We took the AMG GT 63 S for a run through the lovely woods of Spa and the Nurburgring and it left us in awe with what the people in Affalterbach have cooked up as a Porsche Panamera rival.

The Mercedes AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+ 4-Door Coupe is the full lengthy name the car goes by. But we'll just call it the AMG GT 63 S for short. The car was designed to offer Mercedes customers a more premium alternative to the Mercedes CLS. In short, it aims to be the Porsche Panamera killer. Just like its 2 door sibling aims to be the Porsche 911 killer.

Watch our review first before continue reading down below:

Absolute Powerhouse

The AMG GT 63 S is the most powerful AMG on sale right now. Powered by the well known 4.0 L V8 BiTurbo but with a few new tweaks. For the first time, AMG is combining twin-scroll turbos with turbine wheels mounted in anti-friction bearings. This one means that it now produces a staggering 639 hp and 900 Nm's of torque. And the figures speak for themselves really: 0-100 takes 3.2 seconds before stopping at 315 km/h. We clocked the GT 63 S doing 0-100 in 3.5 seconds on a 20°C day with winter tires. So there's still a lot of potential hidden here.

The power is sent to the wheels via a 9-speed multi-clutch Speedshift with a wet clutch. This not only saves weight but results in lower inertia in the drivetrain and in a quicker response to the driver's input. And they're not lying because the transmission is blisteringly fast in both up- and downshifts. It's also fitted with a "Race Start" launch control system that works very easy. Floor both brake and throttle, then let go of the brake pedal and off you go.
As you go, the 4Matic+ system will continuously calculate the best possible torque split to give you as much grip as possible. As with every 4Matic+ system, the power can seamlessly shift from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive.
But the AMG GT 63 S also has something called "Drift Mode". Put the car in Race Mode, traction control fully off, transmission in manual and pull the paddles towards you to engage Drift Mode.
This is thanks to the electronic locking limited slip differential also optionally available with the Dynamic Plus Package on the other GT 4-Door Coupe models.

If Looks Could Kill

You can definitely tell that the AMG GT 63 S is related to its 2 door sibling. The Panamericana grille up front combined with the aggressive side intercooler intakes and angry looking MultiBeam LED headlights to make you instantly want to move over when it comes up from behind.
The side profile really shows off the big diving sharknose and continues in one sleek line towards the back.
There we find similar AMG-branded dynamic taillights as you'd find on the 2 door version. Above there's one of my favorite extendible spoilers I've ever seen on a car. (The Lexus LFA still beats it though) But it's very sleek sitting on these curved supports. You can manually set the spoiler at one of the 4 heights you'd like but you'll find that the top setting robs you from half your visibility.
Down below you can find the well known rectangular quad exhaust featuring on other 63 models.

Comfort Bubble

Inside the AMG GT 63 S is instantly differentiated from normal Mercedes cars. It has a lot of resemblance to the 2 door GT thanks to the big center console which is laid out with your key driving features. Small pushable screens which change the icon upon pressing replace physical buttons. Another similarity with the GT is the repositioning of the gear selector from the steering wheel to the center console. The feedback you get is very good and it's also big enough to act as wrist support while using the touchpad. It's still getting used to and it would work a lot better if you could just touch the screen like you could on the new A-Class. After all, this is the top of the line AMG so why wouldn't it offer a touchscreen too?

One of my favorite features is the active multi-contour seats. The seat dynamically supports you in corners and under acceleration to hold you into place like a performance seat would. But at the same moment, they are extremely comfortable on long distances and can give you a great massage. I had some back pain earlier before picking up the car but after half a day of massaging that was completely gone.

But the coolest thing by far is the new performance steering wheel. It gives you all the dynamic controls you need right at your fingers. On your right hand, you have a circular controller with a small screen in the middle that you can rotate to select your drive mode. On the left there are 2 buttons which can control your suspension, exhaust, traction control,...

Switching your setup has never been easier or less distracting. It's very intuitive and doesn't require your attention as much keeping your eyes on the road.

Taming The Beast

So the main reason the AMG GT 63 S has the highest hp number on any current AMG model is its massive weight. It comes in at 2045 kg's which is a lot of weight in comparison to its 2 door sibling weighing only 1590 kg. AMG thus pumped up the horsepower to give it GT performance too.
But weight doesn't only affect straight-line speed. It also has an adverse effect on cornering.
And it may sound cliché but the people in Affalterbach manage to hide the weight of this 2-tonne beast so well. A lot of that comes from the use of rear-wheel steering and the speed sensitive steering. You see it more and more in new cars but it drastically changes the dynamics of the car. This in combination with the AMG RIDE CONTROL+ makes for a killer combo. According to your specific needs, it can stiffen or loosen each individual piece of each damper.

Taking It For A Forrest Walk

When we were planning the review we were thinking: what's the best way to test this monster? Because it needs to be comfortable on long distances whilst also being a blast to drive on twisty roads. So we took the GT 63 S from Brussels where we picked up the car to the Ardennes on Friday. A moderate amount of highway but thrilling roads for sure. During the weekend we made a trip to the Adenau Forrest with some friends who wanted to drive the Nordschleife.
Since this wasn't our car we didn't put it through its paces on the green hell. Although you could perfectly do that thanks to AMG TRACK PACE app inside the car. Which comes pre-loaded with multiple tracks and your own personal race coach showing you your braking points.

However, that doesn't matter because the Adenau has some great driving roads too where the GT 63 S could come alive. The optional carbon ceramic brakes were a welcome addition to keep the weight under control under braking.
I was just astonished by how much speed the AMG GT 63 S could carry through corners on these winter tires (mind you the temperatures were peaking at 20 °C). And even more so how fast it pulled out of corners. You can hear the violence from the engine when you push the pedal and the resulting acceleration is equally savage. Everyone was scared of AMG moving away from the natural aspirated V8's because of the sound they make. But I'm glad I can say that the brutal sound is still present.

It Kept Getting Better

And this is what surprised me so much. There's still so much more potential to discover in this car on proper summer tires. Tires are extremely important for cars like this. And the way the GT 63 S makes them work more than what they were designed for really shows how well the engineers have worked on this chassis.

And neither did it disappoint on the highway either. It rides comfortably again thanks to the air suspension soaking up the bumps in the rough Belgian roads. Meanwhile, inside the cabin, the heated massage seats perform excellent work. It's quiet and features a lot of head space in the back surprisingly for the coupé shape.

It's a perfect long-distance hauler. Okay, maybe not fuel consumption wise but if you own one of these, that's not something that will keep you awake at night.

So Is There Anything Bad About This Car?

It's really hard to find anything wrong with the AMG GT 63 S. It handles very well, has an addictive power delivery and is comfortable enough to take four people and their luggage on long distances. We thought the cylinder deactivation would have a larger impact on the reduction of fuel consumption on long trips but that is kept to a minimal. And it would be nice if the infotainment system was fitted with a touchscreen. (That's probably coming in a facelift).

It's a shame this car was on winter tires during a weekend where the temperatures were just shy of 20 °C and it leaves us wondering what it can do when it is fitted with the right tires for the right conditions. We'll definitely have to find that out soon...

Pricewise the AMG GT 63 S falls in the same budget range as an AMG S63, which offers more luxuries and comfort. It's more of a Mercedes than the GT is.

On the other hand, the GT offers a lot more of the performance and fun which is what AMG stands for. Plus it also has the striking looks on its side too.

It's a hard choice to make but in the end, I'd take the GT 63 S as it is the best all-round AMG in my book.

First Drive: Taming Affalterbach's Top Dog, The AMG GT 63 S