Yahoo Autos The 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PHEV Is Worth the Weight
With Porsche adding an electric motor to the new 911 GTS and BMW slotting a big ol' battery into the new M5, high-end hybridization is definitely having itself a moment.
The AMG GT 63 is the latest recipient. Mercedes has added a 201-hp electric motor and a 6.1-kWh battery pack (of which 4.8 kWh is usable) to its long, lovely grand tourer, these working in conjunction with a twin-turbo V-8. The net result? A car that has a whopping 805 hp and 1047 lb-ft of torque when both sides of its powertrain are at full song. Naturally, it's also picked up a fair bit of weight along the way, and there are some other compromises too.
If you haven't been following along—understandable, given how quickly every model is evolving right now—the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 has effectively merged with the SL, turning the GT into a 2+2 tourer coupe and bringing it in much more direct competition with Porsche's 911. That has resulted in the car growing substantially and shifting away from its former transaxle layout, gaining the aforementioned weight and standard all-wheel drive in the process.
Now, looking at the AMG GT 63 S E Performance that will sit at the top of the range (for now), you can see where many of those changes were pointing. This is the most powerful GT and, with an official 0-60-mph time of just 2.7 seconds, the quickest-accelerating Mercedes-AMG road car ever. That makes it even swifter than the Formula 1–engined AMG One hypercar, which moseys its way to 60 mph in what now looks like a relatively relaxed 2.9 seconds by AMG's count.
The way the hybrid GT 63 launches is unsurprisingly brutal. On the smooth German roads over which I drove the car, the Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires found huge traction, driving the car off the line with what felt like unrelenting force. In classic Mercedes-AMG fashion, those loadings just got more intense as the numbers of the speedometer cycled into three digits. This is a car meant for the highest of high-speed touring, and while traffic conditions on the autobahn did not allow me to confirm the GT 63 S E Performance's electronically limited top speed of 199 mph, I did get most of the way there on multiple occasions.
If anything, the hybrid GT is even better for those short moments of manic speed because it accelerates so aggressively. In Sport or Sport+, the throttle curve is sharp. The car is so eager you'll elicit complaints from passengers with a less-than-iron-clad stomach, especially any relegated to the rear seats. But the performance is so addictive you'll likely be willing to live with the complaints.
But the performance is not as seamless as in a high-performance EV. The AMG GT 63 S E Performance has a lull in intensity when asked to deliver its all on short notice, a momentary delay before the turbos on the 4.0-liter V-8 get to full boost—something Porsche's electric turbos have effectively cured in the new 911 GTS hybrid. Likewise, the nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT automatic transmission (this using a wet clutch instead of a torque converter) is occasionally a bit reluctant to downshift, but tapping the shift paddle resolves that in short order.
Importantly, braking is every bit as good as the acceleration, as you'd expect from the cast carbon-ceramic discs. They measure a generous 16.5 inches at the front and 15 inches at the rear. More interesting is the amount of regeneration available in the E Performance. There are four regen modes, ranging from Off to Maximum. On Max, the GT 63 S E Performance will pull up to 0.3 g on deceleration without any use of its friction brakes, enough to illuminate the brake lights. That's not remarkable by EV standards, but for a hybrid it's good. In the most aggressive regen mode, the car decelerates rapidly enough that on smooth and fast twisty lanes, you can rely on the regen to bring your speed down between corners without brushing the brake pedal.
That said, while Mercedes calls this a one-pedal mode, it is not. The car will not bring itself to a complete stop. Still, the E Performance is remarkably good at recharging itself between the regen and a hybrid system that is eager to hoover little bits of the unused power coming out of the prodigiously strong V-8.
Yes, you can plug it in if you like, and at full charge, Mercedes estimates you'll get up to eight miles on the (generally optimistic) European cycle when driving carefully. But throw it into Sport+ mode and go a-hooning, and within 30 minutes, you'll probably be most of the way to a full charge again. That's one of eight dynamic modes available: EV, Battery Hold, Comfort, Slippery, Sport, Sport+, Race, and Individual.
In the Individual mode, you can naturally modify parameters like transmission aggression or suspension stiffness. Which is usual for such systems. More novel is the ability to tell the engine to stay off, so if you want a super-sporty EV mode with the extra-firm suspension and even the loudest fake engine noise, you can have it.
Despite the minimal range, the GT is still quite fun in its EV mode. Sure, 201 hp in a car this size isn't much of a rush, but it's quick to jump away from lights and out of roundabouts, and it'll do up to 80 mph without turning on the engine. Beyond that, the transition is handled with impressive precision. My test car gently reduced acceleration to hold itself at an indicated 129 km/h, the maximum EV speed. Pushing the accelerator beyond its kick-down detent at that point dropped the car to Comfort mode automatically and smoothly brought the V-8 into play.
The seamless handover is made possible by a simple but clever hybrid system. The old AMG GT used a transaxle, but this generation has a transmission hanging off the back of the V-8, with a center differential sending some power forward through a secondary driveshaft. The GT 63 S E Performance's electric motor sits on the rear axle, integrated to the limited slip differential. But although the electric motor is only directly driving the rear wheels, engaging the clutches in the center diff allows power to also be transferred to the front. Even in EV mode, there is all-wheel drive when needed.
Having the motor and battery pack at the rear helps balance the weight of the car, but it unfortunately kills the cargo space. Where the GT is normally easily able to swallow a pair of roller bags, a pronounced hump in the cargo space in the S E Performance drops that down to one.
While the regular AMG GT is no lightweight on its own, clocking in at over 4300 pounds depending on configuration, you can definitely feel the extra weight in the hybrid. Mercedes hasn't quoted how much the E Performance gains over the standard AMG GT, but the battery and motor will have brought a substantial increase in mass. (For reference, the difference Mercedes quotes between the V-8 and PHEV versions of the four-door GT is 400 pounds.) The increase is especially notable in Comfort mode, where the rear end has lots of vertical movement before settling over larger bumps, although these were admittedly few on my test route in Germany.
Tellingly, there was no on-track portion for my time with the AMG GT 63 S E Performance. There, I fear, the additional weight would have been even more apparent. On the road, though, it hides its additional mass well. In any of the sportier dynamic modes, with dampers firmed up, the E Performance is still sharp and clean in its handling. Reactions are helped by a standard rear-axle steering system, and even on the optional 21-inch wheels my test car rode well (20-inch rims are standard).
The E Performance doesn't get much in the way of visual differentiation from its nonhybrid sibling, really just the badge on the back and the fenders. To me, that's a good thing—although this generation has clearly grown compared to its predecessor, the GT still cuts such a clean and striking shape that any extra fins or vents would be an unwelcome distraction. Buyers will be able to choose the AMG Aerodynamics package option, which adds downforce as well as visual aggression and a fixed rear wing. But I preferred the standard retractable spoiler integrated into the rear hatch that only deploys when needed.
Like most performance plug-in hybrids, the E Performance isn't a substitute EV. Range and performance are limited, although it is genuinely pleasant to drive in its electric mode. Although it can't do EV for long, the ability to recharge rapidly means it can do so frequently—it was a pleasant surprise how often the car could drop into its EV mode. But the ability to travel silently gives another advantage. If you are somebody who needs to drive through a restricted area regularly, or who wants to slip from your evil lair without making a sound, this is the GT for you.
We don't have fuel economy figures yet, but the E Performance will surely do better than the nonhybrid GT 63's 13 mpg in the city.
The big question is whether the extra power is worth the extra weight. The base GT 63 is already a compelling car, but the GT 63 S E Performance's increase in speed puts it into a different realm. In this part of the market, more is never enough for many buyers—and given the GT's evolution toward touring (while the forthcoming GT 63 Pro Coupe is aimed at track thrills), I don't see the plug-in's extra weight as being that much of a penalty. If you have the means, and you're a light packer, then this is a great package. You get more power and more punch in the same sophisticated shape, along with serene, emissions-free motoring. If only in small doses.
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