SL roadster’s coupe brother has been spotted in S E Performance guise with an 800+hp electrified V8
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by Chris Chilton
4 hours ago
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by Chris Chilton
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Like its Porsche 911 rival, the next AMG GT will be available with a selection of powertrains that range from merely hot to heinous. And it looks like our spy photographers have snapped the spiciest of the lot undergoing winter tests ahead of this year’s global reveal.
The fixed rear spoiler and big brake kit – with what looks like carbon rotors – suggest to us that we’re looking at the GT S E Performance model, a PHEV halo variant with upwards of 800 hp (811 PS). Though it’s difficult to see through the disguise on the rear end, peer closely and you might just make out the charging port located under the right-hand taillight.
That indicates the presence of the same hybrid-assisted 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 fitted to the four-door GT 63 S E Performance launched in 2021. In the four-door coupe, the 630 hp (639 PS) V8 up front is augmented by a 201 hp (204 PS) electric motor acting on the rear axle to give a total system output of 831 hp (843 PS) and a colossal 1,084 lb-ft (1,470 Nm) of torque.
The sedan is currently Mercedes-AMG’s most powerful road car, this side of the One hypercar, and gets to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.9 seconds despite weighing a porky 5,247 lbs (2,380 kg). Now imagine what that same powertrain could do in a coupe like the upcoming GT that’s at least 500 lbs (227 kg) lighter.
Like the four-door GT and AMG’s new four-cylinder PHEV C63 S E Performance, the rapid coupe should be able to drive purely on electric power, but not for extended periods. AMG’s PHEV systems are focused on delivering maximum performance, not maximum electric range, and the four-door GT can only cover 7.5 miles (12.1 km) until the tiny 6.1 kWh battery mounted on top of its motor runs out of energy and sends an SOS to the V8.
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Unlike the old GT, the new one will feature two tiny back seats, a feature borrowed from the current SL, whose platform it shares. But less clear is whether the more focused coupe will get all of the roadster’s engine offerings. The SL is currently available as a 470 hp (476 PS) SL55 and 577 hp (585 PS) SL63, both with twin-turbo V8 power or as an entry-level SL43 with a four-cylinder motor delivering 375 hp (381 PS) courtesy of an electric turbocharger with F1 tech. Do you think AMG should drop the inline-four into the GT or would that be a step too far?
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