Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-door review

Let’s focus on the 63 S 4Matic+ to start with. It’s a magnificent powerplant, this 4.0-litre ‘hot inside V’ V8 bi-turbo, delivering 631bhp and 627lb ft from 2,500 to 4,500rpm. If Ferrari’s 3.9-litre twin-turbo leads the way, this AMG unit is damn close in terms of zero-lag flexibility and charisma, its twin-scroll turbos and twin-duct exhaust manifold enhancing efficiency, low-rev torque and, perhaps most noticeably, engine response. Performance is blistering, 62mph blazing past in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 196mph (the non-S is 0.2secs and 3mph slower), all over-laid by thunderous old-school sonics.

Given that this is AMG’s family supercar, duality and approachability are key, though. The 63 S is certainly easier to deal with than the GT coupe, swatting away surface noise and riding compliantly despite its hefty rubber (295/35s at the rear). It’s an able, amiable cruiser. The exhaust noise dies away, and although ‘Comfort’ is a relative term and there’s an underlying positivity to the ride, it’s at least as competent on long trips as the Panamera and more comfortable and quieter than an E63. 

But AMG is also confident in the GT’s seamier side. The tech arsenal is deeply impressive: air suspension, adaptive damping, rear steering, dynamic engine mounts, and fully variable all-wheel-drive. The nine-speed dual shift gearbox uses a wet clutch to cut weight and improve response, and the shift times are finger-snap fast and crackle emotively. Steering, suspension, engine and transmission parameters are all governed by the Dynamic Select drive system, which spans six set-ups from Slippery through to Race.

Within that, there’s a further Dynamics Plus palette, encompassing Basic, Advanced, Pro, and Master. There’s also a Drift mode, if you have money and rubber to burn. Although this preponderance of software could risk overkill or mask some basic problems, the fact is the GT 4-door is an astonishingly agile machine around a track, stable on the brakes and into corners (390mm discs at the front, ceramics a £6,995 option), able to find incredible traction on the exits, happy to play fast and loose if you want it, but progressive on the limit. And, to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, if it can make it here, it’ll make it anywhere.

Like your average British B-road. The GT doesn’t feel as wide as the Porsche. It’s easy to place thanks to accurate, immediate, sharp steering – that’s one of the car’s dynamic highlights, crisper and more informative than you’ll find in any other super saloon, from BMW M5 to Audi RS6. And it manages to shrug off its weight, never feeling like the 2.1-tonne heavyweight it actually is. The centre of gravity is low, roll minimal, grip strong. It’s rewarding, engaging to drive – as much, if not more, pure fun to drive than the E63. Better body control than junior, thanks to extra body stiffening and altered suspension, too. 

You notice the rear-wheel steering aiding turn-in, perhaps aiding a little too eagerly in Sport+ mode. It makes astonishingly rapid, composed progress. You can drive it smoothly, or indulge its inner hooligan, and it relishes both approaches equally. Non-S version? A little less punchy at the top end, a little less snappy into corners, no show-boat Drift Mode. Perhaps, the sweeter, more natural of the two, but you’d want the S.