Page 86 - Motor Trend (January 2020)

COTY

Finalists

PRO Thrilling sports car dynamics • Cutting-edge tech • Roomy cargo hold CON “Vegas” interior • Loud, rough ride • Eye-watering price

2019 Mercedes-AMG GT

his is not a sport sedan. It’s Staff opinions diverged on the
a straight-up super sports merits of the interior and exterior
Tcar that happens to have designs. The spare lines of the
four doors and a big hatchback matte gray exterior stood in
cargo area. Words to that effect marked contrast to the brightly
appeared in nearly every judge’s chrome-trimmed Red Pepper
notebook after driving the 2019 interior.
Mercedes-AMG GT 53 and 63 Walton quipped, “Stealth on
S. But despite so many of us the outside, party on the inside.” GT 53 4Matic+
coming to this realization, the Rechtin’s GT love included the
mere presence of a rear seat and AMG’s “sports car levels of noise interior: “Every detail makes you The cruise control changed
back doors inevitably develops from the hyper-aggressive tires feel like a rich person. This interior its set speed to match changing
an expectation of refinement and impact harshness through with the deep-brown wood and speed limits, and many of the
that these GTs struggle mightily the ultra-stiff suspension on chrome is just brilliant; it looks so interior switches incorporated
to deliver. anything but ultra-smooth roads: next-generation of any type of little video screens to indicate
Loh took issue with the choice Buy an E 63 S.” car that isn’t a Tesla.” settings. But points were lost by
of GT as a name. “Everything There was nearly unanimous MacKenzie, however, likened the fussy touchpad-controlled
about this vehicle is hard,” he praise for the AMG’s stellar the interior to a “21st century infotainment system and glitchy
said. “Hard charging, hard ride, handling, which everyone agreed Wurlitzer,” and Callum was even CarPlay interface, not to mention
hard, hard, hard. Its ride—even belied its mass. Ogbac likened less kind: “The interior has no the intermittent failure of the
in Comfort mode—is very stiff. It these cars to “football players visual structure—a collection of air conditioning on the 53 and a
feels like a taut drum when you who know ballet.” MacKenzie random shapes and glitter. It’s a check engine lamp on the 63 S.
drive it hard, and that’s a good appreciated their eagerness to Vegas car. I loved driving it—while In the end, it’s not hard to
thing. But it’s also hard to get “dive for corners like a hungry looking out the window and not at find fault with the four-door GT
comfortable in this vehicle.” He apex predator and, the 63 the interior.” Ouch. in most of MotorTrend’s six key
singled out the “stadium seats” particularly, explode down The GT earned engineering COTY criteria—especially value
as being egregiously firm and straights with animal ferocity.” excellence points for pioneering and efficiency (likely the two
antithetical to grand touring. Theodore declared the 63 S technology like smart headlamps, that matter least to the target
Conversely, Rechtin was all in the best-driving AMG product which Walton observed “light up audience). But in viewing it as
for the GT: “This is the ultimate he’d experienced—“puts every street signs independently, then a pure performance sedan,
four-door sports car. It does BMW to shame”—though he light up the corner arrows one at Mercedes-AMG has created a
everything a Porsche 911 or recommended reducing the a time, in sequence, bling, bling, new class of one.
Corvette can do while bringing jounce damping rate a bit. bling! So cool.” Frank Markus
along three friends and all your
weekend luggage.”
MacKenzie had a ready
solution for those troubled by the

SPECS 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4Matic+ 2019 GT 63 S 4Matic+
Base Price/As Tested $99,995/$125,300 $160,995/$190,840
Power (SAE net) 429 hp @ 6,100 rpm + 21 hp (elec); 429 hp @ 6,100 rpm comb 630 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm + 184 lb-ft (elec); 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm comb 664 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.0 sec 3.2 sec
Quarter Mile 13.6 sec @ 101.3 mph 11.6 sec @ 118.3 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 109 ft 108 ft
Lateral Acceleration 1.00 g (avg) 1.03 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 24.3 sec @ 0.81 g (avg) 23.4 sec @ 0.89 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 19/24/21 mpg 15/20/17 mpg GT 53 4Matic+

Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback Engine/Transmission GT 53 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6/9-speed auto
GT 63 S 4.0L twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8/9-speed twin-clutch auto Curb Weight (F/R Dist) GT 53 4,555 lb (53/47%) GT 63 S 4,739 lb (54/46%)
Wheelbase 116.2 in Length x Width x Height 199.2 x 76.9 x 57.0-57.3 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy GT 53 177/140 kW-hr/100 miles GT 63 S
225/169 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb GT 53 0.93 lb/mile GT 63 S 1.15 lb/mile
86 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020