2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63

For 2023, there's a new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance plug-in hybrid with 831 horsepower at the top of the GT four-door lineup, and that model will attract most of the press. However, the regular four-door Mercedes-AMG GT 63 we review here is back and gets a slight facelift and a few optional interior and exterior trim enhancements. It's still a ballistically quick sedan, and with 577 hp on tap from the 63 and 630 hp from the 63 S, you'll barely count past three before 60 mph comes up. Despite its physical resemblance to the GT Coupe that bowed out in 2021, the GT four-door is based on the E-/CLS-Class and has a rear liftback. It's been around for years now, having first arrived in the USA back in 2018. Mercedes has been refreshing it regularly, but it faces stiff competition from the cheaper Audi RS7 and the more expensive Porsche Panamera Turbo. And don't forget about a decidedly left-field home-grown contender in the shape of the sub-$100k stick-shift Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. Is the AMG GT 63 still relevant after several years on the market?

Its $149,200 MSRP puts the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4-door coupe's starting price at around $15,000 more than the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and roughly $25k more than the Audi RS7, so both its main rivals are a lot cheaper. The AMG GT 63 S tacks more than $20k onto that and will cost you $170,350. These prices are exclusive of the $1,150 destination charge.

Mercedes-AMG has thrown lots of tech at the GT 63 to make sure the chassis keeps up with the power outputs, and while it all keeps the car right side up and tracking true, it doesn't turn it into a Panamera. A hint of understeer rears its head as you approach the limits, but sport suspension, adaptive damping, and AMG Performance 4Matic+ AWD keep everything on the level. To allow the AMG GT 63 to really let its hair down, you need the AMG Dynamic Plus package (standard on the S) with its Race and Drift modes, the latter allowing you to do smoky RWD burnouts. It's fun for burning rubber, but you need a track to exploit the RWD mode's abilities, and it's not easy to keep the tail out in long, lurid slides. It's great fun when you get it right, though! Yet, the AMG GT 63 can be as civilized as a proper sedan, and the Comfort mode actually rides comfortably, unlike most M BMWs. Performance is storming, and even the regular 63 is extremely rapid, pulling hard throughout the rev range. The powerful brakes and rapid-fire nine-speed automatic keep up their ends of the deal too. It's quite maneuverable thanks to the standard rear-axle steering, but it's no lightweight ballet dancer. Still, it's still an impressive display of force - with a bellowing V8 soundtrack.

The AMG GT 63 is an exquisite thing, with exotic styling, a tech-rich, upscale cabin, and searing performance, but it's not perfect. Handling is secure rather than fun unless you uncork it properly on a race track and have a limitless supply of rear tires. It's not a real coupe, but the rear seat and trunk are too small for it to double as a proper four-seat car. It's an expensive indulgence and an emotional purchase, not a rational one. An Audi RS7 has a far bigger trunk and also gets to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, but at $25k less. Even more difficult to argue against is a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, with its sweet chassis, 668 hp, and stick shift for less than $100k. But the AMG GT 63 still charms with the way it delivers knock-out performance, doubles as a comfortable tourer, and does it all in epic style, even if it's graying at the temples now.

The AMG GT 63 S is simply not worth $170k. The 57 hp extra shaves your 0-60 time from 3.3 to 3.1 seconds, but is that worth $20k? Yes, it has bigger wheels, the AMG Dynamic Plus package with its Race and Drift modes, but you can add the latter for $3k to the regular GT 63 if you're really going to use it. Even with the necessary Driver Assistance package that adds the missing driver aids, the standard car is more than $15k cheaper than the S. That still makes it more expensive than an RS7 or M8 Gran Coupe, but at least it undercuts the Panamera Turbo by a substantial margin of more than $30k. The GT 63 is the best value in the lineup, even if it's not the best car in this class.