The Porsche Panamera needs to watch out because it’s getting a competitor soon. The Mercedes-AMG GT Concept car made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show that foretells a production model on its way.
Likely one of the biggest reveals at the Geneva Motor Show, the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept takes the style and format of the performance brand’s AMG GT roadster and stretches it into a stunningly sexy four-door coupe.
With a familiar stretched front end from the roadster line, the AMG GT Concept marries a fastback roofline and family DNA in the rear three-quarter view that makes up for a grand tourer that Mercedes-AMG outright said foreshadows a production model.
Styling takes the AMG GT family a step forward with deep sculpting in the face, using carbon-fiber details and an innovative shutter system that can close at higher speeds for better aerodynamics. They look sweet but good luck cleaning the bugs off of them.
The headlamps themselves are a work of art, showcasing a new “nano active fiber technology” comprised of tubular rod lights and an LED main headlamp. A three-dimensional assembly, it also shows where the brand is headed for future lighting design.
That attention to detail also reaches the rear flanks that wear the shape familiar of the AMG GT Roadsters. A large single exhaust outlet takes center stage, surrounded by a deep and aggressive carbon fiber lower diffuser.
The tail lamps, like the lighting up front, showcase a deep reach into the technical and three-dimensional LED future with light rods similar to those up front that can animate in a variety of ways. They are so hot in fact there are functional heat sinks visible right in the assembly.
Also reaching into the future is the “EQ Power+” hybrid powertrain showcased in the AMG GT Concept. Performance and efficiency start with the AMG 4.0 twin-turbocharged V8 and 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The rear differential also features an integrated electric motor unit that can boost power at the rear axle.
Together, the powertrain components can belt out an immediate burst of 805 horsepower and can rocket the AMG GT Concept from 0-60 in less than three seconds says Mercedes-AMG. The system can of course motivate the car on electric power only or a combination of both depending on selected drive mode.
All of this is aided by what Mercedes-AMG calls the next generation of high-performance and lightweight battery technologies.
Whether a production version is hybrid powered or not, the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept shows that the brand has a design in place for production that’s likely to become a chief competitor to the popular Porsche Panamera.
When a production model will follow is yet unannounced but it’s likely that we will see it make its debut within the next year or two. And yes, it will be expensive.
