Yahoo Autos Mercedes-AMG GT plug-in hybrid to bring 804bhp and 1047lb ft
New Mercedes-AMG GT E Performance PHEV is all but identical to pure-V8 GT 63
Mercedes-AMG will reveal the new plug-in hybrid version of its GT super-coupé later this month, having shown a prototype at the Munich motor show last year.
Named the GT 63 S E Performance, it will use the same powertrain as the recently unveiled Mercedes-AMG SL 63 E Performance roadster, which pairs the GT 63's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 with a rear-mounted electric motor, giving combined outputs of 804bhp and 1047lb ft.
In the drop-top, those monstrous figures allow for a McLaren 750S-baiting 0-62mph time of 2.9sec and a top speed of 196mph, and the coupé is expected to broadly match that.
Meanwhile, a "lightweight, high-performance" 400V battery mounted under the boot will supply a power boost under acceleration and enough energy on a full charge for eight miles of driving with the engine off.
It's expected to get the convertible's carbon-ceramic brakes, too, plus standard-fit rear-axle steering and subtle aerodynamically optimised styling cues.
The new version of the GT is the sixth PHEV from Mercedes' performance division, joining the electrified S63, SL 63, C63, GT 63 4-Door Coupé and One hypercar.
AMG hasn't given any indication of launch date or pricing, but PHEV power is expected to push the GT past the £200,000 mark.
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The new GT has been comprehensively re-engineered in a programme that has twinned its development with that of the latest SL, alongside which it is produced at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Bremen, Germany.
Larger and heavier but also roomier and arguably more practical than its predecessor, it forgoes the two-seat layout that has characterised the top-of-the-line AMG model since its introduction in 2014 for a 2+2 interior design that, in combination with a larger and more accessible boot, aims to provide it with greater everyday functionality.
As with the closely related SL, the GT adopts a fully variable four-wheel drive system as standard for the first time. It replaces the rear-wheel drive arrangement used previously, providing the new coupé with what Schiebe describes as “a much broader spread of driving characteristics, together with greater traction and added security in all weather conditions”.
The fifth series-production road car to be developed ground-up by AMG launched in two guises - both featuring the company's hand-assembled, twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine. The new GT 55 4Matic+ develops 469bhp and 516lb ft of torque, with the range-topping GT 63 4Matic+ offering 577bhp and 590lb ft - both upgrades over the equivalent versions of the first-gen GT.
A four-cylinder AMG GT 43 was recently added to the ranks, with the 416bhp motor from the A45 super-hatch, but there are no plans to bring it to the UK.
The updated V8, which Schiebe says will be made compliant with Euro 7 emission regulations when required, operates in combination with a nine-speed AMG Speedshift automatic gearbox featuring a wet 'starter' clutch in place of a conventional torque converter. Mounted directly to the end of the reworked V8, it replaces the earlier GT's seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle unit, which was sited within the rear axle assembly. Also included is an electronically controlled rear-locking differential.
