2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63S E Performance – C192 PHEV with 816 PS, 1,420 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 2.8 secs

At the recent Chinese Grand Prix – where the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team finished a distant sixth and ninth – Mercedes-AMG showcased the top-dog version of its second-generation GT sports car. The C192 Mercedes-AMG GT63S E Performance, to give it its full (and very long) name, is not to be mistaken for the identically-titled four-door but nevertheless gets the same high-performance plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Just like in the “regular” GT63, you get Affalterbach’s venerable 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8, here pushing 612 PS from 5,750 to 6,500 rpm and 850 Nm of torque between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. That’s 97 PS and 50 Nm more than the GT63 but, crucially, 27 PS and 50 Nm down on the four-door version.

That’s significant, because when you pair that with the same 204 PS/320 Nm P3 electric motor at the rear – plus a 14 PS belt-driven starter-generator (BSG) at the front – you get just 816 Nm, while maximum torque ranges from 1,080 to 1,420 Nm. Still, this thing is not slow – thanks to what must surely be the lower weight of the two-door body, this car blitzes from zero to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, a tenth of a second quicker than the four-door. The top speed is also quite a bit higher at 320 km/h.

All this performance is underpinned by a Formula 1-inspired energy store – a 6.1 kWh lithium-ion battery that uses liquid cooling for each of its 560 cells. Because of the low capacity and the fact Mercedes-AMG chose to focus on fast power delivery rather than range, its all-electric range is just 13 km. Still, the company claims an impressively low fuel consumption figure of 8.2 litres per 100 km, although as always with a PHEV, you should take that with a pinch of salt.

This blockbuster powertrain is mated to an AMG Speedshift MCT 9G nine-speed multi-clutch automatic gearbox, a two-speed gearbox for the electric motor, the AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system and a mechanical limited-slip rear differential. There are four levels of regenerative braking, with the highest feeding up to 100 kW back to the battery. A portion of the electric power is reserved so that maximum power can always be accessed.

Also fitted is AMG Active Ride Control roll stabilisation, which uses cross-linked hydraulic dampers instead of anti-roll bars, just like a McLaren. Other standard features include rear-wheel steering, carbon ceramic brakes and an inflatable front air dam that activates above 80 km/h. The active rear spoiler operation has also been tweaked to suit the increased performance and now raises in five stages above 80 km/h.

Despite being able to complete the century sprint nearly half a second quicker, the E Performance looks barely any different from the pure petrol GT63 on the outside. It retains the same long nose, short tail, massive Panamericana grille, vertical headlights, flush pop-out door handles, triple taillights and sizeable rear diffuser with quad tailpipes.

In fact, the only way you can tell the PHEV apart – aside from the subtle E Performance badge on the side – is the rather unsightly rear charging port flap on the bumper that opens to reveal a Type 2 port. You can only charge the car via AC power at up to 3.7 kW, but considering the small battery, that’s not such a problem. As standard, you get 20-inch ten-spoke AMG alloy wheels painted in Tantalum Grey.

Step inside and the E Performance again looks identical to the petrol model, replete with turbine-style air vents, an 11.9-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen, optional AMG Performance sports seats and two rear seats – a new feature on the C192 model. The Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) receives unique hybrid-specific displays and functions, including a screen showing the power flow.

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