2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance packed with new tech | Reviews

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There be a new top dog amongst GT Coupes over at Mercedes-Benz. Boasting no less than 805 horsepower; up to 1,047 pound-feet of torque; and some novel power-distribution technology, the new 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is the most powerful production plug-in hybrid coupe in the company’s lineup. And, accelerating to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) in just 2.8 seconds and topping out at 320 km/h (199 mph) it packs a serious punch.

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Said punch results from the pairing of Mercedes’ ubiquitous 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo — in this guise fortified with 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque — with a 201-hp Electric Drive Unit in the rear. So far, so good, right? Separate power units coming together to propel a sports car to mad speeds? Interesting, but not exactly novel.

What is novel, however, is that AMG says that EDU integrates the 201-hp permanently-excited synchronous electric motor and electrically shifted two-speed transmission right into the limited-slip rear differential. Mercedes then mounts the lightweight AMG High Performance Battery right above that rear axle.

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This design has numerous advantages, says Mercedes. Besides offsetting the big lump of internal-combustion engine up front for better weight distribution, AMG says it “converts its power more directly into propulsion for an extra boost when starting off from a standstill, accelerating, or overtaking.”

But, when the rear wheels do slip, thanks to its direct connection to the axle and AMG’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, the electric motor’s torque can be directed to the front wheels via the mechanical driveshaft and front axles. Most car companies brag about the electrical control offered by electric motors; Mercedes-AMG is rejoicing in the mechanical connection the novel placement of its EDU offers.

Battery power from Formula One

According to the company, the 400-volt lithium-ion battery is “inspired” by technologies used in its Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s Formula One racers, specifically its cooling system. Most common battery-temperature management systems — by now, I hopefully don’t have to tell anyone that li-ion batteries operate most efficiently in a narrow temperature window — are either air- or liquid-cooled, with systems that lower the temperature of the cases holding the individual cells.

Mercedes’ “direct cooling” system uses a high-tech coolant — based on an electrically non-conductive liquid — that flows around all 560 cells and cools them both individually and directly. Compared to those more common indirect systems, Mercedes says its application has a much higher heat-dissipation ability.

Those 560 cells, by the way, offer up 6.1 kilowatt-hours of energy, some 1.3 kWh more than the four-door version of the S E Performance. Presumably that means the two-door coupe will allow for more than the four-door’s 10 kilometres (six miles) of electric-only range.

Perhaps more interesting it that the older four-door actually boasts 27 more horsepower than the newer two-door version, mainly the result of the big 4.0-litre V8 having, well, 27 ponies less. (Presumably AMG has turned down the turbo boost, but more details on this last as we get them.) It’s also worth noting that those 6.1 kWh can be charged by plugging in via an onboard 3.6 kW charger.

Active aeros

Probably not developed using the ground effects that makes the Petronas F1 racer so rapid, but using wind tunnel info gleaned from racing, active aerodynamics contribute to the “agile handling” of the 63 S E Performance. At speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph), the whole car is lowered some 40 millimetres (1.6 inches) causing a venturi effect and reducing lift at the front axle.

Another active component is the retractable rear spoiler that changes position based on vehicle speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, and steering speed. Depending on which drive program is selected, the spoiler can assume as many as five different angular position to either optimize stability or reduce drag.

Active Ride Control

As if that’s not enough, there’s a new version of AMG’s Active Ride Control that offers “active roll stabilization.” Essentially, active hydraulic actuators replace conventional mechanical anti-roll bars and can vary their stiffness according to deteced roll during cornering within fractions of a second. On top of that, all four dampers have separate adjustability for their compression and rebound circuits, and the damping chambers at all four wheels are interconnected.

In other words, not only can the anti-roll bar stiffness be controlled according to cornering needs, but so can the individual shock absorbers. As Mercedes says, the “roll spring rate” adjustments are very wide.

But, even everyday less-than-hooligan comportment benefits. For instance, imagine a road with a deep rut in only one track. According to Mercedes, the new S E Performance can compensate for this one-sided road imperfection by actively altering camber on one side of the car.

Active Rear Steering

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As with so many Mercedes, the S E Performance steers the rear wheel along with the fronts. Up to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) they steer in the opposite direction as the fronts for a tighter turning radius and greater agility; above 100 km/h, the rears match the direction of the front tires for increased stability. Mercedes says other advantages include easier vehicle control at the limit; and less steering effort because steering the rear wheels allows the traditional steering ratio to be “more direct.”

There be all manner of other goodies underneath the new S E Performance’s sleek exterior. Huge carbon-ceramic discs — giant 420-mm items in front — keep all that power under control, and “aerodynamically optimized” 20-inch AMG 10-spoke alloy wheels — in Tantalum Grey — are wrapped in sticky 295/35R20 and 305/35R20 performance radials.

Mercedes says there’re also personalization options through its Manufaktur program. The company has not released information detailing pricing, but did note the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance would arrive in Canadian dealerships in late 2024.

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