An annual snoek braai in Mossel Bay that, over nearly three decades, has become a tradition amongst members of the Mercedes-Benz Club recently was extended into a full-blown car show. We visited the inaugural event, set against the spectacular backdrop of Santos Beach, in the magnificent and incredibly powerful GT 63 S E Performance, the first performance hybrid by Mercedes-AMG.
Grand tourer, gran turismo and GT… What originally was defined as the enjoyment, excitement and comfort of open-road touring in a car designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury, have become some of the most misused terms in motoring.
Nowadays, every second model is named GT – even if it only signifies a slightly tuned version of a family car with trendy wheels and go-faster stripes – due to the popularity of the term for marketing purposes.
Historically, GT cars have been front-engined vehicles with rear-wheel drive, more cabin space than mid-engined cars, with softer suspensions, more luggage space and more luxury appointments than sports cars. Classic examples include the Ferrari 250 GT, Jaguar E-Type, Aston Martin DB5, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and Maserati 3500 GT.
This brings us to the Mercedes-AMG GT, spiritual successor to the iconic Gullwing, and specifically the latest GT four‑door Coupé. In truth, the term four-door Coupé is a misnomer, as such a thing cannot exist. Yet, much like the misuse of GT, the description has stuck – defining what, in essence, is a fastback saloon. And in our view, the Mercedes-AMG GT should be designated as such.
MIND-BLOWING POWER
Whatever one wants to call it, fact remains the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is not only the first performance hybrid vehicle from Affalterbach, but it is also the most powerful production vehicle from the three-pointed star brand, incorporating Formula One technology in its E Performance Hybrid strategy to deliver truly staggering performance.
Although related to the two-seat AMG GT models, the GT four-door is derived from the E63 wagon, but its performance chassis features an AMG-specific rear frame and different front axle setup. As the GT flagship, the system in the S E Performance consists of a 4.0‑litre V8 biturbo engine with a permanently excited synchronous electric motor, a high-performance battery and the fully variable AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system.
Combined, the system delivers 620 kW of power and more than 1,400 Nm of torque (!). This mind-blowing power enables acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in only 2.9 seconds, reaching 200 km/h in less than ten seconds. Continuous acceleration only ends at 316 km/h. And the best of all is the way in which this power is delivered.
With seven AMG driving modes available (Electric, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race, Slippery and Individual), the GT delivers a wide-ranging driving experience – from highly efficient to highly dynamic – by adjusting the response of the drive system and transmission, the steering characteristic, the suspension damping or the sound.
Thus, start-up is silent, with only a sonorous sound indicating the car is ready to drive. On all-electric power, a low-frequency, speed-dependent AMG sound is emitted to the outside. It can also be heard at a subdued level in the interior, as acoustic feedback for the passengers. At higher speeds, the sound experience can be altered using buttons in the centre console or on the steering wheel.
All-electric driving is possible from standstill up to 130 km/h in the GT, but when the 400 Volt battery runs down, the combustion engine starts up to provide propulsion. The 6.1 kWh battery has 70 kW of continuous output and 150 kW of peak output for ten seconds. It is designed for fast power delivery but has a range of around 12 km.
So, in Electric or Comfort mode, the AMG GT 63 S E Performance will quietly and serenely cruise through town, with the occupants comfortably cosseted in the luxurious, well-appointed and high-quality interior. However, when you start playing with the MBUX system and the red AMG buttons on the steering wheel, its demeanour changes drastically.
Sport mode awakens the beast, but Sport+ (not to even mention Race mode) unleashes it, with the exhausts burbling and spitting on downshifts of the MCT-9G transmission, and the V8 howling ferociously as the boost from the battery and turbos kicks in. The full combined boost power from the electric motor and engine pushes you back hard into the sports seat, as the big screaming fastback saloon, now fully alive, does silly numbers accelerating up the road.
TOURING THE SOUTHERN CAPE
The inaugural Santos Beach Auto Extremo car show formed the final leg of a tour of the Southern Cape, from Cape Town to Mossel Bay. Organised by the Southern Cape region of the Mercedes-Benz Club, the two-day tour started in Paarl and then went to Franschhoek before the convoy of delectable Mercedes-Benz models turned towards Villiersdorp.
Driving from Cape Town in the AMG GT, we caught up with the group at the Stettyn Family Vineyards for a light lunch before the group, consisting of a selection of classic SLS, 190 SL and other Mercedes models, set off for Bonnievale.
The group overnighted at the Angora Stud Guest Farm near Bonnievale – renowned for owners Bertus and Rozitha Oosthuizen’s magnificent collection of classic Mercedes-Benz (and some other) cars – and its picturesque setting. After a superb breakfast the following day, the convoy drove to Barrydale on the R62.
We then negotiated the Tradouw Pass, and here, the big GT with its AMG Performance 4Matic+ drive system and AMG Ride Control+ suspension system was in its element. Although heavy (it weighs over two tonnes), the startlingly fast four-door felt wieldy and lithe in the corners – a real tribute to the AMG chassis engineers.
From there, we followed the N2 towards Mossel Bay for a light lunch in town before checking in at the Diaz Hotel and Resort. Then, we started preparing the participating vehicles for the motor show the next day. According to Waldo Scribante, chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Club, this inaugural event was an extension to the club’s annual Spring snoek braai.
“Our annual Snoek Braai, started by club member Kobus Harris 27 years ago, has become legendary amongst our club members,” he said. “Mossel Bay is also renowned for some of the finest snoek in South Africa, so we felt the time was ripe to establish this event to also showcase the natural beauty of Mossel Bay.”
A celebration of classic cars and modern supercars, the setting for the exclusive car show was within touching distance of Santos Beach, one the most beautiful beaches in the country, rivalling some of the top classic car events in the world.
The turnout for the event surprised even Scribante, and with over a hundred delectable vehicles on display, the inaugural Santos Beach Auto Extremo was a great success, and the GT 63 S E Performance added to the lustre. Like the fish braai, the show is now set to become an annual event.
LAST WORD
Like the Santos Beach Auto Extremo has now extended an old tradition, the Mercedes-AMG 63 S E Performance is an extension of Stuttgart’s SL heritage. With space to seat four in blissful comfort and power to unsettle any supercar, it is a revelation on the road, a GT car in the true sense of the term.
With its unbelievable power reserve, practicality, on-road comfort, and grandeur, the four-door Mercedes-AMG 63 S E Performance sets new benchmarks for a GT car, and it is now, without doubt, our favourite high-speed cross-country cruiser.
Report by FERDI DE VOS | Images © RYAN ABBOTT
