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Monster-Hybrid Mercedes-AMG GT E-Performance Begins Public Testing

Unveiled in 2014, the Mercedes-AMG GT is getting a little long in the tooth, especially since the platform it uses is actually even older, harking back to the SLS AMG, launched back in 2010.
2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance 24 photos
Photo: CarPix
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Despite being that old, the aluminum spaceframe solution with a transaxle gearbox and front-mid engine is arguably more high tech than what its successor will use, but it has its own set of issues that will be fixed by its successor.

Built on a new platform shared with the latest generation of the SL Roadster, which is now an AMG-only affair, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT has at least two built-in advantages that its predecessor lacked by design.

While the SLS-based Mercedes-AMG GT is the only remaining three-pointed star production vehicle to still use a hydraulic power steering system, the new model will switch to the electric-assisted steering, which can be more finely tuned to deliver the exact feedback its engineers want it to.

Second of all, despite the obvious dynamic and weight advantages of the aluminum space frame, transaxle transmission and front-midship positioning of the engine, the current GT has always had a problem delivering all its V8 grunt to the road because it’s rear-wheel-drive.

The new Mercedes-AMG GT will be an AWD-only affair, which should help it deliver all the extra horsepower much smoother, making it a drag racing monster compared to its predecessor.

2024 Mercedes\-AMG GT 63 E Performance
Photo: CarPix
Speaking of extra horsepower, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance will trump even the mighty SLS AMG Electric Drive, which had up to 816 PS (805 HP) thanks to no less than four electric motors.

Essentially an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid monster, the top of the range model is set to receive the same powertrain as the most powerful production Mercedes to date, the GT 63 E Performance four-door coupe.

The 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 with 639 PS on its own has been paired with an electric motor that delivers 204 PS, two gearboxes and a lightweight Li-ion battery.

While the four-door coupe is closer to 2.5 tons than most people would want, the two-seat GT should be a tad lighter. That said, it will still weigh around 500 kg (1,100 lbs) more than its predecessor.

Hopefully, the extra performance in a straight line will balance that out, but we’ll just have to wait for another 6 months or so after the non-plug-in Mercedes-AMG GT arrives first in showrooms sometime in the next year.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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