Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance First Look

We all love 1,000 horsepower supercars and exotics but there is something really cool about four door sedans that are just as quick but a lot more usable in the real world. Here we have one such sedan. Let me get this right, it’s the Mercedes AMG GT 63 S E Performance and it’s the most powerful production car that Mercedes-AMG has ever made.

Over the AMG GT, the 63 S E Performance gets some visual tweaks in the form of revised front and rear bumpers, a charging port on the rear bumper, new alloys and new exhausts. Inside, you get two 12.4-inch displays acting as an infotainment system and digital instrument console and AMG-specific elements such as the sport seats, steering wheel, and more.

So the E in E Performance is for electric and it’s got a small electric motor and a battery on the rear axle that has been developed in-house. The primary source of power though is a 4-litre bi-turbo V8 engine which makes 640 horsepower whereas the electric motor makes an additional 204, taking the combined horsepower and torque figure to 831bhp and over 1,400Nm of torque. As for the performance, zero to 100kmph takes just 2.9 seconds and derestricted, this car will keep on accelerating till it reaches 316 kilometres per hour. The electric motor is positioned at the rear axle wherein you will also find a two speed gearbox which transfers the electric torque to all the four wheels. There’s also a small but high performance battery located above the rear axle. It’s a 6.1kWh capacity battery which along with the electric motor can generate 204 peak horsepower for up to 10 seconds.

You can charge this battery using a 3.7 kW on-board AC charger, at either a charging station or using a home socket. This is of course a performance hybrid and the electric motor and battery are here to supplement the V8 engine so you can’t really expect a lot of electric only range. In fact, the GT 63 SE Performance can drive purely using the electric motor for up to 12 kilometers before the battery runs out of charge. As for speed and usability, this car run on EV mode from zero to speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour while the V8 engine is disabled.

Like all electric vehicles, you have braking regeneration in this performance sedan so you can choose between four levels of effectiveness. At level zero, it behaves similarly to a conventional combustion engine with manual gearbox, where the clutch is disengaged, and rolls on with zero resistance when you let go of the throttle. But at level 3, it switches to maximum energy recovery mode which means it will start decelerating strongly as soon as you release the throttle, allowing you to one pedal drive.

Prices for the Mercedes AMG GT 63 S E Performance aren’t out yet and we will get them at the time of launch which is on April 11 so stay tuned.