AMG GT 4-Door Edition 1 on its way

If the stock-standard Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé wasn't potent enough, with its 470kW twin-turbo V8, there's now an even more insane version of the vehicle – the Edition 1.

In production for just 12 months, the limited run Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4MATIC+ Edition 1, to give it the full billing, will be coming to Australia in due course, along with the regular version of the four-door bruiser which is due Down Under from April 2019.

So what's new with the Edition 1? Aero, mainly, and a handful of cosmetic tweaks.

AMG has fitted a larger front splitter with 'flics' in the front apron and a 'demand-optimised' rear diffuser to improve airflow under the vehicle.

Along with some subtle Edition 1 decals they add an extra dollop of aggression to the curvy bahn-stormer, and the front splitter's new shape enhances the effect of the active aerodynamics at the front by reducing lift.

But the Porsche Panamera rival's drawcard is the fixed rear wing.

The rear spoiler blade can be adjusted mechanically (ie. with tools) but for most drives it will be fixed in place and AMG reckons it can add an extra 30kg of aero downforce over the rear axle at 300km/h. Perfect for a quick blast to pick up croissants and coffee when the rear would normally get a little floaty, eh?

The Edition 1 can be optioned with AMG high-performance ceramic brakes for fade-free stopping power.

Powered by the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine (470kW/900Nm) as 'regular' Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S models, the all-wheel drive Edition 1 doesn't appear to accelerate any faster or boast a higher top speed – 3.2secs and 315km/h respectively.

Those figures are enough to see the vehicle blast around the Nurburgring in just "seven minutes 30 something… which is really fast," according to Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers, who recently spilled the beans in an interview with

Depending on what the '30 something' is, the AMG GT 63 S could become the second-fastest four-door sports car around the German road course, after the Jaguar XE SV Project 8's 7:21 lap time. It would need to better the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio's 7:32 to do so.

As well as the aerodynamic extras, AMG has tizzied up the exterior with 21-inch cross-spoke forged alloy wheels and three special paint jobs: designo graphite grey magno, diamond white bright or graphite grey metallic.

The interior of the cream-crackers-crazy AMG GT 4-Door Edition 1 gets special AMG Performance seats finished in magma grey-on-black nappa leather with contrasting yellow stitching for a bit of razzle dazzle. The AMG Performance microfibre steering wheel also gets yellow highlights while the interior is clad in carbon fibre.

There's also unique floor mats, special yellow seat belts and premium rear seats.

Beyond discussions over whether the concept of a four-door coupe is an oxymoron, the most crucial question around the new AMG GT 4-Door will be how many houses you'll have to mortgage to get one.

Pricing for the new four-door AMG GT Coupe is not yet clear but in its most potent form it's expected to cost more than its two-door AMG GT sibling, which tops out at $348,711 for the range-topping AMG GT R.

Mercedes-Benz Australia's PR and product communications manager, Jerry Stamoulis, said it was too early to talk about the price of the AMG GT 4-Door but he confirmed the Edition 1 models are go Down Under.

"It's part of the GT family, it will be faster around the race track than an E 63 – expect performance levels above an E 63," he said.

"They will be coming to Australia but the allocation is not known. It comes down to pre-orders, what we've requested and other factors."

Mercedes-AMG has also confirmed that work is underway on on a two-door GT R Black Series and a plug-in hybrid version of the four-door GT cruiser with up to 600kW that could theoretically blitz the 0-100km/h in under 3.0secs.