The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Is Crazy Fast. I Found Out Just How Fast, and Learned Why
The most innovative AMG ever has a lot more to brag about than stunning horsepower. A quick spin showed me just how much more.
It was like being on a movie set. Closed to hangers-on and the merely curious, food trucks and shade tents dotted the background while people milled about. A few dozen yards away, the curiosity was palpable, the discussions hushed and when the moment came, all eyes shifted to center stage.
That’s when it came to life: The unmistakable low rumble of a V8 engine, the glow of red tail lights, trios of round turbine-like lights that that emit tailpipe-like vibes. And then, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe would take off like a rocket and crest the bridge.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Hopping in and, Unprepared, Feeling the V8 Snapback
Soon it was my turn to hop into the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe and go for a spin. Standing on the bridge and seeing the all-electric 2027 GT 63 spin off in a flourish of tail lights and squealing wheels didn’t prepare me for the sheer velocity this car is capable of.
And then, there’s V8 mode. Holy cow.
I got in and Oliver Schnitzler—who introduced himself as Ollie—head of driving dynamics for AMG, was our pilot. He readied the AMG GT63 by tuning the dials on the center console, dialing the drive mode selector over to Sport+ and then arching his fingers over the paddle shifters. “Are you ready?” he asked. I thought so.
And then, he floored the accelerator and an instantaneous engine roar was accompanied by forward thrust so strong my head flew back into the headrest. I knew what to expect and was still surprised by the experience.
Read: Mercedes-AMG C 63 SE Performance First Drive: What It’s Like to Drive this F1-Inflected Sedan
It Takes More Than EV Power to Replicate the V8 Experience
The difference between EV power and V8 power is that an electric car will thrust you forward thanks to its instant torque; the feeling is soaring and weightless. A gas-powered engine, however, has to ramp up its power and as it does, it pulls you forward while the power builds. The difference is subtle but at the same time, very distinct. In a gas-powered car you really feel the entire machine working to pull you forward and you feel the control of it in your hands. In an EV the experience can be less mechanical, more instant and of course, a thrill.
And that was the distinction that AMG’s engineers were able to bridge: A super-powered EV that feels like, as well as sounds like, mechanically powered engines we’ve become used. The experience that lets you feel one with the machine, a part of rather than simply its operator.
Read: The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e PHEV Is Fun, Fancy and … Free?
The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Was a Thrill, Even In the Passenger’s Seat
Usually, in a car like this, the most fun is had in the driver’s seat. It’s where you really feel the power in your hands, where you’re in control and the machine responds to you. That’s something you might not feel quite as much in the passenger’s seat.
But in Ollie’s hands the experience still felt analog and mechanical. Even as I tried to hold on and not faint from the sudden acceleration, I could feel the transmission shifts as he changed power-input levels with the paddle shifters; I could feel the rumble of rev-matching and hear the gurgle of the “engine.” It all felt very V8.
If I hadn’t known that this was an EV I’d have been convinced it was a V8. Really.
Then, Even More Power Pushes You To the AMG GT63’s Limits
One of the magic things in performance and super cars these days is boost mode. This is especially true in EVs, which can instantly engage its entire torque capacity—which is fun if you know what you’re doing, but not great for a beginner who decides to floor the accelerator just to find out what happens.
So engineers added boost mode. In some EVs it’s a button, in the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe this is accessed via paddle shifters; pull them back at the same time and a countdown clock appears in the driver’s display counting down the time you have to access up to 148 additional HP. It’s truly like having a rocket under the car.
The Mercedes-AMG GT’s Driver-Centric Cabin Also Defies EV Norms
Sliding into the driver’s seat—and yes, I got to sit in it— you instantly see the Mercedes-AMG ethos at work. The screens are angled toward the driver, the center console is really a command center and the steering wheel, new for Mercedes, holds key features like the drive mode selector.
But it’s the lower center of gravity, the long, angled seating position that makes it feel much more sport sedan-like. This was a nice surprise; EVs have, thanks to bulky battery packs, created SUV-like proportions that engineers have had to overcome to deliver a fun drive experience Here, AMG’s engineers worked to reduce the size of battery producing smaller yet more powerful battery packs that allow the sedan to sit closer to the ground and deliver that one-with-the-road feel that we expect from a sports sedan.
AMG’s Newest Super Car Made a Star-Studded Debut
Mercedes-AMG debuted its newest supercar amid fanfare in downtown Los Angeles, with celebrities, sports stars and influencers on hand. Actor Brad Pitt, F1 driver George Russell, rockers Blink 182, and that’s just the start of the A-list attendance on hand to watch and hear this powerful sports sedan blaze onto the stage.
The attention was welcome and entertaining, though the newest AMG will no doubt come with some controversy due to its all-electric powertrain designed to sound and feel like a super-powered V8 that delivers 1,153 HP. The doubters won’t believe it’s as satisfying and thrilling as the V8s they fell in love with—until they take a spin for themselves.
The Fastest, Most Powerful AMG, Ever
We might think we’ve heard this story before: Crafting a sound-and-fury experience in an EV in order to create the visceral experience that fans, enthusiasts and collectors expect. Electric powertrains can deliver the speed, for certain; it’s not uncommon for EVs to actually create more power than their gas-powered counterparts. A V8 that can produce more than 1,000 HP? It’s incredibly rare and unheard of in a car this size—a four-door coupe-style sedan, and actually, might be impossible give its size.
But add electric power, which Mercedes-AMG calls EPerformance, and all bets are off. I wouldn’t be surprised if this powertrain could actually deliver even more power and eventually, go further, currently about 380 miles, than it’s capable of now.
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Drivers Will Get a Bit of F1, Too
The power, the performance, the use of electric power to boost performance is all an off-shoot of Mercedes-AMG’s F1 participation. In AMG’s 16 years of F1, they’ve learned a lot, and brought much of that to its AMG models. The GT 4-Door Coupe is the current pinnacle of that power, an incredible experience that will make you not care if it’s gas or electric powered. Being inside an 1,153 HP rocket is in itself a pure thrill.
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