After its return for 2024 following a three-year hiatus, the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe returns for its second act: the addition of a plug-in hybrid model that isn't concerned with fuel savings or electric range, but rather brute force and speed. The new flagship GT 63 S E Performance trim leads the coupe lineup with more than 800 horsepower, Formula 1 battery technology, and a price tag likely north of $200,000. (Mercedes hasn't announced pricing yet, but the current lineup tops out at around $177,000.)
Pairing a turbocharged V8, electric motor and sophisticated battery power management, the GT 63 S E Performance promises to vault Mercedes into the elite circle of hypercar manufacturers, albeit one that also makes a consumer-grade truck originally designed for the military, delivery vans and a subcompact SUV.
The latest GT Coupe distills ideas from Benz's Formula 1 race team into its battery system, featuring liquid cooling for each of the battery's individual 560 cells, with coolant that can absorb two to three times more heat than indirect water cooling typically used in other designs. Not only does it regulate battery temperatures, but it also allows the battery to uncork enough juice for bursts of power of up to 201 hp. But with a relatively slow 3.7-kW onboard charge rate, don't expect to replenish the battery in any hurry from a standard charging stall.