Mercedes’ AMG GT is now electric, but has a fake V8 sound and feel

This week, Mercedes-AMG unveiled the new GT 4-Door Coupé, an all-electric sports car based on the AMG.EA high-performance architecture. Developed in Affalterbach, this model brings a new drive concept that is applied for the first time in a production electric vehicle. The central part of the technology consists of the so-called axial flow motors, the working principle of which was originally developed by the British specialist in electric motors YASA, combined with a high-performance battery.

The manufacturer demonstrated the ability and durability of this drive technology last year on the Nardò track with the CONCEPT AMG GT XX technology demonstrator, which covered more than 40,000 kilometers in seven days and 13 hours, breaking a total of 25 long-distance records.

Impressive performance

The new model is equipped with three innovative electric motors – two are located on the rear axle, while one is located on the front axle. Depending on the selected version, the power of the vehicle ranges from 600 kW to 860 kW (816 to 1,169 hp). The top model with a maximum of 860 kW accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.1 seconds, while it takes 6.4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 200 km/h. The maximum speed is 300 km/h, and it can be achieved with an optional package called the Driver’s Package.

In addition to high performance on the road, the vehicle is characterized by a high charging speed at filling stations. Thanks to the charging capacity of 600 kW, it is possible to add more than 460 kilometers of range in just 10 minutes of charging. For the standard charging cycle, which involves raising the battery’s state of charge from 10% to 80% capacity, this all-electric sports car needs a total of 11 minutes.

Technology and driving dynamics

Experience from the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar and the performance philosophy from Formula 1 have been applied within the newly developed high-voltage battery concept. The battery uses directly cooled cylindrical cells with a specific chemistry that ensures even temperature distribution and performance stability under continuous load. The AMG RACE ENGINEER system is in charge of managing all software and hardware components of the drive system and dynamics, which consists of two key modules and enables drivers to have precise control over the vehicle’s response, traction and cornering behavior.

In order to effectively transfer the high power to the surface, the car uses an active aerodynamics system that adapts to the current driving situation. Among the aerodynamic innovations, two active venturi tunnels built into the chassis and an active rear diffuser stand out. For drivers who prefer a traditional experience, the vehicle offers a special AMGFORCE S+ mode. By activating this mode, the system generates an authentic V8 sound specific to AMG models, simulates traction interruptions during gear changes and adapts the appearance of the driver’s display to a design with central pipes to recreate the feeling of driving a V8 sports car. That move was probably necessary to convince traditional AMG GT fans to accept the transition to an electric drive.

In the coming days, when the order process opens, customers will be able to choose between two versions: the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-Door Coupé and the Mercedes-AMG GT 55 4-Door Coupé. Pricing for these models will be based on comparable previous vehicles from the same line, but prices have not yet been announced.