Jared gets behind the wheel of the most powerful Mercedes-AMG. The only problem is that he can’t do anything with it.
Who would have thought that the most powerful Mercedes-AMG would be a family car? Really, just take a look at the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Sure, it looks beautiful and elegant, but it’s also got four doors. I’m not complaining. I just find it to be unnatural! What’s even more abnormal is that the car is based on the E Class, and yet it shares the GT nameplate. In its purest form a GT, or Grand Tourer, is a front-engine two-door RWD Coupe. Well, we are living in a world of new normals, and it seems the GT name is slapped on just about anything these days. You have GTA, GTB, GTC, GTI, and everything else under the moon.
Besides the GT name, the Coupe design is also exploited these days. 4-Door Coupes, that's what they’re called now. Really, I swear, I am not complaining at all. I feel it’s just a bit confusing, that’s all. The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe 63 S is a rather long name. It’s got AMG, GT, 4-Door, and Coupe in its name, but instead of focusing on the name of this car, let’s just focus on the purpose.
Check List
A GT is a mesh of sportiness, luxury, and practicality. Essentially, a GT is a full-fledged sports car, which is luxurious, has a comfortable interior, and room for many passengers and luggage storage. Does the GT 4-Door Coupe check all of these boxes? Well, absolutely!
First of all, the design of the car is unmistakably a classic Coupe design. Its four doors don't take away from the fact that the car itself is a stunner. Secondly, the interior cabin is as luxurious as you'd want it to be. Everything is beautiful and high quality. There is plenty of room for the front passengers, and thanks to the four doors and long-wheelbase, there is plenty of space for rear passengers as well. The boot itself is quite spacious, which means you can easily fit in a few bags. Lastly, the car gets the same 4.0-litre V8 Biturbo engine that resides in the Mercedes-AMG GT C. Power is rated at 630bhp and 900Nm of torque, which allows this two-tonne car to race from 0 – 100km/h in just 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 315km/h. That’s certainly some impressive numbers, but the sporty arsenal of motoring madness doesn’t just stop there.
Ultra-Sport Performance
The AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is packed with as much technology as a nuclear submarine. The car gets rear locking differential, air suspension, all-wheel drive, AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed transmission, and more driving modes than you would ever need. The car also features a new driver mode called ‘Drift Mode’. This essentially sends all power to the rear wheels, so that you can do a few sporty manoeuvres. However, before you try to do any of that make sure that you know how to handle its massive power.
Given all that sportiness and its long wheelbase, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe also gets rear-axle steering. When cornering under 100km/h, the rear axle counter-steers the rear wheels to the front so as to make sure the car handles like a shorter-wheelbase sports car. And once you cross 100km/h, the rear axle steers the rear tyres in the same direction as the front tyres, ensuring that the car handles itself comfortably at highway speeds. The car stays glued to the ground at all times, and when attempting fast cornering it stays absolutely flat. The handling is unbelievable for such a large vehicle.
The interior cabin is spectacular and, perhaps, the best in the segment. It offers the perfect blend of sportiness and luxury, and with adequate space. What’s new and unique is the eight display buttons that have been integrated into the centre console and a switch element in the operating panel. The steering wheel feels wonderful in your hands and gets new toggle switches that make life very easy for the driver. The race-inspired seats also offer great comfort.
With so much race-inspired technology, safety becomes a priority. Mercedes has included the most high-tech features, including an advanced traction control system to make sure you don’t spin off the road. You also get Active Brake Assist, Active Distance Assist, and, of course, Mercedes Pre-Safe – all of these are at some point going to save you when you make a mistake while playing around with all that absurdly excessive power on tap. Why excessive? Well, I’ll tell you why!
Maximum Sport, Minimum Pleasure
I don’t know how many times I have emphasized this point before. Just what do you expect to do with all that power? We were driving the car in Mumbai, and there was never a moment when I got to really enjoy the car. It’s such a big car that you need to be careful with it in traffic. Once the road opens up you hardly get a chance to open the throttle. Sure, the car can corner flat at 150km/h, and it has a top speed of over 300km/h, but not once did I cross 100km/h for more than three seconds. Yes, the cabin makes you feel amazing, and the sound of the AMG exhaust wants to encourage you to slam the throttle down, but just as you begin to experience that exhilarating acceleration, you have to slow down. The suspension setup is also so stiff that even when I was cruising along in ‘Comfort’ mode, I could feel every little pebble under the tyres – and even worse, I could hear every bump in the cabin. Even if you drive on the highway in India, you will not feel comfortable. All of the beautiful motorsport DNA is more or less a waste. This car is just like my hyper-active bulldog – it doesn’t know how to sit still. While some sports cars are easier to manage and more comfortable to drive at slower speeds, this car is not. You will have more fun driving a smaller and lighter sports car in an urban setting.
Power Trip
The fact that most sports cars can’t be enjoyed to their fullest potential on Indian roads isn’t something new. This car is the most powerful AMG, and that’s no joke. It’s an absolute beast – one that’s dying to be set free. The problem is that it’s too big a car, and it seems as though the designers were focused more towards sportiness than comfort. If you really want to get something that has great performance and is very comfortable for Indian road conditions, then you might as well get an S Class. If you want something that offers the same driving thrill but with more driving ease and comfort in the city, then you need to look at the Audi RS7. The Porsche Panamera Turbo is the direct competitor to the AMG GT 4-door, and I think even that is a bit tamer than this AMG goliath. The new BMW M8 Coupe is another rival to the AMG GT 4-Door, but it only gets two doors and less cabin room. However, if you really want to get a proper fun GT, with luxurious inside, smooth ride, great power, brilliant performance, and manageable drive, then you just need to spend a few extra crores and get yourself the gentlemanly Bentley Continental GT.
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