We’ve just gotten to grips with the stonking Mercedes-AMG GT S, and the last thing it left us thinking was, “I really wish this has an extra pair of seats,” yet that’s exactly what Mercedes-AMG has gone and given it. Feast your eyes on the much anticipated Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.
What is it?
At first glance, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe would appear to be a new iteration of the yet to be seen CLS63. But line the CLS and GT 4-Door up alongside one another and you’ll notice the differences. There is no CLS63 coming, so the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe essentially fills the same role.
Beneath the surface, this is no extended variation of the Mercedes-AMG GT’s chassis, as its name might suggest. Instead, it rides on the same platform as the one that underpins the AMG E63 and of course the new CLS, but developed and tuned wholly by Mercedes-AMG. It’s their way of elevating the performance saloon by casting aside the aspersions of comfort bias the CLS is forced to hold, even in AMG guise.
What model derivatives are offered?
The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is now the 3rd wholly AMG-developed model, after the SLS AMG and the AMG GT – and it launches in three guises, a GT 53 4MATIC+, GT 63 4MATIC+, and GT 63 S 4MATIC+.
The former of the three falls in line with Mercedes-AMG’s new 53 denomination series of vehicles, powered by an inline 6 cylinder engine and two turbochargers, one of them an electric compressor powered by a 48-volt electric system. The GT 53 4MATIC+ also benefits from an EQ Boost functionality providing up to 16kW and 250Nm of pure electric boost to mitigate turbo-lag, improve take-off performance, and fill the void upon sudden mid-range acceleration. Total outputs for the 53-badged AMG GT 4-Door Coupe rest at 336kW with a maximum potential output of 770Nm – though only 520 of those are produced by the combustion engine. Power is sent to the latest 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system through a 9-speed automatic gearbox, equipping the GT 53 4MATIC+ with a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds.
However it’s the fire breathing ‘63’ badged version that most will be interested in. Both the AMG GT 63 and 63 S are powered by Mercedes-AMG’s 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8, and both send power to all corners via a 9-speed automatic gearbox. The AMG GT 63 4MATIC+ boasts outputs of 430kW and 800Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of just 3.4 seconds. For the addition of the letter ‘S’, power outputs spike to 470kW between 5500 and 6500 rpm, with torque taking a leap of 100Nm to a total of 900Nm. Top speed takes a 5km/h boost – now at 315km/h – while the 0-100km/h figure sits pretty at just 3.2 seconds.
AMG GT 4-Door Coupe – Technical Highlights
Though based on the platform that underpins the E and CLS-class vehicles, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe benefits from a range of tech not all available on even the AMG E63. On the AMG GT63 S 4MATIC+, the 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 features active engine mounts as standard to help control weight shift and sudden jerks through the drivetrain – these are available as an option on the non S derivative, but not on the AMG GT 53.
The V8 derivatives of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe also benefit from cylinder deactivation technology. Under partial engine loads, cylinders two, three, five, and eight are deactivated, reducing fuel consumption to that of a turbo 4 cylinder. Cylinder deactivation is only available when in Comfort mode with engine speeds between 1000- and 3250rpm, and when active, a display on the instrument cluster alerts the driver that cylinder deactivation is in effect.
Speaking of drive modes, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe features up to six drive programs – model dependant. These include Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, RACE, and Individual – the latter allowing for a customised drive mode wherein everything from engine and transmission response to adaptive dampers, exhaust, and steering settings can be customised, as well as responses and programming of the all-wheel drive system.
Under these driving modes, Mercedes-AMG has also included what they call ‘AMG DYNAMICS’ – agility functions separated under Basic, Advanced, Pro, and Master – that are automatically selected based on drive mode, and adjust the thresholds and responses of the stability control, suspension, and all-wheel drive. The spectrum ranges from extremely safe in Slippery mode to fully exploitable in RACE mode.
Equipped as a standard feature on the AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+, you’ll also find a rear-axle limited slip differential. This electronically controlled locking differential is fully variable, allowing the outer rear wheel to rotate quicker under cornering, thus improving handling, minimising understeer, and allowing for later braking and earlier application of the throttle out of a corner. It’s effectively the same unit equipped to the Mercedes-AMG GT S.
Also standard on the GT 63 S, as well as the GT 63, is active rear-wheel steering. The system, first pioneered on the Mercedes-AMG GT R, steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels at speeds of up to 100km/h to increase agility and effectively shorten the wheelbase, whilst at speeds above that they steer in the same direction as the front tyres to increase stability and change of direction without upsetting the balance of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.
This system is also paired with speed-sensitive sports steering – an electromechanical power steering setup that has a variable ratio dependant on speed. The system also offers variable weighting – predetermined by drive mode, and adjustable between three stages; Comfort, Sport, and Sport+.
But the pièce de résistance is the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe’s 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system. The rear-biased system is the same setup utilised in the Mercedes-AMG E63 S. That means in the AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+, when the ESP is disabled and the GT 4-Door placed in RACE mode, it becomes a fully rear-wheel driven super-saloon, capable of full on smoky, tyre-shredding drifts. The Drift Mode is standard on the S derivative, though Mercedes-AMG has made it available as an option on the standard 53 and 63 model derivatives.
To aid grip when not in drift mode, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is equipped with some pretty heavy duty wheels and tyres. In lesser AMG GT 53 and GT 63 derivatives, 19-inch alloys are shod in 255/45 front and 285/40 rear tyres, whereas the AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ rides on 20-inch alloys shod in 265/40 and 295/35 profile rubber at the front and rear respectively.
Interior Design
Despite being a wholly developed model by Mercedes-AMG, the GT 4-Door Coupe is primarily a high performance Gran Turismo. The interior reflects this in its seating configuration, with the choice between four or five seats, and a sporting, albeit luxurious interior design. The rear bench in the 5 seat configuration also folds flat for improved versatility and practicality – with up to 1324 litres of boot capacity available from the 395 lire standard capacity.
Large elements of the interior borrow from the AMG GT sports car, including the ‘V8-inspired’ centre stack – applicable for the 63 derivatives, though a little out of place in the 6-cylinder 53 derivative. Other design elements follow the E- and CLS-class models, such as the air-con vents and the dual-screen instrument and infotainment displays. Standard on the V8 models and optional on the inline-6 model, dual 12.3-inch displays create a widescreen display area and a fully customizable display setup, theme and drive mode dependant, with three design styles available – Classic, Sport, and the new Supersport design.
The optional AMG performance steering wheel can be equipped with additional features, such as a round controller with integrated display beneath the right-hand steering wheel spoke, and two vertically positioned colour displays beneath the left-hand steering wheel spoke. The dash design of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe also features capacitive switches with proximity sensors.
Rivals
The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe enters new territory for Mercedes-AMG as an ultra-high performance saloon. While the Audi RS7, BMW M6, and formerly the Mercedes-AMG CLS63 S occupied a high performance segment, the Porsche Panamera has arguably sat a rung higher than these.
The Panamera is therefore the direct target of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe – though the most powerful 500kW Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid still outguns the GT 4-Door Coupe. However, rumour is there’s a more potent GT 63 R 4MATIC+ on the way – one that will pack up to 600kW.
But at the Geneva Motor Show, we’ve been introduced to yet another rival to the new AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. We spend a long time waiting for a model like this to come along, and in the space of a few days, we get two, as BMW has just introduced us to a concept version of the forthcoming BMW M8 Gran Coupe. Whilst power outputs are as of yet unconfirmed, expect the M8 Gran Coupe to run the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe very closely in a new rivalry for the ages.
