BMW’s archrival, Mercedes, is lastly getting severe about launching devoted AMG electrical fashions. Earlier than the primary manufacturing car breaks cowl, a wild idea provides a glimpse of what’s to return. The GT XX is a swoopy sedan that appears considerably completely different from present choices out of Affalterbach. It forgoes a rear window and adopts a slinky, coupe-like profile however with the added practicality of rear doorways.
Though the styling is totally trendy, even futuristic, the GT XX’s putting orange paint reminds us of the C111 experimental check vehicles from the Nineteen Seventies. The round taillights additionally evoke these radical prototypes, however the spectacular gullwing doorways are sadly a factor of the previous. Regardless of being labeled as an idea, it seemingly isn’t far off from the eventual manufacturing mannequin. Its rakish profile and small greenhouse are much more dramatic than these of a Porsche Taycan.
Inside, the cabin cocoons the motive force and passengers in a race car-like ambiance, full with body-hugging entrance seats. Mercedes borrowed the steering wheel from its F1-engined AMG One hypercar and put in a dual-display setup. The instrument cluster measures 10.25 inches, whereas the touchscreen spans a bigger 14-inch diagonal. Illuminated orange tubes accent the uncovered physique construction, although we doubt these will make it to manufacturing.
Whereas the C111 prototypes from half a century in the past experimented with every little thing from rotary engines to diesels, this new idea abandons inside combustion fully. As an alternative, it encompasses a tri-motor setup with axial flux motors developed in collaboration with British electrical motor specialist YASA, a completely owned subsidiary of Mercedes since 2021.
With greater than 1,341 horsepower on faucet, the AMG GT XX is likely one of the strongest four-door EVs ever constructed. It’s additionally among the many quickest, topping out at over 223 mph (359 km/h). Two motors drive the rear axle, whereas a 3rd powers the entrance, giving the family-friendly supercar an all-wheel-drive format. When additional traction isn’t wanted, the entrance motor decouples, permitting the automobile to behave like a rear-wheel-drive car.
Mercedes claims the automobile features roughly 249 miles (400 kilometers) of WLTP vary after simply 5 minutes of charging. The facility comes from an all-new battery developed in collaboration with the Formulation 1 group. It options a wholly new format with cylindrical cells and NCMA (nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum) chemistry. The system operates at over 800 volts and helps a peak charging energy of greater than 850 kW.
With a remarkably low drag coefficient of simply 0.198, this modern sedan debuts the AMG.EA structure, designed to attenuate the load penalty of a big battery pack. Engineers optimized the construction with a mixture of aluminum, metal, and fiber composites, though they haven’t disclosed the GT XX’s curb weight. The manufacturing model will substitute a gasoline-powered mannequin; particularly, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe with its inline-six and V8 engines.
Following the sedan’s debut, a big AMG electrical SUV will quickly be a part of the lineup. BMW M isn’t sitting idle both, as absolutely electrical M fashions are due this decade. Main the cost will likely be a sizzling EV akin to the M3, arriving in 2027. Like AMG’s efficiency electrical vehicles, BMW M’s new EVs may also undertake cylindrical battery cells.
Images: Mercedes-AMG
