The first of Mercedes growing lineup of ‘E Performance’ plug-in hybrids, this week Mercedes debuted the all-new 2023 AMG GT63 S E Performance Hybrid. And yes that’s its full official name. Honestly, it could be a little longer. Let’s throw a 4Matic MAGIC BODY CONTROL badge on there for good measure.
Based on the traditional gas-powered GT 63 S, the centrepiece for the E Performance Hybrid is the addition of its electric motor power adder. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 produces 630 horsepower and 664 ft-lbs of torque. Combine that already-impressive engine with a 201 hp electric motor mounted on the rear axle, and you get a total combined output of a whopping 831 hp and a massive 1,033 ft-lbs of torque. All this power gets routed through 4Matic all-wheel-drive for a claimed 2.9 second 0 to 60 time.
Mercedes developed its battery in house in the AMG department, drawing on tech and engineering from its F1 program. Mercedes says the compact 6.1 kWh battery is designed specifically for instant power delivery. The rear-mounted electric motor and battery is a unique layout Mercedes calls ‘P3 Hybrid’ but we can’t really parse what that means.
- The electric motor acts directly on the rear axle and can therefore convert its power more directly into propulsion – for that extra boost when moving off a start line, accelerating hard, or overtaking on the highway.
- The positioning on the rear axle improves the weight as well as the axle load distribution in the vehicle and thus forms the basis for the convincing handling.
- The power of the electric motor can inherently be applied at full torque, allowing for a particularly agile start.
The capacity of the battery is 6.1 kWh. Charging is done via a 3.7 kw AC charger on traditional 110v. Remember this thing is all about performance, so if you’re looking for efficiency look elsewhere. While it is a plug-in, the GT 63 S E Performance only gets seven miles of EV range on a full charge, which is more or less useless as an EV. No pricing has been released yet, but Mercedes says more details of the U.S. spec model will be released closer to its launch. The gas-only GT 63 S starts at $US162,950 ($220,145), so don’t expect this one to be cheap. Maybe 200 grand?