Mercedes-AMG had quite a bit to show during Malaysia’s Formula 1 weekend, but beyond the racing, the brand also gave us an interesting look at two very different sides of its performance future.
Mercedes-Benz Malaysia introduced the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ Coupé alongside a local preview of the all-new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé.
One sticks closely to the AMG formula we know, with a 4.0-litre V8 producing 612hp and plenty of hardware designed for the racetrack. The other looks towards AMG’s electric future with three axial-flux motors producing up to a rather ridiculous 1,169hp.
Same AMG performance philosophy, two very different ways of getting there.
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO: More Than Just More Power
Let’s start with the petrol-powered one.
Under the bonnet of the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ Coupé sits AMG’s familiar 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine. Here, it produces 450kW (612hp) and 850Nm of torque, which is 27hp and 50Nm more than the regular GT 63.
Power is sent through an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G transmission and the fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system. The result is a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds, while 200km/h arrives in 10.9 seconds. Keep your foot down somewhere legally appropriate and it will eventually reach 317km/h.
But the “PRO” badge is not simply about throwing more power at the GT.
Mercedes-AMG has upgraded the cooling system to cope with sustained high-performance driving. Two additional radiators sit in the front wheel arches, while the front and rear differentials and transfer case also receive active cooling. Airflow to the brakes has been improved to better manage temperatures under heavy use.
Aerodynamics have received similar attention. The revised setup reduces lift over the front axle by more than 30kg, while the fixed rear wing contributes around 15kg of additional downforce at the rear.
In other words, this is less about winning the traffic-light drag race and more about making the GT perform consistently when driven hard.
There is also AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL suspension, rear-axle steering of up to 2.5 degrees and an AMG ceramic high-performance composite braking system with 420mm discs at the front.
Track-Focused, But Still an AMG GT
The focus on performance hasn’t turned the GT 63 PRO into a stripped-out track car either.
Inside are AMG Performance seats finished in Nappa leather and MICROCUT microfibre, carbon-fibre trim and an AMG Performance steering wheel. A 12.3-inch driver display sits alongside an 11.9-inch central display, while there is also a head-up display, MBUX Augmented Reality Navigation and an 11-speaker Burmester surround sound system.
For owners who actually intend to bring their rather expensive AMG onto a circuit, AMG TRACK PACE can record and analyse lap, sector and acceleration times.
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ Coupé is estimated from RM2,088,888 in Peninsular Malaysia.
There is also the RM2,588,888 Motorsport Collectors Edition, although that isn’t technically new to Malaysia. The limited-run model was introduced here earlier this year and adds an obsidian black finish with Mercedes-Benz Star Pattern, PETRONAS-coloured detailing, unique 21-inch AMG forged wheels and plenty of carbon fibre.
Then There’s AMG’s 1,169hp Electric Future
Things get considerably more interesting from a technology standpoint with the all-new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé.
There is an important distinction here. The car shown in Malaysia was the GT 55, and the new electric GT 4-Door isn’t officially on sale locally yet. Malaysia is expected to receive the more powerful GT 63 variant, with an estimated starting price of RM1.29 million.
Underneath is Mercedes-AMG’s dedicated AMG.EA high-performance electric architecture, with three axial-flux motors: one at the front and two at the rear.
The motors are supplied by YASA, the British electric motor specialist owned by Mercedes-Benz. Unlike the radial-flux motors commonly found in EVs, these axial-flux units are considerably smaller and lighter while offering much higher power density.
In GT 63 form, the system produces up to 860kW (1,169hp) and 2,000Nm of torque. That is enough to send the four-door from 0-100km/h in just 2.4 seconds.
Because apparently 1,169hp wasn’t enough, there is another party trick. Pulling both steering-wheel paddles in Comfort, Sport or Sport+ can temporarily provide up to 150PS of additional boost for, appropriately, up to 63 seconds.
Big Power Needs a Serious Battery
Feeding those three motors is a 106kWh AMG High Performance Electric Battery using an 800-volt architecture.
Mercedes-AMG has put particular emphasis on keeping the battery performing consistently rather than simply chasing a big peak output figure. Individual cylindrical cells are directly cooled to maintain a more uniform temperature when the car is repeatedly pushed hard.
Despite the performance on offer, Mercedes-AMG quotes a WLTP driving range of up to 697km for the GT 63.
DC fast charging peaks at 350kW, with Mercedes-AMG claiming a 10-80% charge can be completed in around 16 minutes when connected to suitable charging infrastructure.
Can an Electric AMG Still Feel Like an AMG?
Going electric creates another problem for AMG. Making something ridiculously fast is one thing. Making it feel like an AMG without a V8 doing the shouting is another.
Enter AMGFORCE S+.
The system attempts to bring some of that theatre back with simulated gear shifts and a sound experience derived from the AMG GT R. Mercedes-AMG says more than 1,600 sound files are dynamically mixed in real time according to acceleration, shifts and driving behaviour.
Whether that is enough to satisfy someone coming from a proper AMG V8 remains to be seen, but it shows that Mercedes-AMG isn’t treating sound and character as an afterthought.
There is plenty happening underneath as well. AMG RACE ENGINEER brings together the car’s powertrain and driving dynamics systems, while dedicated Response, Agility and Traction controls let the driver alter how the car behaves.
AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL air suspension, rear-axle steering of up to six degrees, fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive and torque vectoring also make the list.
Inside, the technology continues with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, 14-inch central infotainment display and another 14-inch screen for the front passenger, all tied into MBUX and the Mercedes-Benz Operating System.
V8 Today, Electric Tomorrow
Put the two cars side-by-side and they make for a pretty interesting snapshot of Mercedes-AMG right now.
The GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ represents the AMG formula we already know: a big V8, serious performance hardware and plenty of motorsport influence. It isn’t trying to reinvent what an AMG should be. Instead, it’s refining it.
The new GT 4-Door asks a much bigger question: what happens to that identity when the combustion engine disappears?
AMG’s answer apparently involves three axial-flux motors, an 800V architecture, simulated V8 theatrics and up to 1,169hp.
Whether all of that can replicate the character of a proper AMG V8 is something we’ll have to find out when the GT 63 eventually reaches Malaysian roads. But if there was any concern that electrification would make AMG less excessive, 1,169hp suggests otherwise.
For now, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+ Coupé is estimated from RM2,088,888 in Peninsular Malaysia. The electric Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-Door Coupé is expected to arrive in Malaysia next year, with an estimated starting price of RM1,290,000.
