Yahoo Autos 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT53 4-Door Offers Performance That's Easy to Swallow
Before you roll your eyes at yet another lozenge-shaped Mercedes sedan with a six-figure price, let us explain why this one is different. Until now, AMG's four-door work has been limited to reengineering and modifying existing Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but the division has sufficiently demonstrated its commitment to the part of the Hippocratic oath about doing no harm that Mercedes is now letting the in-house speed shop design and set up dedicated models. This AMG GT 4-Door (yes, that's its name) is such a car. There is no regular-issue, unjuiced, non-AMG version of it. All GT 4-Doors get the full tuner treatment and have all-wheel drive, electronically adjustable dampers, and sport seats. Up to 630 horsepower is available. But here we're driving the, um, moderate one, the GT53 with the new 429-hp turbocharged and electrically supercharged 3.0-liter inline-six and a 21-hp electric motor. It opens at $99,995 and hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
Immediate and immoderate, the GT53 snaps necks with every touch of the accelerator. From a stop, the electric motor and supercharger fill in the brief lapse before the turbo is fully committed. Even in the 4-Door's quietest exhaust mode, a snarling soundtrack enters the cabin. While much of the interior is shared with Mercedes's other four-door cough drop, the CLS, the saddle-shaped console between the seats appears to have been pulled out of the GT sports car. In the middle of that wide console is the brand's latest infotainment interface. Gone is Mercedes's COMAND knob; in its place is a maddening and often unresponsive touchpad that makes simple tasks such as changing the radio station a hassle. In addition to "Save the Manuals!" we may need to launch a "Save the Knobs!" campaign.
Exploiting the car's big grip presses you hard into the standard sport seats, and the absence of road noise and the complete stability at speed inspire confidence. Steering effort increases to reflect cornering stress, and the body stays flat in even the hardest 1.00-g maneuvers. You don't expect a big 4563-pound car to be so dialed in and handle with such ease, but there you are, easily doubling recommended cornering speeds. You pay the price in ride comfort, though. Even in its softest setting, the suspension pounds the pavement and sends audible whacks into the cabin.
While front- and rear-end styling and interior elements link the GT 4-Door to the GT two-seater, what's remarkable about the GT53 is that there's more than a superficial connection to the coupe. A four-door hatch with the same name as a sports car is a hard pill for us to swallow, but driving the 4-Door reveals a common mastery present in both. Against all odds, a shared feel and performance goal connect a small two-seat sports car to a big four-seat car on a completely different platform.
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