Prototype Ride: The New Mercedes-AMG Electric Sports Car Focuses on Fun

• Mercedes-AMG is pushing forward with new electric sports car, and I just got to go for a ride in a prototype.
• This new EV will serve as a performance flagship for AMG.
• The car has a hidden feature that should speak to V8 engine enthusiasts.

After showing off its new GT XX concept in Germany earlier this month, I got a brief ride in a prototype of the production version — a car that's expected to take on the likes of the Lucid Air Sapphire and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. That's a tall order, and so far, AMG's electric offerings haven't really moved the needle. This future sports car, however, could be the game-changer Mercedes needs.

What is it?

Great question. The prototype I rode in didn't have a name or a badge and AMG's officials wouldn't give me any details. Anything I asked was met with the same answer: "We can discuss this at a later date." How helpful.

That said, the GT XX concept laid out a pretty good blueprint of what could be possible for this production model. We can assume somewhere north of 1,000 horsepower, with three electric motors and a new battery that has ultra-fast cooling and charging. It will ride on an AMG-exclusive platform that will underpin other vehicles, including an SUV. But the car I rode in will be the flagship — the ultimate performance model. If you want to call it the next-generation AMG GT 4-Door, you can. But I didn’t say that; you did.

AMG boss Michael Schiebe told me this car will be a big moment for the brand. "With this car, we are starting a new chapter for Mercedes-AMG," he said. "We want to use the car to break some records."

"We will beat them," Schiebe added, not elaborating on who "them" refers to. "I have enough confidence to say that we will beat them on the track; I just don’t want to say which track and what we are targeting just yet."

A fun hidden feature

During my test ride, every square inch of the prototype's interior was covered up, including the air vents, which was a real bummer on this hot summer day. My pilot shook my hand and said that the drive would be a quick one and that he had a special feature he wanted to show off.

Cruising at city speeds on the roads around AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, the prototype exhibited typical EV behavior: smooth acceleration, a quiet and comfortable interior and, from what I could discern as a passenger, nice ride quality.

But as we started to leave town, the AMG engineer behind the wheel reached for the drive selector toggle on the steering wheel for the first time, alluding to this test drive’s main attraction. "OK, here we go!"

When he put the car into Sport+ mode, the unmistakable sound of a 4.0-liter AMG V8 filled the cabin. As he put his foot down, the noise grew with intensity. To be very clear: This car is all-electric and has no engine of any kind. This is Mercedes having some fun and bringing its V8's aural signature into an EV. We've seen other automakers do a similar thing, like Hyundai with the Ioniq 5 — or, to reference a bad example, Dodge with the Charger Daytona EV.

Then, the driver reached for a paddle behind the steering wheel and "downshifted" twice, kicking up imaginary revs. It's another trick reminiscent of the Ioniq 5, "shifting" fake gears. My impression from the passenger seat was that this is a fun, interactive way to make driving an EV more engaging. That's definitely a good thing for a sports car with an AMG badge.

Recent AMG-branded EVs haven't been emotional enough products, and that's something the company is really looking to fix with the next generation of cars. That might be easier said than done, but based on my ride in this prototype, things are definitely looking — and sounding — good.