Next-Generation Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Prototype Ride: All Electric, Wicked Fast

Motor Trend

5 days ago

The first all-electric, homegrown performance car for Mercedes-AMG is being tested with prototypes running around on the road and on tracks ahead of its launch next year. It is a big deal because the GT 4-Door successor is the first vehicle on the new AMG-EA architecture—and not repurposed from a Mercedes EV platform, like the EQE and EQS AMGs—and it is the future of the AMG performance brand.
The next-gen Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door, an all-electric model on the new AMG-EA platform, offers 1,340 horsepower and aims to replicate the V-8 experience with synthetic sounds and sensations. Launching in 2026, it promises high performance with different battery sizes for varied ranges.
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The production car is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept which had the mandate of creating the fastest electric car. From it, the AMG flagship codenamed C590 will become the successor to the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door, the "four-door coupe" member of the otherwise two-door AMG GT sports car family.
The concept was recently shown in Stuttgart. It boasts 1,340 horsepower from its three axial flux motors, has a top speed of 225 mph, and has aspirations to set track records.
MotorTrend had a short ride along in one of the production prototypes for a taste of what AMG has cooked up. The car was heavily camouflaged inside and out. The point: to hear and feel this electric beast that was designed to be better than models with an internal combustion engine. New AMGs must have an edge: a unique shape and record-setting performance to stand out in their segment, said Mercedes-Benz Group Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer. Our Ride in the Future of AMG
Our 15-minute ride with an engineer behind the wheel started in Comfort mode, engineered to provide a comfortable, stress-free and silent daily driving experience. It is programmed to have a bit of artificial sound, but not enough to dominate the experience.
In the Sport+ drive mode, you get the simulated roar of a powerful V-8, complete with chirps and the burbles that make downshifting so delicious in AMG's gas-fed models. The sound comes from the car's speakers. It mixes exhaust sounds with simulated engine sounds.
Race car drivers connect speed with sound—how the car sounds at a certain speed and gear is key to performance and prompts response, says head of development for the C590 Oliver Wiech, our chauffeur for the ride-along. Striking the Right Note
Sound is emotional, says AMG CEO Michael Schiebe. To get the artificial sound right, executives gathered at the proving grounds near Sindelfingen and listened to some of the company's greatest cars, like the C190 (AMG GT coupe introduced in 2015 with the M178 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8) and the W204 AMG with its 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8. Then they met at a sound engineering studio and listened again to the sounds, analyzing it, and coming to a unanimous decision on which one they liked best.
The automaker wanted to carry aspects of past cars into the future, says Schiebe. There will not be one sound for all future cars; the sound must fit the DNA of the individual model. Wiech thinks it is perfect for such a powerful electric sports car.
Schiebe says he understands that not all customers will want artificial sound. 'Some customers want the performance of high-performance cars but don't want to have the roaring engine sound.' To cater to all, the driver can choose to ride quietly or with sound for a more emotional ride.
Gunning It
Wiech guns the car on a straight stretch and both the acceleration and sound are explosive. We emit a giggle.
The axial flux motor is the V-8 of the electric motor world, says Schäfer, providing the required emotional experience, acoustics, NVH, and shifting sensation you expect from a V-8 or V-12 race-oriented AMG.
For the simulated sensation of accelerating through the gears, there is a special device that fits in the seat to make it vibrate, further evoking the emotion of being in a car with an internal combustion engine. Think of a movie theater seat that rumbles with bass in sync with scenes from the flick.
AMG did some test drives with hardcore V-8 drivers, and they emerged with big smiles, Schäfer said. 'We knew it was a challenge to entice hardcore V-8 fans, and a regular EV won't do it,' he said. Noise, feel, and shifting must touch the owner's emotional side.
The first production car on the new AMG-EA platform is scheduled to roll out globally in 2026 with key markets like Europe, the U.S., and oversees first. It will come with different battery sizes for versions with varying ranges.
The car name is expected to include the letters GT, but Schiebe said he is not confirming the official name until next year.
If our short stint in the passenger seat is any indication, the performance bones are there for a reinterpretation of the GT 4-Door with axial flux motors instead of a V-8.