Mercedes-Benz’s performance division hasn’t had great luck straying from the tried-and-true V-8 formula. Its turbo-hybrid four-cylinder C63, while technically brilliant, was largely panned for its weight and lack of emotion. It’s currently selling like whatever the opposite of hotcakes is, and even AMG CEO Michael Schiebe admitted the company “could have better explained” the car’s powertrain to customers.
That said, AMG isn’t taking any more half measures when it comes to electrification. On Wednesday, it unveiled the GT XX Concept, a 1,340-horsepower, 223-mph (360 kph) super sedan that previews AMG’s first production EV, which is to be revealed next year. If AMG can back up its bold promises, this car should bring a serious fight to the Lucid Air Sapphire and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, along with a healthy dose of AMG theater.
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
I previewed the GT XX Concept at a disused power plant in Rottweil, Germany late last month. While it’s not a production car—evidenced by GT3 racing seats with five-point harnesses—AMG is adamant that the tech showcased here is production-ready, and will find its way into future models on the AMG Electric Architecture (AMG.EA).
The GT XX’s looks won’t be for everyone—the front three-quarter view calls to mind a surprised catfish. But from straight on, wearing the legendary C111 supercar’s trademark shade of orange, there’s no denying it’s both imposing and unmistakably Mercedes. AMG claims a drag coefficient of 0.198 as it sits, an impressive feat for a car with wide tires and side-view mirrors. (The Lucid Air is currently the world’s most aerodynamic car, at 0.197.)
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
AMG uses clever aero wheel covers to get to this number. Five carbon-fiber panels move outward and retract electrically as needed for brake cooling or optimal airflow. They don’t draw power from the battery—AMG says the electric motors run off kinetic energy from the wheels’ forward motion. Mercedes claims these wheels add “one or two kilos” of weight compared to a standard wheel.
Inside the concept, we find carbon-fiber bucket seats with custom cushioning based on a customer’s body scan. The textiles on the seats and interior trim are made from used GT3 race tires—we’re told one tire provides enough material for an entire GT XX’s hide. Orange trim and backlighting abounds, and in front of the driver, there’s a large dual-tablet display and a yoke-style steering wheel with twistable selectors and paddle shifters (we’ll get to that later).
Under the skin, the GT XX runs on an 800-volt architecture with a high-tech battery pack that can charge at 850kW over what AMG calls a “wide range” of the car’s charging curve. That’s enough, it claims, to add nearly 250 miles (400 km) of range in about five minutes. That power makes its way to all four wheels through two electric drive units (EDUs) containing a total of three axial-flux electric motors: two in the rear and one in front. Total output is a whopping 1,340 horsepower, 106 more than the Lucid Air Sapphire’s 1,234 but short of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s 1,548.
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Those electric motors are tightly integrated into the EDUs, with each having its own planetary gearset and water-cooled inverter. The motors and gearsets themselves are oil-cooled. The rear EDU is the primary source of power, while the front EDU decouples while coasting and during steady-speed cruising for optimal efficiency. AMG claims the GT XX’s direct-cooled cylindrical battery cells—a proprietary design whose supplier it wouldn’t reveal—improve heat management and make it easier to sustain high-performance driving over, say, a track session.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper AMG without some theater. Upon seeing the concept for the first time, we heard a V-8 soundtrack roar to life. Mercedes confirmed the car will have a simulated soundtrack, with AMG CEO Michael Schiebe quoting an unnamed executive as calling it “the best V-8 we have ever developed.” Dual loudspeakers integrated into the headlight housings generate sound, and the housings themselves channel sound around the car. AMG’s promotional clip and the presence of paddle shifters in the concept would lead us to believe there’s a simulated gearbox of some kind, similar to the one in Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N.
Photo by: Mercedes-AMG
Will the AMG GT XX make it to production? Some features, like the fluid light paint on the side skirts and the LED light bar on the rear, may not be worth the effort to get past regulators. But if the car’s performance hardware is indicative of future AMG production models, the geeks from Affalterbach could put Lucid and Porsche on notice.
As I mentioned in my brief test drive of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC, a model that’s far closer to production than this one, it’s an extremely challenging time to launch any new car, let alone a high-performance exotic. Assuming an AMG EV would be made in Germany, it would face 25% import tariffs in the US, in addition to price hikes on battery parts and supplies. What’s more, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra already matches most of the GT XX’s wild specs and is on sale (in China) today.
Beyond the spec sheet, it’s refreshing to see an automaker fully commit to a performance EV rather than hedging bets with a hybrid that weighs as much as a small house. Here’s hoping we get an electric future filled with V-8 noises.
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Source: Mercedes-AMG
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