Out with the old, in with the new. The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 2-Door is not the raw, monstrous, muscular pit bull we once knew. The engineers at Affalterbach have injected a heavy dose of civility into their halo sports car, giving it some manners, adding extra cabin and trunk space, and making it more like the Porsche 911. While it is said that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, we understand that these were the needs and wants of Mercedes’ consumer base. If left to their own devices, we’re certain that AMG would have made this new GT rowdier and more extreme than the last, continuing to put the driver’s seat near the rear axle, and equipping it with an arresting body kit and an untamed engine. Think CLK or SL Black Series.

Instead, we’re met with a mild-mannered AMG GT that wants to make everyone happy, sporting a slippery shape that looks like it’s been lying at the bottom of a rapid river. The new GT is easier on the eyes, and it’s no coincidence that its soap bar silhouette will fit into the shadow of the Porsche 911. Another coincidence? No, and neither is the GT 63’s listing price of $195,000, which sits right next to the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS ($191,700). Truthfully, we were not sold on the looks until we saw it in person. While we still prefer the sharper and more phallic SL 63 in appearance alone, our GT 63 looks tremendous when its High-tech Silver paint shimmers against the setting sun and the shadows begin to creep into the paint flakes.

The GT is currently available in two trims: GT 55 and GT 63, the latter of which we tested. Both are equipped with a hand-built 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 but the -63 produces 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque through a 9-speed multi-clutch transmission. It utilizes the same engine tune and output as the SL 63 AMG and will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, the same as the Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica and quicker than the Porsche 911 GT3 (3.4 s).

With this kind of unbridled power and grunt, the GT 63 explodes off the line and reaches unholy speeds that shudder off any cravings for a morning espresso. You can lean into the power and be confident that the rear will stay in place thanks to the fully variable 4MATIC+ AWD system, enveloping you with a sense of security. It erupts out of corners with snappy, uninterrupted shifts from the multi-clutch gearbox, and its movements are quick and alert. It produces a wondrous flow state for the driver that is easy to live with and enjoy on open roads. But ramp it up a notch and the GT 63 behaves a little differently. You can tell it’s been tuned to play it safe, preferring understeer and washing out wide rather than slipping progressively into a tail-led balancing act. Glancing at the spec sheet reveals a 54:46 front-to-rear weight bias, whereas the outgoing GT had a 46:54 front-to-rear bias, which explains its behaviour.

As a result, the GT 63 doesn’t respond nicely to mid-corner throttle application to trim your line, and favours using those gargantuan carbon ceramic brakes to perk the nose around and scythe its way through by trusting its chassis and those meaty 21-inch tires wrapped in the latest Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tires. While the last GT was rear-wheel drive only and less forgiving overall, we still wish there was more playfulness in this new model. The spectre of understeer hangs over like a dark cloud and the traction and stability controls could be looser on their most extreme settings. But if you weren’t around to witness AMG’s storied past with its DTM variants and fervent Black Series products, then this new GT 63 will feel on-brand. Even the 4-Door GT and E63 all drive in the same effortless, polished, yet cautious manner.

The ride gains fluency the faster you go and it doesn’t carry the fragility and brittleness of the SL 63. It genuinely feels like an entirely different platform underneath. The ride is composed but firm, oscillating briefly when negotiating bumps, and it transmits a significant amount of reverberation to the occupants. Still, the new GT is much more usable on a daily basis. Entry into the car isn’t difficult; the door portals are wide, storage cubbies are plentiful, and the exhaust is relatively hushed when the valves are closed. There’s even an optional front-axle lift system ($2,500) that uses GPS to remember where you activated it, so the nose will automatically lift as you move forward – incredibly handy and reflecting AMG’s focus on everyday use.

However, the steering is too quick. There’s no slack or delay in its movements, and the rear wheel steering system (up to 2.5 degrees) makes it feel unnaturally eager, darty, and alert like you’ve ramped up your gaming mouse’s sensitivity by 50%, meaning there’s not a lot of bandwidth to play around with and feel the car progressively rotate. You must be cautious with your initial steering inputs. The weight does pile on as you load up the front tires but it doesn’t feel as natural as a 911, nor as uncorrupted as the Aston Martin DB12 (we haven’t driven the new Vantage yet). Switching between the driving modes doesn’t affect the steering either. While not necessarily a bad thing, those quick steering ratios do remove some level of driver engagement, and it takes time to acclimate to its twitchy movements.

We’re not sure whether the exhaust got quieter or if the cabin insulation improved. We think it’s the latter. The V8 purrs nicely on idle with gravelly tones, and you can almost hear the throttle bodies open as you lean on the gas pedal. At wide open throttle, the GT 63 is towing its own thunderstorm, but the soundtrack is slightly more mature and dialled back than before. It could be the close proximity to the exhaust but the GT still produces some of the most thrilling eight-cylinder vocals in the AMG portfolio.

The most significant upgrade to the GT’s level of usability is with the interior. You no longer sit near the rear axle and feel like there is an acre of V8 in front of you. As odd a layout as that sounds, it gave the outgoing GT a unique character and driving style that you wouldn’t get with a Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type, or Audi R8. The new GT places the driver in the center, offering better visibility all around, more elbow space, and areas to stretch out. The slimmed-down center console is still somewhat of a jarring mess, with frustratingly small storage compartments.

The rest of the cabin is a digital circus featuring numerous embroidered, embossed, and electronically animated badges and logos. Our test vehicle was dressed up like the bottom of a Louboutin shoe, draped in Red Pepper Nappa leather, carbon fibre accents, and the optional AMG Performance seats ($3,175), which we highly recommend for their superior lateral and thigh bolsters compared to the standard seats. 

It’s a very similar layout to the similarly priced SL 63 but the biggest difference is the GT’s optional rear seats. Oddly, they cost an additional $2,500 when they should be a no-cost option. Instead, we have a fabric-lined parcel shelf that’s handy for storing grocery bags or small suitcases but there are no partitions or nets, so all our items just roll about. At least the trunk is incredibly large and easy to work with.

We wonder if the GT will be offered in a convertible variant later on, which could likely cannibalize sales of the SL. But what there is room for is a more hardcore variant, a void that AMG has already plugged with the GT 63 PRO, a track-focused model that adds 26 horsepower, 37 lb-ft of torque, an expanded cooling package, active aerodynamics, upgraded carbon ceramic brakes, and standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. Other markets are also offering the 816-hp GT 63 E Performance model, which utilizes a plug-in hybrid setup similar to the 4-Door GT we recently tested. We’ve been told to expect a Black Series later in its life cycle as well.

The AMG GT has been refined and made more accessible, offering a wider breadth of capability, yet it still evokes deep emotions with its soul-stirring V8 and voluptuous design. It’s not the raw and untamed coupe that we once knew, and while we yearn and dearly miss that side of AMG, this new breed of GT is appreciably easier to live with. No less capable, but so much more usable.

Specifications:

Model: 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4MATIC+ Coupe
Paint Type: High-tech Silver
Base Price: $195,000
Price as Tested: $236,220
Wheelbase(mm): 2,900
Length/Width/Height (mm): 4,728 / 1,984 / 1,354
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8
Horsepower: 577 hp @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
Torque: 590 lb-ft @ 2,500-5,000 rpm
Transmission: 9-speed multi-clutch transmission
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, AWD
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 18.2
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport S5; 290/30R21 front; 305/30R21 rear