric driving range on the more lenient European WLTP cycle, so that might be five or six miles on the EPA cycle. However, that doesn’t mean the battery easily runs out of charge. EL mode will begin to drain it, but not all the way and switching to the other modes will charge it back up, aided by four levels of regen that tops out at 0.3 g of regenerative braking that doesn’t quite bring the car to a stop.
Active aerodynamics play a part in handling performance, too. An aero element on the underbody in front of the engine lowers 1.6 inches at 50 mph to create a venturi effect that sucks the car to the road and reduces axle lift. The car also has a retractable rear spoiler that activates into one of five positions starting at 50 mph to increase stability or reduce drag, depending on the drive program.
While the suspension affords excellent control on public roads, the weight will cause some problems on a track. It will make the car understeer in sharp corners, and it will put greater stress on those big brakes. It won’t feel quite so willing to change directions, either, and it won’t feel as light on its feet as the last GT, which carried up to 1,100 fewer pounds on its well-balanced chassis..
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