Mercedes-AMG Drops V8 for All-Electric GT 4-Door
▼ Summary
– Mercedes and AMG unveiled the next generation of all-electric performance vehicles, the four-door GT Coupe, at a star-studded event on Los Angeles’ Sixth Street Viaduct.
– The new AMG GT brings the record-setting Concept AMG GT XX to series production, featuring firsts like axial motors from YASA and F1-derived battery cells.
– The unveiling included F1 team personnel George Russell, Toto Wolff, and Kimi Antonelli, along with celebrities like Brad Pitt, Jacob Elordi, and Kevin Hart.
– The new GT’s design abandons prior Mercedes EV aesthetics for a lower, sleeker shape influenced by digital renderings and algorithms, resembling an Aston Martin and Porsche Panamera.
– The 2027 model year GT’s success will ultimately depend on performance metrics and pricing, but the event highlighted Mercedes-AMG’s belief in its significance.
Last night, beneath the closed-off Sixth Street Viaduct in Downtown Los Angeles, Mercedes-AMG took a decisive leap into an all-electric future. The brand unveiled its next-generation four-door GT Coupe, a production model that effectively abandons the V8 in favor of a fully electric powertrain. This isn’t just another EV; it’s a direct translation of the record-breaking Concept AMG GT XX into a series-ready vehicle, bringing with it a host of firsts for Mercedes, including new axial motors from YASA and F1-derived battery cells. The shift represents a deliberate, almost experimental pivot for the performance division, which has sometimes seemed to move in fits and starts.
To underscore the significance of the moment, Mercedes brought out its Formula 1 team in force. Driver George Russell presented the car on stage, while team principal Toto Wolff and rising star Kimi Antonelli watched from the stands. Hollywood also turned out, with Brad Pitt driving one GT onto the bridge, joined by Jacob Elordi and Kevin Hart, while Blink-182 delivered a characteristically sarcastic mini-set. All of this star power may matter less to potential buyers than the car’s performance metrics and pricing when the 2027 model year arrives, but it signals just how seriously Mercedes-AMG is taking this launch.
Visually, the new GT breaks sharply from Mercedes’ previous EV design language. Gone are the bulbous, nautical shapes of the EQS or the softened boxiness of the electric G-Wagen. Instead, the design appears shaped by digital renderings and iterative algorithms, featuring a prominent front grille, reclined headlights, and a Kamm-tail rear end that hints at Aston Martin styling cues. From the side, the proportions sit somewhere between a Porsche Panamera and a Taycan,low, sleek, and aerodynamically optimized for efficiency. This is a machine that looks fast even when standing still, blending sports car aggression with limousine presence.
(Source: Ars Technica)