Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4MATIC+ Premium Plus A Superb Car For Going Fast

It carries the same name as its predecessor, but you have to judge the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 on very different criteria. Its move towards a more refined, grown-up attitude has plenty of practical benefits, yet its tech-laden chassis still offers stunning performance and grip while adding continent-crossing comfort. Good though it is, there are cars for similar cash that do this even better, and it’s a shame that the change has come at the expense of the old car’s personality.
 

The all-new Mercedes-AMG GT has made it to the UK, and we’re struggling to think of anything else we’ve tested recently that has drawn so many double takes from the general public. Desirability really matters when you’re asked to sink £165,000 into a performance car, but public opinion seems to suggest that Mercedes-AMG has absolutely nailed it.
 
There’s a lot more to the new model than its looks, though, because in contrast with the outgoing first-generation AMG GT, this time around it’s taking a more mature, hi-tech approach. It’s doing so for one simple reason: to take aim squarely at the Porsche 911.
 
Although the pair locate their engines at opposite ends of the car, there are other 911 hints here. While the last AMG GT was a two-seater, this second-generation car has sprouted a couple of rear seats which, like the Porsche’s, are pretty much useless for carrying anything other than very small children. But with no engine out back, the Mercedes instead gets a generous 321-litre boot with a large hatchback opening.
 

The more practical shape is formed from a structure made from a mixture of aluminium, steel magnesium and carbon fibre, and is based on the same platform used by the latest Mercedes SL. However, there’s a lot going on to add sharpness from that starting point. The fully independent multi-link suspension is almost entirely made of forged aluminium to reduce unsprung mass; active roll stabilisation takes the place of traditional anti-roll bars, and rear-wheel steering turns in the opposite direction to the front axle below 62mph to increase agility, and in the same direction above 62mph to improve stability.
 
On the road, the AMG GT soon proves how much it’s improved on the comfort side of things. The ride is still firm, but occupants are rocked around at low speeds less than they would be in a 911. Increase the pace and it’s more relaxing than its key rival and even more stable. There’s less road noise than in the Porsche, too, even if the fat rear tyres still produce a decent amount of roar. However the latest Maserati GranTurismo is even better at comfortable cruising.
 
One of the key selling points of any AMG model is under the bonnet, and here the latest GT continues with the brand’s legendary twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8. Here it makes 577bhp and a thumping 800Nm of torque all the way from 2,500rpm to 5,000rpm.
 
That’s a lot of power to send to just the rear wheels, so to reflect the new car’s friendlier side, it moves to all four. A nine-speed auto uses a wet clutch instead of a torque converter for quicker, sharper shifts, but even on bumpy, undulating B-roads, traction is almost completely unflappable.
 

Get on the power and that V8 fires you forwards at a staggering rate, with each upshift arriving quickly and with a pleasing punch in the back. Grip through turns is stunning, too, and the steering loads up beautifully as more lock is applied – even if it doesn’t have a great amount of feedback. It’s hard to imagine the AMG GT having any trouble keeping pace with all but the most focused 911s, even if it is a touch wide for some of our roads.
 
It’s undoubtedly a superb tool for simply going fast, and one that does so while offering a great deal more refinement. But we can’t help but feel that it has lost the old car’s personality. Driving the original AMG GT fast was a challenge; you’d need to be precise with the throttle on corner exit to stop the tail end slithering wide, whereas here you’re doing so because the nose-heavy balance and extra drive to the front makes you more concerned about the front axle pushing across the road surface.
 
And then there’s the weight. The GT 63 tips the scales at 1,970kg – well over 300kg more than the old car. While some of the clever tech and four-wheel steering helps to mitigate this, you just can’t replicate the wonderfully pointy nose of the old model. Combined with a seating position 200mm closer to the rear axle, the first-gen car offered a true hot-rod feel that set it apart from every rival.
 
The new car’s cabin is more practical, but much of the drama of the original’s wide, button-laden transmission tunnel has gone. In its place is a lower centre console topped by an 11.9-inch screen. The materials and finish are excellent, but the overall look doesn’t appear wildly different from a high-end C-Class.