Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance 2023 Review

At the risk of losing the audience in the opening sentence, at $399,900 plus on-road costs the updated 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance does represent decent value.

Pricing has risen almost $40,000 over the previous non-hybrid GT 63 S but the standard inclusion of the previously optional carbon-ceramic brakes ($17,900) and Burmester stereo ($10,400) alone almost make up the difference, let alone the extra performance on offer.

It’s a niche offering, the GT 4-door, with just over 150 being sold since its introduction in 2019. But there are several competitors fighting for the same space, the most obvious being the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid as well as the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid.

In more recent times, a plethora of electrically-powered options have entered the fray, including the BMW i7 M70 xDrive and stablemate Mercedes-AMG EQS 53.

As you’d hope given the price tag, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance comes fitted with not just bells and whistles but the entire orchestra.

The wheels are 21 inches in diameter and as mentioned huge carbon-ceramic brakes are now standard, the fronts being 420mm (!) with six-piston callipers at the front and 380mm discs and single-piston callipers at the rear.

On the inside you have heated and ventilated massage seats, Nappa leather upholstery, that 14-speaker Burmester stereo, power-close doors, AMG performance steering wheel, triple-zone climate control, active and adaptive LED headlights, sunroof and more.

The main choice will be colours. There are five standard options but dip into the tasty MANUFAKTUR palette and you’ll need to find between $2900 for the metallics all the way up to $15,990 for the Green Hell Magno that was the GT R signature hue.

The AMG Night Package blacks out various exterior trim for $3490 while the $18,490 Carbon Fibre Package adds a fixed rear wing and carbon trim elements inside and out. Also on the inside is the $8990 MANUFAKTUR Exclusive Package which primarily gives those in the back a fancier experience.

Merc’s standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty applies and servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km. A trio of service plans are available for three ($5300), four ($8000) or five ($8325) years.

There’s no official Euro NCAP or ANCAP rating for the GT 4-door in any of its guises but that’s merely a lack of testing rather than any deficiency on the car’s behalf.

The 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance has every active safety system possible with cameras in every direction and semi-autonomous driving thanks to traffic jam assist and active cruise control with active lane keeping.

In our experience, Mercedes systems are still the very best when it comes to the subtlety of their operation.

Twin 12.3-inch digital displays dominate the dash of the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance, with the central unit featuring the MBUX infotainment system. It can be navigated using the central touchpad but the “Hey, Mercedes” voice control is often a better bet.

There’s digital radio and smartphone mirroring and wireless charging and a million other features, though one of the cooler and more relevant ones for this test is the AMG Track Pace program, which can record your laps and offer real-time reference data with most major racetracks already programmed in.

The digital instruments are quite easily navigated but the all-haptic AMG steering wheel isn’t amazing. As usual, it’s not bad, but not as nice as buttons. If everything is brand-new and clean it tends to work well but if the pads or your hands get sweaty or greasy or dirty simple swipes can be met with no action.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to experience a GT 63 S you probably thought the 470kW/900Nm generated by its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 more than sufficient.

If not, however, then the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance has you covered.

The addition of an electric motor on the rear axle adds another 150kW/320Nm for grand totals of 620kW and (more than) 1400Nm, though in specific circumstances AMG says the system can actually deliver up to 1800Nm for short bursts.

Speaking of short bursts, the electric motor can only deliver full power for up to 10 seconds at a time with its continuous output being 70kW, but 10 seconds of full throttle in a car this fast takes you a very long way indeed.

Long enough to sail past 200km/h from standstill, passing 100km/h in just 2.9sec on your way to a 316km/h top speed.

The electric motor is also packaged with a two-speed transmission (separate to the conventional nine-speed gearbox attached to the engine) and electronically-controlled rear limited-slip diff.

As ever with a plug-in hybrid, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance’s official fuel consumption claim of 7.7L/100km is highly misleading due to the nature of the test cycle. That is, it’s a limited distance and allows PHEVs to start with a full battery.

The GT 63’s figure is more accurate than most thanks to its limited electric-only range of 12km, but you’re only going to match the official claim on the lightest of highway cruises.

Dip into the performance and fuel consumption will be off the charts, not that it’s likely to worry too many of the target clientele.

Our time behind the wheel of the new 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance was limited to the confines of Sydney Motorsport Park so we couldn’t test the veracity of the claimed electric-only range or whether the new dampers offer greater comfort.

Overseas experience suggests the E Performance expands the GT 63’s bandwidth, especially in regard to being a luxury car, not only because of possibility of silent EV running but the electrical assistance smooths out the power delivery while the ride remains firm but fair.

What our circuit excursion did provide is ample opportunity to sample the performance benefits of the GT 63’s new hybrid system. Despite the location, however, it’s important to remember that while extraordinarily capable, this is not a track car.

Rear-wheel steering, clever all-wheel drive and more power than a NASA launch do wonders in fighting physics, but can’t ultimately defeat them.

The downside of the E Performance upgrades is weight, and despite the F1-tech battery weighing just 89kg the overall system swells the kerb weight to 2380kg.

Add a journalist and a Mercedes instructor and you’re well beyond 2.5 tonnes and even monster Michelins (275/35 front, 315/30 rear) can’t cope with the extreme punishment. Track-spec Cup 2s would do wonders but circuit tyres on a $400,000 luxury limo?

Anyhow, we can only wonder how fast the GT 63 E Performance feels on the road because even at SMP – a fairly fast circuit – it is crushingly quick, tearing through the rev range in every gear with a monstrous soundtrack to match.

The power delivery does have a few quirks. As you exit a corner it can feel like the power comes on in stages or surges. Presumably either the engine or the hybrid system – or both – are tied into the AMG Dynamics stability control program and it only opens the various floodgates when it knows the car can handle it. Just a slightly unusual sensation.

Tyre limitations aside, it really is incredible what the GT 63 S is capable of. The rear-wheel steering does a magical job of lightening the load on the front tyres and rotating the car without ever feeling nervous, the while the front-wheel steering feeds enough information back to give you an idea of how much grip is available.

Inside, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is a curious mix of S-Class and GT sports car. Obviously the seats are sportier, but in terms of fit, finish and materials it’s the equal of Merc’s iconic limousine.

The rising centre console that houses most of the vehicle controls – stability control, suspension, drive mode selection – is a nod to the GT sports car, though all this is now somewhat redundant with the switches located on the steering wheel.

Those in the rear aren’t left out, with two very comfortable seats and ample room despite the coupe-like roofline.

Ticking the box for the MANUFAKTUR Exclusive Package is well worth it, not just for the fancier leather, but for the ‘business’ console that offers more storage, temperature-controlled cup holders and a separate touch-screen for audio, vehicle and climate controls.

Boot space has shrunk slightly thanks to the need to accommodate the battery pack above the rear axle, but 335 litres and the hatchback configuration should offer enough space for most needs, especially as the rear seats can be folded down.

While there are an increasing number of all-electric options in this market, realistically if you want a car like this you’re choosing between the 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.

Both these cars stir the traditional petrolhead emotions like no EV currently can thanks to their raucous twin-turbo V8 engines, and which one you want will probably come down to which one you think looks better, as both are outrageously capable and stupendously fast.

Purely in terms of a driving experience, the GT 63 doesn’t do a lot that an E 63 can’t for $130,000 less, but that’s not really the point. The E Performance is flashier, faster, higher-tech and, probably just as important for those spending near-$500,000, a lot more exclusive.

2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance at a glance:
Price: $399,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol-electric
Output: 470kW/900Nm (electric motor: 150kW/320Nm)
Combined output: 620kW/1400Nm+
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Battery: 6.1kWh lithium-ion
Range: 12km (WLTP)
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (WLTP)
CO2: 175g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested