The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, with 843 hp and more than 1,400 Nm of torque, has been launched in India at Rs 3.30 crore (ex-showroom).
With the GT 63 S E Performance, Mercedes-AMG have introduced the most powerful production three-pointed star passenger car ever. And it’s a plug-in hybrid V8!
The new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is the most powerful iteration of the 4MATIC+ 4-Door Coupé and brings a total of 843 hp and up to 1,470 Nm of peak torque. It will do zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds, and get up to 316 km/h. It can also travel for up to 12 kilometres on pure electric power. Now let’s see how it actually does it.
As reported earlier, the new AMG E Performance models combine a combustion engine—in the GT 63 S’ case the M177 4.0-litre, biturbo V8 that makes 639 hp and 900 Nm—with an electric motor mounted not within the transmission, as was the case in some earlier models, but on the rear axle with its own two-speed transmission. The 150-kW electric motor has 204 hp and 320 Nm of instant drive on tap. A 400-volt electrical system and a 6.1-kWh battery act as the nerves and heart of the set-up. The engine also uses a 10-kW RSG (Riemengetriebener Starter-Generator), aka ISG, now running on the 400-volt system, that provides another 14 hp and an estimated 250 Nm of instant torque via belt-alternator set-up. Oh, and it weighs 2,380 kg.
The AMG GT 63 S E Performance’s driveline comprises a nine-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission with a 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. It’s interesting to note that the GT 63 S E Performance can run on electric power alone, primarily being rear-wheel drive while doing so, but any slip results in transfer of power to the front axle as well. The two transmissions are interlinked and either one can power either axle as required. There are seven drive modes on the AMG Dynamic Select: Electric, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race, Slippery, and Individual.
The AMG GT 63 S E Performance has four regeneration levels for energy recuperation: 0, 1, 2, and 3. Mode “0” is similar to driving a manual-transmission car with the clutch disengaged, whereas mode “3” enables one-pedal driving with lifting off resulting in heavy braking and, depending on the driving status, more than 100 kW of power being fed back into the battery. Efficiency-wise, it has a weighted average consumption of 12.65 km/l and 9.71 km/kWh with CO2 rated at 196 g/km.
The AMG E Performance architecture also integrates the vehicle dynamics control system and influences the control strategies of the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), all-wheel drive, and electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential. This increases agility without negatively affecting the vehicle’s stability. For instance, instead of braking intervention by the ESP, the e-motor controls traction as soon as a wheel registers excessive slip. With the intelligent control system reducing the motor’s drive torque transferred to the wheel via the limited-slip rear differential, the ESP mostly does not have to intervene.
AMG GT 63 S E Performance
The GT 63 S E Performance builds up on the GT 63 S 4MATIC+ 4-Door Coupé and, thus, benefits from the newest and most advanced media, communication, and safety technology, including the latest MBUX and telematics. Initially introduced in the latter half of 2021, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance offers extreme performance for the road.
