Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
A revolution is coming for Mercedes-AMG this year, with the performance brand set to welcome not only its first real hybrids but also the most powerful road-going models it has ever produced.
Sporting the "E Performance" moniker, the hybridization of the AMG lineup will be spearheaded by the 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 73, expected to go official in July, followed a few months later by the performance versions of the latest S-Class W223.
Various electrified and fully electric models are currently in the works, as even the all-electric EQS is set to receive a 761-horsepower AMG version later in its production cycle.
We are here to talk about the GT 73, though, a pre-production prototype of which was recently spotted near the Nürburgring, a track where its pre-facelift version is still the fastest four-seater sedan after delivering a faster lap than the Porsche Panamera.
Thanks to a combination of the mighty twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, a 201-horsepower electric motor, and an innovative lightweight Li-ion battery, the GT 73 will develop a combined output of around 816 horsepower and over 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque.
Those numbers will be more than enough to catapult the hyper four-door from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in under 3 seconds and onward to a top speed of at least 320 kph (199 mph), both of which are well into hypercar territory.
For those not trusting the 9-speed automatic multi-clutch transmission to handle all that oomph, it should be known that the electric motor will act independently from the ICE V8 and is situated right on the rear axle, behind the transmission.
Speaking of which, the electric motor will be integrated with an electrically powered two-speed gearbox and the electronically controlled rear-axle locking differential in a compact Electric Drive Unit (EDU).
Most of these details are already known from previous leaks and even Mercedes-AMG officials, but there is something a bit unusual with the latest prototype spotted.
If you watch closely, the rear angle of the standard rear-wheel steering system seems to be much higher than on the pre-facelift model, which could turn its rear wheels for up to 1.5 degrees in both directions.
If we had to guess, the model would also get the latest version of the rear-wheel steering system present on other modern Mercedes models, including the S-Class W223 and C-Class W206, which in standard guise can turn for up to 4.5 degrees.
Various electrified and fully electric models are currently in the works, as even the all-electric EQS is set to receive a 761-horsepower AMG version later in its production cycle.
We are here to talk about the GT 73, though, a pre-production prototype of which was recently spotted near the Nürburgring, a track where its pre-facelift version is still the fastest four-seater sedan after delivering a faster lap than the Porsche Panamera.
Thanks to a combination of the mighty twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, a 201-horsepower electric motor, and an innovative lightweight Li-ion battery, the GT 73 will develop a combined output of around 816 horsepower and over 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque.
Those numbers will be more than enough to catapult the hyper four-door from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in under 3 seconds and onward to a top speed of at least 320 kph (199 mph), both of which are well into hypercar territory.
For those not trusting the 9-speed automatic multi-clutch transmission to handle all that oomph, it should be known that the electric motor will act independently from the ICE V8 and is situated right on the rear axle, behind the transmission.
Speaking of which, the electric motor will be integrated with an electrically powered two-speed gearbox and the electronically controlled rear-axle locking differential in a compact Electric Drive Unit (EDU).
Most of these details are already known from previous leaks and even Mercedes-AMG officials, but there is something a bit unusual with the latest prototype spotted.
If you watch closely, the rear angle of the standard rear-wheel steering system seems to be much higher than on the pre-facelift model, which could turn its rear wheels for up to 1.5 degrees in both directions.
If we had to guess, the model would also get the latest version of the rear-wheel steering system present on other modern Mercedes models, including the S-Class W223 and C-Class W206, which in standard guise can turn for up to 4.5 degrees.
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