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Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance review: 831bhp PHEV tested
£173,655 when new

Have you just leaned on your keyboard and typed a series of random letters?

No, but point taken – Merc’s naming strategy does appear to be spiralling into silliness. Decode it and what we’re looking at here is the most powerful model ever produced from a company not shy of a few bhp. It’s the long-awaited plug-in hybrid version of the AMG GT 4dr and it laughs in the general direction of its closest rival, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid.

Whereas the Panamera produces a trifling 671bhp, the largest AMG-specific model gets a hulking 831bhp, a 0-62mph time of 2.9 seconds (that’s on a level with the Ferrari 296 GTB) and a top speed of 196mph. And a price tag of £173,655. Big gulp.

And it’s achieved this… how?

By combining the power of a 630bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 201bhp electric motor for that total of 831bhp, and 1,084lb ft of torque. Simple, right? Sort of… this is the first model to use AMG’s performance-biased modular plug-in hybrid system, which can accommodate different battery sizes and works with engines other than V8s. Psssst – it’s the same tool kit that will augment AMG’s 2.0 turbo in the new four-cylinder plug-in C63 that’s coming later this year.

Whereas most hybrids put the e-motor betwixt engine and gearbox, here it sits on the rear axle with the 6.1kWh battery on top of it for 50/50 front/rear weight distribution. The electric motor sends its power through a two-speed gearbox (so it can continue to pull its weight at higher speeds) and an electronically actuated rear diff. Merc’s 4MATIC+ 4WD system means the front axle can snaffle power from both the electric motor and the engine when it needs to. There is also a drift mode if you are keen to be on first name terms with your local tyre dealer.

That battery doesn’t sound very big?

That's because it’s not. In EV mode a full charge will last for around seven miles at speeds up to 81mph, but that’s not really what the battery is designed for – it’s there to boost performance and maximise fun. One engineer suggested they could have left out the ‘plug-in’ functionality entirely, but charging sometimes means free parking, so they left it in. Smart chap.

The battery itself weighs 89kg, has twice the energy density of a regular plug-in hybrid, and represents genuine F1 technology transfer in that it’s been designed to charge and discharge extremely quickly. Key to that is direct liquid cooling that flows around all 560 cells and prevents overheating. The cells can operate up to 45 degrees without loss of performance – 20 degrees is the norm.

The battery management strategy is based around making sure you have the full 831bhp available to you whether you’re pootling down a B-road, or on a hot lap on track. So in Comfort mode it will aim to not let the level of charge go much below 25 per cent. In Race (there’s also Sport, Sport+, Slippery and Individual modes) it’s 80 per cent. You may well get it down to 60 or 70, but the engine will be supplementing the brake regen in the background to get the battery levels back up.

Does it work?
It does. We had a couple of six-lap stints on track and watching the battery charge level yo-yo is mesmerising. For example – by simply doing a couple of gentle installation laps and keeping the revs above 3,000rpm, we took the charge level from around 50 to 80 per cent – priming the car to unleash hell. It’s in the slower corners you feel the boost most, propping up the gnashing V8 with an undercurrent of torque. On the straights, it’s just rapid full stop. Does it feel like 831bhp? Probably not, but this is a well-insulated 2.4-tonne car, not a carbon-spined supercar, which means you get used to the warp speed pace quickly…
Read More https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/mercedes-benz/amg-gt/gt-63-s-e-performance-4dr-auto/first-drive


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