The next-generation Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe is still to arrive in South Africa, but a new entry-level model is already available in Europe. Does this four-cylinder GT really deserve its AMG badge, though?
Mercedes-AMG is committed to downsizing and electrification to meet future exhaust emission requirements, and have discovered that smaller, hybridised power units can provide performance which matches or exceeds the outputs of their older V8 engines. So they slotted a highly-boosted 2.0-litre four-banger and a proverbial ton of plug-in electrical gubbins into their popular C 63 sports sedan to create the quickest-accelerating model to bear this name so far.
The new four-cylinder W206-series C 63 S E Performance certainly delivers on all its performance metrics, with combined system outputs of 500 kW and 1 020 Nm going to all four wheels. It runs the 0 - 100 km/h dash in a claimed 3.4 seconds and offers crushing in-gear acceleration, but the reception from the international motoring press, buying public and fanbase alike have been muted so far. We’ll see how it goes when this model arrives on local shores, but the chances are that this C 63 will be quite shocking to the South African audience as well.
Nobody denies its abilities, but few observers profess any deep attraction to the new model: To a large degree, the emotionless way in which the new C 63 goes about hurtling itself down the road leaves road testers cold. While it is undeniably rapid, the small four-cylinder just don’t make the right noises and create the right vibes for a proper AMG, let alone one with a nameplate which is known for its exuberance and never exhibited any clinical efficiency in the past.
What does “43” mean?
What does this have to do with the recently-announced Mercedes-AMG GT 43, apart from the fact that they share their basic engine architecture? Simple: They both carry nameplates which recall prior glories, but neither feature the one factor which have historically set the most-memorable AMG models apart: The genuine charisma of a honking big V8.
In line with the other German premium brands, Mercedes uses a combination of alphanumeric labels to indicate the performance on tap in their products. This means that the AMG GT 43 slots in at the bottom of the GT Coupe range’s performance hierarchy, with the “55” and “63” variants positioned above it.
This may pose a host of problems for AMG fanatics, though. Sure, they could accept the four-cylinder A 45 without much effort, because it has always been a small hatchback and that’s generally the engine configuration best suited to that specific form factor. Add the A 45’s undeniable performance to the mix, and the hyper-hatch found a receptive audience from the outset.
Related: Mercedes-AMG also applied the “43” badge to the new SL range - get those details here.
Should the sportiest AMG model even have an entry-level variant?
The Mercedes-AMG GT is something else, though. It’s not a hot hatch, and it’s always been exclusively available with V8 power. The V8 still lives at the top of the new range, thankfully, albeit now tamed through the addition of all-wheel drive (something else which will likely grate the traditionalists), and can be had in two output levels, just as the first-generation GT offered.
Lopping off half the cylinders may be a bridge too far for this sports car’s fans, however. A four-cylinder suits the A-Class, but it just doesn’t mix all that intuitively with a high-end sports coupe. Regardless of its outputs (310 kW and 500 Nm) and claimed acceleration (0 - 100 km/h in only 4.6 seconds), it still won’t tickle the driver’s ears when the loud pedal meets the carpet.
The four-cylinder GT is quick enough, but its appeal lies elsewhere
Not even the 10 kW electric boost, courtesy of a 48V belt-driven starter-generator and a lag-mitigating turbo which uses the same 48V electrickery to give instant boost pressure is likely to win over the skeptics. This is quite sad, really because the smaller engine brings other definite benefits to the AMG GT coupe, even if it doesn’t add any “genuine AMG-ness” to the package.
Because the four-cylinder engine is smaller and lighter than the V8, there’s less weight on the front tyres, which should considerably sharpen the GT 43’s cornering responses. Further weight savings are realised by the deletion of the AWD system, adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering (all of which are standard on V8 GT models, but only the latter two are optional on the GT 43), and the 200 kg or so shed in the process will definitely make for a more agile driving experience.
Related: Find out more about the second-generation Mercedes-AMG GT in our first report.
Maybe a Mercedes-Benz badge may have been more appropriate
And, because it’s so much lighter and uses conventional steel springs as standard, the baby GT could have been tuned for comfort to an even greater degree. It is also much less aggressively styled than the big-engined versions, with a more subdued grille and bumper design, a narrower track leading to smaller wheel arch bulges, and smaller standard alloy wheels.
With all these changes from the full-fat V8 AMG GT, Mercedes perhaps missed a trick by slapping an AMG badge on it, instead of calling it a Benz with an AMG-Line styling package. This would have been more appropriate for both the Benz and AMG brand values, and may have given Mercedes-Benz something more traditional and comfortable to expand the appeal of its mainstream range and supplement the related new SL.
The second-generation Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe is expected to arrive in South Africa later in 2024, but there is still no word whether the 43 will even make it to local shores. But, cognisant of SA’s status as one of AMG’s largest markets and our buying preferences, it’s unlikely that we’ll see this entry-level variant any time soon - we will want a real AMG GT, not an “AMG GT Lite”. If it's not the last number, it will be the last choice!
Martin Pretorius
- Proudly CHANGECARS
