Mercedes AMG’s new GT 63 Pro is a more liveable beast than before, but that’s not to say it can’t raise an eyebrow or two when the throttle is stowed. Gautam Sharma took the grand-tourer for a spin in Ronda, Spain.
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Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+ Fast Facts
- Price: n/a
- Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
- Power: 450 kW @ 6 500 r/min
- Torque: 850 N.m @ 2 500 r/min
- 0-100 km/h: 3.2 seconds
- 0-200 km/h: 10.9 seconds
- Top speed: 317 km/h
- Rivals: Porsche 911 Turbo, Aston Martin Vantage, McLaren GTS
Mercedes-Benz’s SLS AMG and the first-generation AMG GT that succeeded it were ground-breaking cars. Designed from a clean sheet by Merc’s Affalterbach-based AMG go-faster division and configured from the outset with an optimal mid-front engine and transaxle layout, the SLS and GT were both purist’s delights. With the engine (a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated unit in the SLS and 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in the GT) tucked well behind the front axle and the 7-speed, dual-clutch transmission mounted in unison with the rear axle, both possessed a near-perfect 47:53 front/rear weight distribution.
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The GT, in particular, was touted as a legitimate Porsche 911 rival, and the ultimate Black Series version was a scorchingly fast track weapon, blasting around the daunting Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:43.616 – in the process eclipsing the likes of the hardcore Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992.1) and Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. You might question why anyone would tamper with such a seemingly ideal recipe, but this time around – for the second-gen GT – everything has changed.
Mercedes-AMG spokesman Jochen Übler says the company has listened to its customers and what they wanted was a car with more day-to-day usability, bolstered by a generous boot and the availability of optional rear seats. This is basically what you get with the second-gen GT, a more cossetting and roomier coupé that rides and drives with more compliance and refinement than its uncompromising predecessor.
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To deliver on these slightly more mundane metrics, Mercedes-AMG has rethought the fundamentals, and the result is a markedly different package, with the engine now slung over the front axle and the transmission (a 9-speed auto with wet start-up clutch in lieu of the old dual-clutch unit) housed directly behind it. This format yields a less ideal 54:46 front/rear weight distribution, but Mercedes-AMG has been able to deliver on the requirements of a more spacious cabin and a larger, 675-litre boot with the former GT’s rear-mounted gearbox no longer eating into the available space. There will obviously be no drop-top variant of the GT this time around as the current R232 generation SL, which is based on the same AMG-developed platform, already fulfils that niche.
We’ve just returned from the Ascari Race Resort in southern Spain, following the international launch drive of the GT 63 Pro, which adds track-worthy credentials to the standard GT 63, with particular focus on its enhanced cooling and aero package. You also get bigger front brakes (420mm carbon-ceramic discs), while grippy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R semi-slick tyres are offered as a no-cost option.
As with most go-faster derivatives, the GT 63 Pro also ups the ante in the powertrain department, with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 fettled to thrash out 450 kW (+20 kW) at and 850 N.m (+50 N.m). These outputs yield a 0-100 km/h dash in 3.2 seconds, and 0-200 km/h in 10.9 seconds. The latter figure is especially noteworthy as it’s half a second quicker than the standard GT 63. The GT 63 Pro is also the beneficiary of a comprehensive aero package that’s designed to reduce front-end lift by 30 kg and boost rear downforce by 15 kg, as well as channelling more cooling air to the drivetrain and brakes.
Despite its less optimal weight distribution than before and hefty girth – it’s 280 kg heavier than the previous-gen GTR Pro – the newcomer is claimed to almost match its hardcore predecessor in terms of raw racetrack pace. AMG spokesman Jochen Übler says the latest offering can record regular 7min 11sec laps around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which isn’t too far adrift of the 7:04.632 lap posted by ace race driver Maro Engel in the previous-gen GT R Pro. More importantly, the new GT Pro is claimed to make its substantial performance and dynamic envelope accessible to a much broader set of drivers, as the previous RWD car was by no means an easy beast to handle near its limits. This time around there’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steer and active roll stabilisation to bolster traction, turn-in and mid-corner stability. More on this later…
The GT 63 Pro’s cabin is a mix of classical cool and cutting-edge tech, with the highlights being a 12.3-inch fully digitised instrument cluster and 11.9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen that controls everything – ranging from drive modes to climate control, to infotainment. The AMG Performance seats do a great job of supporting your spine while also (to a large degree) keeping your torso in place even when you’re heaving the car around a racetrack such as the fast and undulating Circuito Ascari.
Below the left spoke of the wonderfully tactile AMG Performance steering wheel is a rotary dial with buttons that enable you to instantly toggle the transmission to manual-shift mode or set the ESP in Sport Handling mode, loosening the electronic safety net.
Our only drive impressions of the GT 63 Pro were gathered via a couple of on-track stints at the Ascari Race Resort, but even these proved surprisingly enlightening. First thoughts on sliding into the cabin are of a newfound sense of airiness vis-à-vis the previous-gen GT, which had more of a snug fighter-jet cockpit feel due to its tighter confines, high transmission tunnel and busier layout, and there’s plenty of room for taller drivers. Where the old GT R Pro was equipped as standard with four-point harnesses, the new-gen GT 63 Pro has a conventional lap-sash belt, so you don’t need to spend a couple of minutes faffing around just to get settled in and ready to drive.
No doubt largely due to ever-tightening noise regulations, the new GT 63 Pro isn’t as vocal as its predecessor, and it fires into life in reasonably subdued fashion, especially if you’ve selected Comfort drive mode. It’s not as thunderous as past AMG offerings, and the snap-crackle pyrotechnics on throttle lift-off are missing, but the GT 63 Pro still has a pleasing sonic signature that combines whooshing induction roar with a classical V8 growl from the quad exhausts.
Given that we’re on a racetrack, the obvious thing to do is select Race mode, which ups the decibels and urgency of the soundtrack but, even so, the GT 63 Pro is by no means an eardrum-assaulting hooligan. The 5.425 km Ascari Circuit is a challenging track, replete with numerous elevation changes and fast sweeps that require a commitment to take at the limit. Several corners are inspired by sections of racetracks around the world – these range from Petit Eau Rouge (Little Eau Rouge), Senna S, Copse, Laguna and even a corner named Bathurst (after the famous circuit in Australia).
Even though the latest GT 63 Pro is a big, heavy car – a length of 4.7 metres-plus and girth of just under two tonnes aren’t the norm for a purportedly track-focused coupé – but, from behind the wheel, the perception is that you’re steering a much lighter, more compact car. Even the fact that it’s decidedly nose-heavy has been effectively neutralised as the GT 63 Pro has razor-sharp turn-in and an ability to instantly change direction, especially evident through Petit Eau Rouge and the chicane-mimicking Rafael and Pif-Paf complexes.
The car’s agility and balance clearly benefit from the standard rear-steering, while Active Ride Control adaptive dampers and active roll stabilisation also play their part in imbuing the chassis with a sense of tautness and precision.
Our two on-track sessions were in slightly damp conditions, and our planned third stint didn’t materialise at all as the heavens had really opened up by that stage. Even so, the less-than-ideal conditions helped to showcase the user-friendliness of the new GT 63 Pro and its ability to cater to drivers of all levels. Where the previous-gen RWD GT R Pro would have been much more of a handful on slippery tarmac, the newbie’s AWD format and electronic limited-slip rear differential mean you can mash the throttle with impunity on slow-corner exits.
A barrage of computerised wizardry then converts that 850 N.m into eye-openingly rapid forward motion, with the twin-turbo V8 unfurling the full range of its brawny vocals as you slingshot down the next straight. Toggling the ESP to Sport Handling mode, there are no unwelcome surprises as, even in this more liberal setting, the GT 63 Pro remains easy to punt rapidly. The car feels very analogue in its responses, despite the fact there’s plenty of electronic trickery at work beneath the surface.
Selecting Comfort mode for the cooldown lap, the other facet of the GT 63 Pro shines through – namely, its ability to lope along more serenely than its predecessor. This is probably the aspect that the majority of prospective GT 63 Pro owners will savour the most.
In all, there are two ways of looking at this. On the one hand, one could lament lost sense of the previous car’s purity and perfect balance, which embodied an ideal recipe for a track-capable roadgoing sportscar. The flipside is that it was largely a one-trick pony, and it wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for a cross-continent journey, or even a weekend getaway. Its uncompromising ride and tight living quarters were slightly at odds for car that largely targeted the grand-tourer segment. Very few AMG GT owners ever ventured onto a racetrack.
This being the case, the second-gen Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro comes across as a better-rounded offering as it’s undoubtedly far more usable day-to-day. The fact it’s able to fulfil the briefs of road-trip companion and engaging track car is a major case of win-win…it’s just a pity it’s not coming our way.
Find the full feature in the January issue of CAR Magazine.
