New Mercedes AMG GT 63 S E Performance is the quickest AMG to date

The new plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-AMG GT is not just the brand's quickest-accelerating road car yet, but also one of the fastest cars in production. Arriving just a few months before Porsche is expected to reveal the long-awaited hybrid version of the 911, the GT 63 S E Performance shares its electrified innards with the recently revealed SL hybrid. Orders for the new super-PHEV open around September this year in international markets.

1. AMG GT PHEV gets 612hp V8 and 204hp motor, totalling 816hp
2. AMG GT hybrid does 0-100kph in 2.8 seconds; top speed of 320kph
3. Gets subtle design changes over standard GTs

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: powertrain, performance

AMG's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 (producing 612hp on its own) is paired with a 204hp electric motor on the rear axle to give four-wheel drive and 816hp – more than the Ferrari 812 Superfast and McLaren 750S – and a colossal 1,420Nm, which is one of the highest torque outputs yet offered by a combustion-powered road car.

Those figures are enough to send the GT from 0-100kph in just 2.8 seconds, faster than any AMG road car yet, including the 1,063hp One hypercar. In fact, it's one of the fastest-accelerating combustion cars in production, just narrowly outpaced by the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Ferrari SF90 Stradale and Lamborghini Revuelto. It will push on to a top speed of 320kph, just edging its slightly heavier soft-top sibling.

Power for the EV motor is stored in a 6.1kWh battery that gives an electric range of around 13km from a full charge, and is topped up on the move via four-stage regenerative braking to ensure “maximum propulsion is always available when the driver needs it”, says AMG. Alternatively, the battery can be topped up at 3.7kW from a domestic charger. The car starts up silently on the electric motor if it's set to Comfort mode, but a «powerful, sonorous, AMG-typical» start-up sound is pumped in to the cabin via the stereo speakers.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: exterior highlights

The E Performance is almost visually identical to the standard GT – which is offered already with a V8 in two states of tune and a 421hp four-cylinder – but subtle bespoke