AMG in full force: the new Mercedes-AMG GT four-door

There was a time when you could tell an AMG was coming round the corner just by the sound of it. A deep rumble, a touch of thunder, the occasional burst of unrestrained noise. Wonderful.

Now comes the new Mercedes-AMG GT four-door. Fully electric. And yet still determined to be a true AMG. The ingredients for this are certainly promising: a specially developed AMG.EA platform, powerful electric motors and battery technology designed not only for range, but above all for repeatable peak performance.

After all, many electric cars can accelerate quickly these days. But can they still deliver with confidence even on the fifth attempt? That’s the more interesting test.

Electricity instead of thunder

The Concept AMG GT XX technical study already showed the direction of travel: three compact axial-flow motors, more than 1,000 kW of peak power and a top speed in excess of 360 km/h.

The production GT is available in three power variants: the GT 53, GT 55 and GT 63. It also features a low, elongated silhouette, active aerodynamics and a cockpit that combines sports car ambitions with the comfort of a luxurious four-door saloon.

The charging capacity is particularly impressive. Up to 600 kW is possible; under optimal conditions, it is said to be possible to recharge enough for a range of more than 500 kilometres in ten minutes. According to the WLTP, the entry-level GT 53 variant has a range of up to 794 kilometres.

It almost sounds as if even a charging stop would turn into a sprint.

And what does the future sound like?

However, AMG wouldn’t be AMG if it were content with just impressive figures.

With AMGFORCE Sports+, artificially generated engine sounds and simulated gear changes are designed to translate the familiar driving experience into the electric world.

An electric car that wants to sound and feel like a combustion engine? That’s certainly open to debate.

After all, perhaps the real challenge isn’t to imitate the V8 as convincingly as possible, but rather to develop a new form of driving pleasure that works entirely without a nostalgic soundscape.

Porsche had better take a closer look

With the new four-door GT, AMG is making a foray into the electric performance saloon segment. The Porsche Taycan, in particular, is one of its obvious rivals. And with the new AMG GT SUV, Affalterbach is expanding its offensive with a second model based on the same electric architecture.

Entry into the world of electric GTs starts at around 115,000 euros.

However, the crucial question remains unanswered: only the first few kilometres will reveal whether the new AMG really does deliver the emotional driving experience its developers promise.

Until then, one thing is certain: the future of AMG will be quieter. But certainly not slower.