REVIEW | Mercedes AMG GT 63 - Performance and Luxury
New Mercedes set to become a rarity
Spring hath sprung. As I write this, the calendar has skipped into March and there’s some warmth from a glint of watery sunshine. Lovely. I live in the North East of England and, I don’t know what it’s been like in your neck of the woods, we’ve had never-ending overcast skies, drizzle and the odd gale.
But suddenly, today feels like we’ve made our first tentative steps towards summer. It lifts spirits and makes the world feel like a better place.
The only blot on my landscape was this morning when a bloke arrived and drove away in my latest test car - a Mercedes AMG GT 63.
It’s rare when I’m seriously disappointed to see a car leave my driveway because I know another one isn’t far away but, on this occasion, it felt like I was waving goodbye to the sort of car which will become a rarity and, from January 1st 2030, unavailable to buy new.
Incredibly relaxing to drive
It’s a monster of a car, but one which is exhilarating and thrilling to drive. It’s also incredibly relaxing to drive on a long journey because A-B motoring has never been so effortless.
A few weeks ago, I had the convertible AMG SL 63 to test and, bearing in mind that the main oily bits underneath the sleek bonnet are the same, I was expecting a similar sort of driving experience with the AMG GT 63 Coupé. Wrong. The ride seemed much more compliant on the dreadful roads that I use on a regular basis. Weird.
The GT also seems to have a different character. Please take this in the right way, but it feels a bit old school. Too often the letters GT are stuck on the rump of a car to infer performance, but it really stands for Grand Tourer, which is a derivative of the Italian term, Gran Turismo. In other words, a GT car is for long-distance cruising - and that is precisely how the AMG GT 63 feels - it’s a long-legged cruiser which effortlessly gobbles up the miles. A weekend trip to Paris would be a breeze.
It even has four seats, although those in the back are pretty useless. You can fold the seat backs to provide great luggage space.
Powertrain options & performance stats
So why does the GT car feel so different from the SL? Simple, because they had separate development teams behind them. Yes, the engine might be the same, but the way the car is set up is different - and it shows.
The model I had was the stonking GT 63, but there are also more tame engines available. With a starting price of £101,685, (March ’25) the GT 43 is a rear wheel drive, 4-cylinder, 429bhp, 2.0-litre model which has a top speed of 174mph and can accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds.
Or, there’s the GT 55, which is an all-wheel drive model with a V8, 469bhp, 4.0-litre engine giving a top speed of 183mph and a 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds.
Then there’s the GT 63 which is available with the V8 engine in various states of tune and, in the case of the one I had, the top-of-the-range V8 with hybrid assistance, to give you a total output of 805bhp equating to a 0-60mph time of 2.8 seconds, top speed of 199mph, but a much improved potential fuel return of 34.5mpg.
You can even drive the car on electric power alone, although you shouldn’t get too excited about this as Mercedes reckons the car can only manage a pathetic 6.8 miles. However, the tiny battery recharges quickly thanks to the regeneration system so it quickly tops-up. For some of the folk who can afford this car, that 6.8 miles distance will probably get them to the end of their driveway! The model is referred to as the Mercedes AMG GT 63 S E Performance and will set you back £191,745 (March ’25).
Incidentally, that 0-60mph time of 2.8 seconds makes this the fastest accelerating Mercedes ever, which is hugely impressive bearing in mind that this car weighs over two tonnes.
Plenty of noise
Even more impressive is the way the car handles. All wheel drive and 4-wheel steering make the car feel quite nimble. The hydraulic dampers keep things under control and give a surprisingly supple ride. It feels more easy-going than the SL. There are six different driving modes to suit your mood, and the 9-speed gearbox is fun to play with.
And yes, as you’d expect, the noise which the engine and exhaust produces is glorious. Make the most of it before the government stop us having this sort of car. You can even get some crackles on the overrun. Lovely.
Mercedes AMG GT 63 Interior & Safety kit
The interior is extremely smart, and the seats are comfy yet supportive. The 12-inch central touchscreen looks good and works well, but, as is the case with so many car manufacturers, it’s too complicated. Thankfully we’re starting to see the return of knobs and buttons. Hurrah. The steering wheel also has touch-sensitive pads which you swipe left and right, but it’s too easy to swipe them inadvertently. All of these gizmos presumably become more user-friendly the longer you live with the car, but it should be something you can do instinctively rather than needing to sit for ages scrolling through menus.
As for what sort of kit you get for your money, let’s just say that the GT 63 comes fully loaded. The driver safety systems are mind-blowing.
The previous Mercedes AMG GT was a typical supercar. The cabin was positioned a long way back and made for tricky positioning on narrow lanes due to the length of the bonnet in front of you. The new model has been redesigned so that visibility is much improved and you sit further forward. It’s no longer just a two-seater so the kids can now come along for the ride. It’s also much more refined, smooth and forgiving to drive, and with the additional cabin room and a decent boot, it can cope with the sort of versatile requirements which our busy lives now demand.
An accomplished cruiser with plenty of thrills
Some may say that the latest Mercedes AMG GT has gone soft. Rubbish. It might have lost some of its hairy chest muscle car character, but it’s now a seriously accomplished cruiser which can also serve up plenty of thrills. As perfectly rounded GTs go, this car takes some beating.
Oh, and it looks like a million dollars, turns heads and can’t be mistaken for anything else. You feel good when you drive it, just like a sunny morning on the first day of spring.
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Mercedes
