Latest news with #ClintWeston
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Mercedes-AMG GT63 knocks Porsche 911 GT2 RS from its perch
600kW beast from Affalterbach clocks a new 0-100km/h record time of 2.76 seconds. A plan was hatched. A team of the best of the best from the AMG Driving Academy, three half-decent driver/journalists, and an invaluable backup crew were going to invade Knysna with the latest in high performance Mercedes-AMG toys to attack the Simola Hillclimb with one goal in mind. Bring home the standard production road car, 2025 King of the Hill, title. Nothing less than a win would do. And win they did, the fastest standard production road car up the hill this year was none other than AMG Driving Academy boss, Clint Weston, in the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance Coupe. But the team from Mercedes-Benz South Africa were not done. They were looking for more silverware for their trophy cabinet. One call later and the car that was fastest up the hill was on its way to Gerotek to see if it could become the fastest standard production road car The Citizen Motoring has ever tested in a straight line. Gunning for Porsche's crown To earn this title, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance Coupe, would have to better Porsche's 911 GT2 RS' record-breaking run of 2.85 seconds to 100km/h that was achieved in 2021. A quick technical refresher. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS weighs in at only 1 470kg, and produces a crazy 515kW and 750Nm from its 3.8-litre flat six, bi-turbo set-up. This means this out and out super car has a mental power-to-weight ratio of 350kW per ton. ALSO READ: Eight-cylinders return as Mercedes-AMG prices long awaited SL 63 Producing a combined 600kW of power and 1 420Nm of torque from its 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine that is coupled to an AMG Electric Drive Unit, the claimed 0-100km/h number for the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance Coupe is listed as 2.8 seconds. And no Affalterbach series model has ever gone that quick before. Only one other car tested by our publication in over 25-years of road testing has gone under the three-second mark. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance 4-Door ran a time of 2.96 seconds. Ready to roll. Picture: Mark Jones Acid test for Mercedes-AMG GT63 Despite being down 20kW and 50Nm, the Coupe derivative has lost two doors and 185kg of weight over its four-door sibling. The team from Mercedes-Benz South Africa were confident their new car could get the job done. But the first issue to contend with is that this AMG GT 63 Coupe still comes off the scales an almost incomprehensible 725kg heavier than the GT2 RS. But talk and claims are cheap, it's what happens on the day that counts. Driving the car out to Gerotek left me in no doubt that this GT 63 S E Performance Coupe was the real deal and had a proper chance of bettering the 911 GT2 RS. But even though I have been doing this a very long time, there is no way I could off the cuff say that the Merc was going to be quicker than the Porsche. 2.85-seconds to 100km/h is seriously fast. With anticipation building, the Racelogic VBOX test equipment was loaded into the car and it was time to head down to the start line. ALSO READ: VIDEO: New Mercedes-AMG C63 pips BMW M3 on the drag strip Getting down to business Race Start activated, foot on the brake, mash the accelerator pedal, and let go. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance Coupe bolts off the line like its tail has just been stood on. Shrubbery, grass and tar merge into a blur as the speedo goes past 270km/h before I get on the carbon ceramic brakes at the 800m mark. Heart pounding, adrenalin rushing, the VBOX readout shows 2.86 seconds. We haven't done it. It goes a bit quiet, we know we will do more runs. But all these super high-performance cars get hot under the hood quickly, and the numbers can go the other way. Is it over? Back down to the start I go. Cut and paste the start procedure. Back on the brakes at the end. And as I roll into the pit area. It goes off like a cracker, we have a number of 2.84 seconds on the VBOX. It is done. The GT 63 S E Performance Coupe has just become the fastest standard production road car we have ever tested. Albeit by a whisker. But a whisker is all that is needed for the record books. ALSO READ: Learjet for the road Mercedes-AMG S63 shocks-up a luxury storm Point proven Obviously, we wanted to back this up, the Porsche did, so it was back down to the start again where things only got better as the tyres warmed up a little with all this winter cold around. A 2.82-second run was next, then a 2.78 and then 2.76. Were we going to see the records continue to tumble? There is a new boss in time. Picture: Mark Jones The short answer was no. The temps under the bonnet were now coming into play and the times started going back up. But I kid you not, the car did five runs in a row after this at 2.84-seconds. And that's when we decided we had proved our point. We were tempting fate by barrelling into the braking zone over and over again at 270km/h. So, there you have it, the GT 63 S E Performance Coupe is the fastest standard production we have tested. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS does come back at it as we head further down the long straight at Gerotek, and it remains a do-or-die battle right till the end, but there can only be one King. Mercedes-AMG GT 63 tests data
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Record setting Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance priced
Second torquiest AMG product on-sale in South Africa today finally arrives after its competition success in Knysna in May. Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance took overall victory in the production car class at the Simola Hillclimb in May. Image: Colin Mileman Having made its public debut at the Simola Hillclimb in Knysna last month, where it won the production car category overall piloted by AMG Driving Experience boss Clint Weston, Mercedes-Benz has divulged pricing of the AMG GT63 S E Performance. Performance hybrid The replacement for the previous generation AMG GT R, the two-door GT63 becomes Affalterbach's second torquiest road car on-sale today behind the S65 E Performance, by combining the stalwart 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor and battery pack. Devised as a short range hybrid with emphasis on performance, hence its name, the V8 develops 450kW/850Nm on its own and is mated to the nine-speed MCT transmission. ALSO READ: Mercedes-AMG shocks 500 kW jolt into two-door AMG GT 63 Combined with a rear mounted electric motor developing 150kW/320Nm, driven by a 6.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the AMG GT63 S E Performance produces 600kW/1 420Nm, which AMG says will get it from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 320 km/h. As with the four-door AMG GT63 and the S65 E Performance, drive is routed to all four wheels via the 4Matric+ all-wheel-drive system. Being a plug-in hybrid, but with performance as the main focus, as mentioned, the claim all-electric is a mere 13 km. AMG modes Able to feed as much as 100 kW back into the battery pack using the regenerative braking system, the local market AMG GT63 S E Performance comes with the same hybrid-optimised AMG Dynamic Select system as the variant sold in Europe. In total, this consist of eight settings: Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, Electric and Battery Hold, which uses the V8 as the main propulsion method without affecting the battery's range. Inside and out Carried over from the Old Continent model as well is the rear-axle steering system, the adaptive AMG Ride Control dampers, model specific shock absorbers and springs, the standard AMG carbon ceramic brakes, and the AMG light alloy wheels measuring 20-inches at the front and 21-inches at the rear. Inside, the AMG GT63 S E Performance's unique accommodation includes optional diamond quilting on the AMG Performance Nappa leather trimmed seats, and hybrid graphics and readouts within the 12.3-inch instrument cluster and the 11.9-inch MBUX infotainment system. Price Forming part of a three model range as Mercedes-Benz South Africa's website lists the GT 55 and standard GT 63 as the other variants, albeit without pricing, the GT63 S E Performance as a sticker of R4 369 287, which includes a five-year/100 000 km maintenance plan. NOW READ: Mercedes-AMG takes home the gold and bronze at Simola Hillclimb
IOL News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
R4. 3m buys you the fastest-accelerating Mercedes-AMG ever: GT 63 S E Performance now on sale
The new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is now on sale in South Africa. Image: Supplied Sprinting from 0-100km/h in a claimed 2.8 seconds, the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance elevates the brand to almost hypercar levels of performance. Now on sale in South Africa, the new two-door flagship is yours for R4,369,287, and surprisingly that doesn't make it the most expensive Benz on the market. The G63 (R4.45m) and S63 (R4.6m) are even more detrimental to your cashflow. South Africans already had an early preview of the GT 63 S E at the 2025 Simola Hillclimb in Knysna in early May, where it won the road and supercar category with Clint Weston behind the wheel. But what makes it tick? The new S E Performance model, not to be confused with the regular GT 63, pairs a powerful 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with a 150kW rear-mounted electric motor for system outputs of 600kW and 1,420Nm. The result is a car that accelerates even quicker than the GT Black Series and F1-derived Mercedes-AMG One. The hybrid system produces a combined 600kW. Image: Supplied It's even ferocious at Gauteng altitudes, with independent performance tester Mark Jones having achieved a 0-100km/h time of 2.76 seconds at the Gerotek testing facility. For what it's worth, the new AMG hybrid model can also travel up to 13km on electric power alone, thanks to its 6.1 kWh battery, which is mounted above the rear axle. The new GT 63 hybrid model rolls on 21-inch alloy wheels with a five-spoke design, and also boasts some impressive aerodynamic features. Chief among these is an active aerodynamic element beneath the front bumper, that can extend downwards to create the Venturi effect, effectively sucking the car onto the road at higher speeds. Chassis wizardry includes AMG's Active Ride Control suspension with semi-active roll stabilisation, as well as active rear-axle steering that greatly enhances agility at low and high speeds. AMG's ceramic composite braking system, with six-piston callipers at the front, is part of the deal too. The GT 63 S E Performance cabin has unique displays. Image: Supplied Moving inside, the 2+2 cabin comes with electrically adjustable AMG sports seats with three massage programmes, and there is a large selection of upholsteries to choose from. Furthermore, the MBUX multimedia system has numerous AMG and hybrid-specific displays and functions. The new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is on sale now at a price of R4,369,287, which includes a five-year or 100,000km service and maintenance plan. IOL
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Mercedes-AMG takes home the gold and bronze at Simola Hillclimb
Three-pointed star scored overall victory in the road going production Clint Weston won the road standard road car class overall behind the wheel of the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance. Picture: Mercedes-AMG The 15th running of the Simola Hillclimb turned out to be a bittersweet weekend for everybody due to the unfortunate passing of seasoned campaigner Pieter Joubert, who was killed when his Lotus left the road at high speed. Three-pointed star on top At the request of his extended racing family, the event continued, and this is when Mercedes-AMG's big guns came out blazing and dominated the hill. ALSO READ: Simola crowns Zeelie king amidst tragic final day The team from Mercedes-Benz South Africa's AMG Driving Academy not only walked away with the coveted King of the Hill title for standard road-going production cars, but also third place in the same category. With a time of 43.174 seconds, the 1.9 km Simola Hotel & Country Estate yield first place for AMG boss Clint Weston driving the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance. Courtney Nicholl took the final step on the podium in the AMG C63 S E Performance. Picture: Mercedes-AMG Courtney Nicholl drove the AMG C63 S E Performance to third place with a time of 44.599 seconds. The third member of the AMG onslaught, Natalie Weston, finished seventh overall with a time of 47.436 seconds in an AMG GLC 63 S E Performance. Supercar top 10 results The boys from down the road, Cristiano Verolini from the BMW Driving Experience and BMW's racing champ Leyton Fourie pushed the Mercedes-AMG team hard all weekend, with times of 43.872 and 45.932 seconds in their lighter, but less powerful, M4 Competition and M2 entries securing second and fourth place respectively. Simola regular, Gordon Nicholson, finished fifth in his Audi R8 V10 with a time of 46.103 seconds to lock out a German Top 5. Natalie Weston finished seventh overall in the AMG GLC 63 S E Performance. Picture: Mercedes-AMG Garth Mackintosh came in sixth in his McLaren 720s with a time of 47.018 seconds, while Yash Rampersad was eighth with a 47.789-second run in his Porsche 718 Cayman. Completing the top 10 were Paul Munro with a time of 48.738 seconds in his Toyota Supra and motoring journalist, Ashley Oldfield, with a time of 49.231 seconds in the all-electric MG Cyberster. Simola winner The weapon piloted by Weston is capable of getting from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, making it the fastest Mercedes-AMG model ever made. Under the bonnet sits a 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo V8 combined with an electric motor and battery that produces a combined 600kW/1 420 Nm. Besides its sub-three-second claimed acceleration time, the GT 63 S E Performance will go 320 km/h. NOW READ: Simola success for Suzuki as Jimny walks away with a podium
