Mercedes AMG GT 63 S E-Performance 831bhp Of Insanity With A Token Plug

Any notion that AMG’s electrified future will come entirely at the expense of the V8 should be quashed by the Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance four-door coupe. The 201bhp electric motor of this particular AMG plug-in hybrid augments a 4.0-litre V8. The result is a 2.4-tonne five-door coupe with 831bhp and a truck-like 1084Ib ft of torque in overboost mode.
 

Efficiency? Pah! To keep the weight down and keep some sort of boot the battery is tiny, now rated to just six miles of electric-only running per charge. CO2? That’s a robust 254g/km according to the official figures, so there’s no benefit to company car drivers, either. Make no mistake, this is very much a performance PHEV.
 
Should I buy a Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance four-door coupe? Hate to break it to you this early in the review, but probably not. Sure, it’s very fast, but the brakes always seem to be late to the party and the plug-in hybrid aspect is like an unfunny joke. You can do better.
 
At a glance
Pros: Relentless performance, extremely well equipped, you won’t see many others
Cons: Scary brakes, flimsy interior in places, pathetic plug-in hybrid aspect
 
What’s new?
The most recent update to this mouthful of a model came in 2023, when Mercedes announced a mild makeover. Visually, this was limited to a front end redesign, bringing the four-door closer in appearance to the two-door AMG GT coupe.
 
There weren’t many changes on the inside, either, with upgrades limited to the MBUX infotainment software – which gained some AMG specific displays – and a new Dolby Atmos surround sound system.
 

What are the specs?
The AMG GT63 S E Performance is a monster. At full attack, the V8 turbo petrol and e-motor combo produces 831bhp and drives all four wheels via a nine-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission. Total system torque is a ludicrous 1084lb ft.
 
No prizes for guessing this makes it rather rapid. Officially 0-62mph takes just 2.9sec and top speed is 196mph. But despite being a hybrid, what it isn’t is efficient. Mercedes says the WLTP figures equate to 25.3mpg, but with a tiny 4.84kWh of battery capacity you won’t be getting much electrical assistance. Charging speed is a pathetic 3.7kW max, too.
 
How does it drive?
The AMG GT63 S E Performance always starts up in Comfort for maximum efficiency. There are six more steps to climb on the AMG stairway to insanity: Electric, Winter, Sport, Sport+, Race and Individual. We favoured Sport or Sport+ for B-road bothering; it brings appreciably tighter body control without turning the spring and damper units into pogo sticks.
 
The racier modes also improve the response of the mighty powertrain, although the full 831bhp and 1084Ib ft are only available for 10 seconds at a time. If you haven’t triggered overboost, you’ll have to make do with a paltry 748bhp and 848Ib ft. Drive is thankfully channelled to all four wheels, although on soaking wet winter roads you can still trigger the traction control in second and third.
 
Performance is strong enough to elicit colourful language when the skinny pedal first meets floormat. You expect it to be fast off the line, but the way the E Performance relentlessly accelerates towards triple digit speeds is way beyond the likes of the BMW M8 Gran Coupe. A Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid would run it closer, but to get acceleration like this in another four-door you’ll need to be looking at a top-end Porsche Taycan or Audi e-Tron GT.
 

The 4.0-litre V8 is as sonorous as you’d expect, with fireworks available on the overrun and a baritone bellow overlaid with chirps and whistles from the turbos. More of a surprise is the noise of the electric gubbins, with the motor whining away when producing power and while harvesting energy under braking. Depending on your viewpoint, it’s either a tad unrefined or just adds to the theatre.
 
Electric drive is active up to 80mph, but only very briefly. In real life, the claimed zero-emission range of six miles (it used to be eight, but apparently even that was a joke) is quickly chewed up, while the V8 is keen to add charge to the pack to ensure sledgehammer performance whenever you need it.
 
The GT63 S E Performance gets a selection of AMG’s cleverest suspension tech including adaptive three-chamber air suspension, rear steer and an electronically controlled limited slip diff on the back axle. They work well up to a point, the suspension providing a firm but perfectly liveable ride in Comfort, with enough compliance for even Sport+ to be usable on the road.
 
Start to really push and things do come unravelled. The brakes are simply atrocious; although they have plenty of stopping power, you have to push through several inches of weaker regen braking before pad hits disc and you start slowing down in earnest. It can be unnerving during normal driving, and simply terrifying if you’re making progress.
 
Quick direction changes highlight the GT’s bulk as do undulating country roads, while you tend to arrive at bends travelling a good 10 or more mph faster than you expected. Grip levels are high and there’s a definite rear bias to proceedings, but our streaming wet test day meant ESC off and Drift mode felt suicidal.
 
What about the interior?
First appearances are very good indeed, with lots of quilted leather, carbon fibre trim and hi-res digital displays for the instruments and infotainment. Look a little closer and you’ll find some rather creaky dash plastics and switches that are flimsier than they should be for a £180,000 luxury product.
 
At least it’s mostly easy to use. Thanks to the GT63 basically being an Mercedes E-Class underneath, there’s still a few physical switches and buttons for the heating. Sadly touch-sensitive steering wheel controls are as infuriating here as every other Mercedes with them, although the twin rotary dials for the performance settings work well.
 
Space for passengers is much the same as the regular GT63, although the battery pack still takes a sizeable chunk out of the available boot space. This is rated at 335 litres. Not much more than a Vauxhall Corsa and less than a Ford Focus.
 

Before you buy (trims and rivals)
Mercedes currently (as of writing in July 2025) offers the GT63 S E Performance four-door coupe in Carbon Edition specification. This costs from £182,450, but comes with pretty much all of the bells and whistles – including the AMG Aerodynamics Package, the AMG Dynamic Plus Package and the AMG Carbon-Fibre Package II. Pretty much the only cost options are related to interior trimmings and paint.
 
The main rivals we mentioned above, but to recap, not much else with this many doors gets close to the level of performance on offer here. Try a Panamera Turbo S – or a Taycan Turbo GT if you don’t mind full electric. The Audi e-Tron RS GT Performance is a nice bit of kit, too. If you want something even more luxuriously accommodating and more than adequately punchy (if not this punchy) with a properly useful plug-in hybrid system, try the Bentley Flying Spur Speed.
 
Verdict
While the GT63 S E Performance four-door is undoubtedly a 21st century performance car, it feels very much an old-school AMG in many respects. In other words, it’s like holding onto an exceptionally large engine that just so happens to have a car attached.
 
The way it builds momentum at seemingly any speed and rev range certainly gets the adrenaline pumping. Unfortunately, the unpleasant brakes probably generate even higher heartrates, and quite simply the regular GT63 handles with more aplomb for far less cash.