The four-door GT sportscar is part of a growing array of Mercedes-AMG models that have no 'vanilla' counterparts. However, the latest spy footage suggests it has very little in common with the two-door model with which it shares its name.
The profile doesn't strike us as a GT+2. The hood is short, and the sloping fastback design gives it less of a phallic appearance. That's great if you don't want people to say you're compensating for something.
The platform is different too, as this car is based on the Modular Rear-wheel-drive Architecture, just like the replacement for the CLS-Class, which is rumored to be called CLE. That also suggests Mercedes is deliberately leaving a gap into which this model will slide.
So the four-door is as much a Mercedes-AMG GT as the Porsche Panamera is a 911 with four doors. But that doesn't mean we're not getting something spectacular. There's a lot of money to be made if Mercedes can beat the Audi RS7 and the icon from Leipzig for excitement and class.
The four-door GT will be mechanically similar to the E63, but with a much lower stance, wider tracks and a unique trunk opening. If that disappoints you, just consider the fact that the 400 horsepower Audi TT RS is similar to the Golf and you'll be okay.
Don't bet against the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 because it's going to be offered for sure. However, the prototype we saw a couple of days ago had four oval exhaust tips, and this has square quads, like the E63. They are two different setups on two different cars.
So could that mean there will be a six-cylinder version as well? It's possible. Not only are there plenty of "43" models offered by the AMG division right now, but a cool new twin-turbo inline six engine with about 450 horsepower is poised to arrive under the hood of the E50 Coupe. Even diesel is possible, as the C30 CDI Sportcoupe from the early 2000s had an AMG stamp of approval.
The platform is different too, as this car is based on the Modular Rear-wheel-drive Architecture, just like the replacement for the CLS-Class, which is rumored to be called CLE. That also suggests Mercedes is deliberately leaving a gap into which this model will slide.
So the four-door is as much a Mercedes-AMG GT as the Porsche Panamera is a 911 with four doors. But that doesn't mean we're not getting something spectacular. There's a lot of money to be made if Mercedes can beat the Audi RS7 and the icon from Leipzig for excitement and class.
The four-door GT will be mechanically similar to the E63, but with a much lower stance, wider tracks and a unique trunk opening. If that disappoints you, just consider the fact that the 400 horsepower Audi TT RS is similar to the Golf and you'll be okay.
What's under the hood?
Don't bet against the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 because it's going to be offered for sure. However, the prototype we saw a couple of days ago had four oval exhaust tips, and this has square quads, like the E63. They are two different setups on two different cars.
So could that mean there will be a six-cylinder version as well? It's possible. Not only are there plenty of "43" models offered by the AMG division right now, but a cool new twin-turbo inline six engine with about 450 horsepower is poised to arrive under the hood of the E50 Coupe. Even diesel is possible, as the C30 CDI Sportcoupe from the early 2000s had an AMG stamp of approval.