There’s “Sport+”. Sharper. Angrier. More focused on giving all of that prodigious power and torque a perfect four-point landing. As we approached the twisties, it felt right. It’s sharper and more aggressive. Attacking the bends is more fluid. However, there’s even more. “Race” mode — not recommended for the road. However, with the nearest usable track about 1,600 kilometres away, there had to be a provision for a little demo. There’s also a “Track Pace” app that provides proper telemetry data.
Right. “Race” mode. The AMG GT 63 S 4-Door hooks in and sprints off. Effortlessly. Its agility is highlighted at every bend. Even on a wet day, there were barely a couple of instances when the rear stepped out an inch or so. Momentary thrills with zero spills. It’s just as much about aggression as it is about precision. The acceleration is ferocious. The speeds vision-blurring. It’s mighty quick. Make that mighty and quick. Putting all that twist to good use and mustering a heap of power from its generous reserves. The braaaaps get louder past 6k and the lift-off burbles more thunderous. Birds scatter from the trees approaching the bend. The thunderstorm on wheels, claws hooked, whizzes past the corner, approaching the next with a threatening ferocity.
The AMG Ride Control makes things seem easier with dynamic damping compensating for imperfect road conditions, allowing the AMG GT 63 S to take it all in its very speedy stride. There’s just enough give. There’s no real roll, just a lot of G-force tugging at the left of my body, then the right. Then pressing me into my seat. Relentlessly. It’s a blast.
Can it be used every day? There are leather seats, the new MBUX user interface with dual screens, a wireless charger, smartphone connectivity solutions, and space for bottles and bits all around. The rear seats have the leg-space to seat adults, but the angle of the seat back to seat base means it’s not very comfortable for tall occupants. Not necessarily is it just for kids, but it can also be used for compact adults and other petite occupants. So, yes, if you really want to,
it can be used every day. The AMG GT 63 S 4-Door may be rated at 257 g/km of CO2 and 8.8 km/l overall, but, after all was said and done, we saw an efficiency figure of four km/l in the city and 10 km/l on the highway. That’s an overall 5.5 km/l. Add the 80-litre tank to the mix and you have a range of about 450 km.
If that and the Rs 2.42 crore (ex-showroom) price tag don’t get to you, there are few others that create distances as quickly and feel good doing it. If that does get to you, however, there’s the biturbo-V8-laden Porsche Panamera Turbo that packs 550 hp and 770 Nm, and a new incoming Panamera Turbo S with 630 hp and 820 Nm. Need more room? There’s also an “Executive” long-wheelbase model for both of them. That apart, the GT 4-Door Coupé caters to an exclusive niche that is a field of offerings from either side of Stuttgart, one with Affalterbach fettling, the other with Leipzig love. And they’re both here, too.
Need to Know – Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ 4-Door Coupé
Price: Rs 2.42 crore (ex-showroom)
Engine: 3,982 cc, V8, twin-turbo petrol
Max Power: 639 hp @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
Max Torque: 900 Nm @ 2,500-4,500 rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed, dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive
Suspension: Four-link front, five-link rear, multi-chamber air suspension with adaptive damping
Weight: 2,045 kg
Performance:
Power-to-Weight Ratio: 312.47 hp/tonne
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 3.51 seconds
Top Speed: 315 km/h (claimed)
