The Mercedes-AMG GT concept previews an upcoming 800hp-plus petrol-electric hybrid-powered production model. “With the GT concept, we are giving a preview of our third completely autonomously developed sportscar, extending the AMG family to include a four-door variant,” said Tobias Moers, chairman of AMG. An expanded range of dedicated AMG models will be offered alongside traditional performance variants of standard Mercedes-Benz models in the years to come.
The GT concept draws design elements from AMG’s two-year-old GT sportscar, most notably its so-called Panamericana grille and thin, horizontally positioned LED tail-lamps. This design language provides a peek at how the exterior styling of Mercedes-Benz’s future production models.
At the heart of the new fastback concept that previews AMG’s second dedicated production model is a new petrol-electric hybrid driveline. This unit combines AMG’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver a combined system output which Moers puts at “up to 600kW”. This equates to 805hhp, topping the output of the most powerful of AMG’s existing models, the GT-R, by a stunning 228hhp. The operating strategy of the new petrol-electric powerplant has been derived from the hybrid unit used by the Mercedes-Benz F1 team, with the battery charged whilst the car is being driven, both through brake energy recuperation and the aid of the combustion engine. The production version of the GT concept is also planned to be offered exclusively with a further developed version of AMG’s 4Matic+ four-wheel drive system.
The new Mercedes-Benz model which goes under the internal codename X290 is planned to indirectly replace the CLS Shooting Brake, which officials confirm will be discontinued once the third-gen CLS is showcased later this year. The production car will go up against the new second-generation Audi A7, BMW’s 6-series GranCoupe and Porsche’s Panamera.
