► Track-focused AMG GT 63
► But still suitable for everyday life
► 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, 0-124mph in 10.9
Everyone wants a no-compromise supercar, but nobody wants to drive a no-compromise supercar every day. That’s pretty much what Mercedes heard from customers of the first-generation GT 63. It’s why – in standard form – AMG’s new supercar is slightly softer, comfier, and more practical than before. That, and a juicy Porsche 911-shaped chunk of the supercar market.
But for a slightly more hardcore minority there’s now this: the GT 63 Pro. Faster, grippier but still with all the niceties you’d probably want from a car costing six figures, it’s a harder version of Affalterbach’s most practical supercar yet. Designed to tackle trackdays but also take you to them, it’s sits at the top of the GT 63 line-up next to the GT 63 S E performance hybrid – that is, until the unhinged GT R Pro comes along.
So what’s the difference between Pro and… amateur? And just how does the Pro walk the line between track-focused insanity and sensible 911 rival? To find out, we drove a new Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet to a damp Ascari circuit, and then got behind the wheel of AMG’s hottest GT 63 yet.
At a glance:
Pros: Sharper spec, power bump, same usability
Cons: Not much
What’s new?
The AMG GT 63 Pro gets the exterior carbon fibre package as standard, so includes various bits in carbonfibre. The front splitter, side sills, diffuser and rear wing all get the carbon treatment, and there’s also black-painted callipers too.
Everything else new on the GT 63 Pro is designed to improve performance as well as endurance. Downforce is obviously a priority, with a new front apron improving stability as well as overall grip, and the GT 63 Pro retains the same active aero Airpanel as the standard car too. Like the AMG One flagship, the GT 63 Pro also benefits from underbody strakes designed to accelerate air under the car and divert air to the brakes.
Combine that all with a fixed rear wing, and the GT 63 Pro gets a 30kg reduction in lift on the front axle, and a 15kg downforce increase on the rear axle.
But the GT 63 Pro needs to cope with sustained, high-performance use, so cooling has also been uprated. In addition to more downforce, the new front apron also steals air for the brakes and engine. Radiators for the differentials on each axle are now actively cooled to cope with continuously fast driving, and there are now two radiators in the front wings to cope with the new heat rejection demands. Finally, revised brake plates divert more air to the car’s 420mm stoppers.
What are the specs?
Alongside the new airflow management, Affalterbach’s engineers have given the engine a small but substantial bump. It’s still the 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 as before, but an ECU tweak gives the engine an extra 27bhp of power and 37lb ft of torque, bringing the new totals up to 604bhp and 627lb ft. All of that then goes through a nine-gear, all-wheel drive AMG Speedshift transmission. The result is a 0-62mph in an identical 3.2 seconds, but a 0-124mph time of 10.9 seconds, 0.5 quicker than the standard car. Top speed is 197mph.
As you’d expect the GT 63 Pro is packed with pretty much every bit of chassis magic known to the engineers at AMG. Most important is AMG Performance 4Matic + all-wheel drive system, which intelligently diverts power to where it’s needed most – or just to the rear if you’re feeling dynamic. Here, it works in unison AMG active ride control for active roll stabilisation and a rear wheel steer system, which is included as standard.
To slow things down, AMG engineers have included ceramic composite brakes as standard, with six piston fixed callipers at the front, and one-piston floating callipers on the rear. At 420mm, the brakes on the front axle are the beefiest available across the AMG range.
It’ll run on 21-inch forged wheels, with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres as standard, though Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs are available at no extra cost.
How does it drive?
It sounds simple at first; we’ll be doing five laps in each run, with an out lap, three push laps and an in lap, and we’ll be following an AMG pace driver – either Bernd Schneider (yes, that one) or Peter Ebner. What’s complicating things for me, at least, is the rain shower hours before, and the menacing dark patches dotted around the fast, undulating Ascari track. Oh, and the rather slick Pirelli Cup 2R boots this GT 63 Pro has on.
But there’s no time for those thoughts now. As we finish the outlap, I dial the powertrain to Race via the steering wheel. Ebner launches out of the last corner ahead of us, and as I stretch the V8s legs, its 10.9 second 0-124mph sprint time suddenly feels very real and very relevant.
The pit wall zips past to my right, and we’re into the first section, a short uphill run followed by a chicane and banked left turn. It’s incessant at Ascari, and I vaguely remember AMG’s engineers saying it’s a great track to sample vehicle dynamics. As we jink to the kerb it’s possible feel the rear wheel-steer system already at work.
Despite its wide stance and squat footprint, the AMG GT 63 Pro turns with an immediacy and effortlessness. It feels artificial but fluid and easy, and when combined with reassuring steering feel, I’m placing the Pro’s newly revised apron wherever I want.
The ceramic brakes are good too; obviously powerful but predictable with it. Stamping on them works as you’d expect, but it’s possible to line up the car, give them a dab and almost straight-line the chicane.
Now the banked left. We dive out of the apex, squeeze on the power and feel all 604 of the AMG’s horses pressed to the tarmac. In this mode the ESP is on a slightly freer Sport mode and there’s more power sent to the rears than usual. We drift over to the outside kerb and the cabin is filled with V8 for a few seconds as we fly down a straight. We’re full throttle through a damp patch, but the GT63 doesn’t seem bothered.
Over the next laps both Peter in the car ahead and the GT 63 encourage me to push on. Braking later or less feels sensible, and getting on the power earlier also feels justified. We start to trail the brakes into corners, and they feel just as powerful as before – a sign of the GT 63’s improved endurance. The front axle continues to bite as the rear follows, and the Pro continues to rotate with bewitching ease.
In Race mode the chassis is flat but not overly so, so it’s possible to feel a hint of weight transfer as the Cup 2s bite into Acari’s box-fresh tarmac. This has performance approaching a track car, but with the usability of one for the road.
With more confidence I nail the power earlier and for longer around a long right hander. It takes me about a half a second to register the slide I have after crossing a damp, darker part of tarmac – but by then it’s been already collected by the AMG’s all-wheel-drive system, and I’m braking for the next corner.
I flick the transmission to manual for more control, and to try out another new feature for the Pro; a high-pitched tone which tells you when to change up, leaving my undivided attention for the road. At first the beeps are easy to juggle with the braking and the apexes, but soon I realise that I’m missing shifts and losing concentration. Although the GT 63 Pro is made to endure laps of track day action, in my current spec, I am not. Thankfully, Peter says it’s time to pit.
What’s the interior like?
The AMG GT G3 gets a significantly more refined, grown-up interior in its second generation. There’s a 11.9-inch portrait screen in the centre, just like the SL this car shares a platform with, and it’s complemented by a 12.3-inch display ahead of the driver. You must deal with the same five-spoke wheel as other AMG car’s though, now finished in Nappa leather. As usual, it comes with powertrain and handling dials (good) as well as haptic buttons (not good).
Because this generation of GT 63 is aimed directly at Porsche’s 911, you’ll find more practical features like a 2+2 seating at no extra cost, and a hilariously cavernous boot.
Overall, everything feels more refined and easier to live with; even though you sit low in the Pro’s figure-holding AMG Performance seats, the bonnet doesn’t seem to stretch out for acres ahead of you anymore. It’s just overall a more well-thought-out place to be.
Before you buy
The GT 63 Pro is designed to be the most track-focused of the AMG models so far, but the GT family is much bigger than it used to be. This is designed to be the most dynamic, but there’s now an 805bhp plug-in hybrid for those who want straight-line speed above everything else. It starts at £180,745.
In addition to the standard V8-powered two-door coupe which begins at £143,605, there’s also four-cylinder rear-wheel drive GT 43 which comes in at £101,685.
Of course, those wanting something more practical need just look across the four-door GT, while those wanting something softer can try out the SL this shares a platform with.
Verdict
In standard form, the GT 63 is a well-rounded but practical supercar, and in Pro form it’s simply better honed for track use. Sharper and more engaging – on track at least – the Pro ramps up the endurance and especially the precision, but not at the expense of useability or practicality. After all, you can get this car with a sunroof and extra seat if you wish.
It’s sharp enough and quick enough for the part-time track day owners wanting a little more feedback and power, but it’s not the last word in performance: it still leaves room for a super-taut, uncompromising GT R Pro, if you really want that.