4-Door Mercedes-AMG GT Proves Practical Can Be Sexy (from Some Angles)

Mercedes-AMG has made its sexiest sports car more practical by adding two doors and the result is a unique new fastback sedan.

The 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is somewhat confusingly named (we still maintain that “coupes” should have two doors), but the new fastback sport sedan has just debuted at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show and might be one of the most important new cars here. The new four-door looks just like the coupe from the front angle — meaning it looks fantastic — but we can’t help but feel the rear and rear three-quarters looks a bit awkward … maybe it’s suffering from a bout of Panamera-itis. It’s tough to get this silhouette right, but Mercedes is close. Still, the new fastback looks better in person than it does in photos and promises to be as thrilling to drive as the two-door model.

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Three variants of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe are available and all come standard with all-wheel drive, fully variable torque distribution, and a nine-speed transmission — two V8 options and one six-cylinder, which each have subtle differences in exterior trim, mainly the treatment for the grille, diffuser, and tailpipes.

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The GT 53 is the base model and uses Mercedes’ innovative new EQ Boost mild hybrid system — a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine is augmented by a 48-volt electric system for 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. So far, this engine isn’t available in the coupe (actual two-door model) and the EQ Boost system alone outputs 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, which will benefit both fuel economy and performance. The GT 53 gets to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds onto a top speed of 174 mph.

The GT 63 amps up performance with the handcrafted and excellent-sounding 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 that we all love so much. It outputs 577 hp and 553 lb-ft, which gets the four-door to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds onto a top speed at 193 mph.

The GT 63 S variant, meanwhile, increases the V8’s horsepower to an impressive 630 and torque to 627 lb-ft and comes standard with a drift mode and a race mode (optional on the 63 and not available on the 53) and active engine mounts. Drift mode essentially allows the four-door to be driven as a rear-drive car. Zero to 60 mph takes just 3.1 seconds and top speed is 195 mph. The 63 models also have active rear-wheel steering and cylinder deactivation that uses only four cylinders under light loads. Carbon ceramic brakes come as an option of V8 models and a function to monitor and analyze vehicle telemetrics, performance data, and track times comes standard.

Inside, this new fastback sedan combines all the sportiness of the AMG GT with all the luxury, swankiness, and practicality of a top-shelf E-Class or S-Class. All AMG GT 4-Doors come standard with the customizable widescreen digital dashboard that’s made up of two 12.3-inch screens that live under one glass panel, which isn’t available in the two-door model. The steering wheel has touch-capacitive buttons to control the screens, which is something we’ve seen before in the new E-Class, and most of the center console is also operated by touch-capacitive buttons. Being an AMG car, fancy carbon fiber trim is optional.

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In Europe, customers can spec the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe with five seats, but North Americans will only get four-seat models. Those rear seats can be carbon fiber-backed, but the downside is that they don’t fold forward, creating a practicality problem in terms of carrying large/long cargo. An available Executive Rear Seat Package comes with folding rear seats, however, and an integrated tablet that can be used to control some of the car’s interior functions from the back seat.

Technology-wise, the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is available with all the same gizmos, connectivity, and driver assistance features as an S-Class. Interestingly, this AMG GT comes with its own fragrance that Mercedes describes as “an appealing, sporty scent to match the spirit of the performance brand.” We will report back when we find out what “sporty” smells like.

The V8 models of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe go on sale in early 2019, while the 53 variant joins the lineup in mid-2019. Pricing will be announced closer to those dates.

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