2024 Mercedes-AMG GT: Price, performance and specs

2024 Mercedes AMG GT – still stylish, more practical

The new second-generation Mercedes-AMG GT is the sportiest AMG you’re going to get at the moment south of the F1-engined AMG One. Still, for a car whose lineage is made up of a gullwing-doored yobbo and a £300,000 McLaren collaboration, it’s gone a bit grown-up…

See, Mercedes when brainstorming how to proceed with its next-generation flagship sportscar, went to its customers. They asked that the V8s and sexy looks remain, but that all-wheel-drive and an extra pair of seats are added. A few years on and here we are, with a second-generation AMG GT that’s swapped out its SLS back axle, for a platform twinned with the latest SL.

That means it’s not quite as low-slung, not quite as exotic-looking and a bit more bulbous than the car it succeeds. It still looks great though, very much carrying on the ‘AMG GT’ style, rather than going more ‘SL’ on the surface, as well as underneath. The surfaces are soft yet muscular, the facia menacing yet elegant. That it still has its own face is very much a good thing. More practical though it may be, it still won’t be mistaken for anything else.

On the inside, things have gone a bit ‘new Mercedes’. That’s to say, there’s a giant portrait infotainment screen (11.9 inches, if you’re asking) containing the climate, media and other car controls. Vents flank, while a new taller digital driver’s display sits behind the new Mercedes five-spoke steering wheel featuring twin drive mode rotaries. There’s not quite the same exotic cocooned look of the old AMG GT but it’ll no doubt be a beautifully-built place in which to find yourself.

As above, it’s also a far more practical proposition, with the GT now sporting a 2+2 layout, making it a match for the Porsche 911 on all fronts. It even has a hatch you can open hands-free, by waving your foot under the bumper. Is this a 195mph super GT or a family-friendly crossover?

GT 63 S E Performance – hypercar power in GT drag

For the GT63 S E Performance, there’s not an awful lot of added musculature visually. Yes, the area under the Panamericana grille is blacked out to give the illusion of it being more of a gurner and yes, there’s fancy matte paint but otherwise… this really could be any other AMG GT, even the four-cylinder which, for its money, isn’t much less aggressive in looks than its V8 siblings.

Those that know will know, though, with red highlighted E Performance badging here and there, a-la the controversial hybrid C63, joining a suspicious-looking flap on its rear end (that’s the charge port) to more observant enthusiasts.

Even on the inside, the changes for this c/£200,000 monster start and finish with the option of some lurid trim.

2024 Mercedes AMG GT – Power, performance and weight

The V8s live on, which is such a relief. The AMG GT can be had in GT55 and GT63 guises, putting out 476PS (350kW) and 585PS (430kW) respectively. Torque figures for the two GTs are 700Nm (516lb ft) and 800Nm (590lb ft) for the GT55 and GT63. Those numbers are familiar because they’re exactly what you get in the soft-topped SL55 and SL63.

That performance now goes to all four wheels as standard on both models, via the nine-speed MCT transmission. All GTs will also come with rear-steer, active anti-roll and a locking rear e-diff. Performance will be pretty epic, with 62mph coming up in the top-spec GT63 in 3.2 seconds and go on to 195mph top-end. In short? The AMG GT will have more traction more of the time but still be adjustable on-throttle. Will it be as much thuggish fun as the outgoing car? To be determined.

In spite of the forged alloy suspension components and carbon in the AMG GT’s backbone, there’s no escaping that this is a bigger car that rides the SL platform. So weight is up, from 1,645kg at the kerb to 1,970kg. That’s some mass to be lugging for a car with sights set on the 911. An all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 GTS weighs 1,665kg, which is heavy in 911 land.

Mercedes adds four-cylinder GT43... but not in the UK

The latest version of the new AMG GT is the GT43, which sees Affalterbach plunder the parts bin to combine its new super coupe with its potent but less exotic-sounding 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. That motor is a boon in the A45 AMG and related variants, as well as the Lotus Emira, although it’s proven a controversial substitute for a rumbling V8 in the latest C63 AMG. In the new GT43, the engine is at least close to its most potent form, putting out 421PS 

Happily, the GT43 is a lot lighter, in part thanks to that smaller engine but also because it’s rear-wheel-drive. It drops some 200kg by comparison to the V8 cars, which gets it closer to the relative feather-weight of the previous-generation car. Performance is predictably down but 4.5 seconds to 62mph isn’t exactly slow.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance

There’s no getting around it. This thing is absolutely rapid, which let’s face it, will likely be this pony’s big trick. In fact, it probably takes longer to say this car's name that it does to hit 62mph in it.

The GT 63 S combines a 204PS (150kW) electric motor with a 612PS (450kW) version of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo AMG V8 for a total system output of 816PS (600kW). Torque is a simply unbelievable 1,080-1,420Nm. That’s deployed to all four wheels, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds, rivalling the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo. Top speed officially is 198mph, meaning in the real world this big bruiser is probably a 200mph car.

What’s crucial is the way the hybrid system has been set up. Mercedes says that in a similar style to its F1 car, that headline power figure has to be available all the time, with no luls in performance. That’s thanks to the car consistently keeping the 6.1kWh battery charged, with over 100kW of charging potential from the four-stage recuperation system. A small battery means small electric range, of only eight miles.

Inevitably, this will have added some weight to the car, which was already on the fringes of two tonnes in non-hybrid form. So it’s safe to say this will weigh in the region of 2.1 tonnes or more, with no official weight yet given.

Happily, Mercedes-AMG has at least distributed that weight effectively, with the electric drive unit and battery positioned low and rearward in the car’s platform for better balance. The car’s chassis and braking hardware has been boosted to cope with the added mass and performance. Big ceramic brakes and rear-steering are a given, as are the re-calibrated AMG Active Ride Control.

2024 Mercedes-AMG GT range: Features, pricing and availability

Premium Plus models come as standard with 21-inch alloy wheels, get the glossy black trims and chrome highlights of AMG’s Night packs, as well as multi-LED headlights. Inside, you’ll find a head-up display, Burmester stereo, 360-degree camera, keyless go and wireless charging. 

Performance versions of the GT63 get 21-inch cross-spoke forged alloys in matt black, hiding ceramic brake discs with bronze-painted calipers. The AMG Aerodynamics package is also included, adding flicks at the front and back, a larger diffuser and a fixed rear wing. Launch Edition models get the same kit but have wheels finished in matte Tech Gold, get Merc’s exterior carbon package and have an interior finished in Nappa leather and Alcantara-like Microcut with red, yellow or black stitching. Across the range, you get 11 paint colours to choose from including Patagonia Red, Alpine Grey Solid and Spectral Blue

The new 585PS (430 kW) Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4MATIC+ Coupé is on sale priced from £165,000 in Premium Plus form, while Performance and Launch Edition cars start from £175,765 and £180,765 respectively. Pricing for the cheaper 55 model is yet to be revealed, as has pricing for the Europe-only four-cylinder GT43.

The SL43 Models cost in the region of £110,000 in the UK, so expect prices of the entry-level GT to not be too far from that. The bombastic GT63 S E Performance meanwhile, with its 800PS+ hybrid powertrain, is likely to clamber over £200,000 in terms of price, certainly with options.  Both its price and overall weight are TBA, so watch this space.