With both the GT 53 and GT 63 S staring at us, we debunk why Mercedes-AMG has managed to make some of the most outrageous, yet practical, sports sedans that all your money can buy.

With both the GT’s staring at you, it will be hard to hide the fact that your attention is naturally drawn to the ludicrous version, the GT 63 S. Under the bonnet is a handcrafted AMG V8 engine which whips out 370 kW of power and 900 Nm of torque while the GT 63 S boasts with 320 kW of power and a whopping 520 Nm of torque. The latter will set you back a starting R2 118 000 while the former starts at R3 155 000. Quite frankly, if you can afford the Porsche Panamera Turbo S, why aren’t you cross-shopping already?

Looking at both models, the power is certainly there, as you would hope, but there is a surprising degree of control, too. 0-100 km/h arrives in a mere 3.4 seconds, and there is plenty of noise, yes, an no shortage of speed, but all delivered with astounding grace.

That is partly attributed to how AMG constructs the V8 engines, putting the twin-scroll turbochargers in-between the cylinder banks as opposed to outside of them. This means they are closer, making them much more responsive.

The other part is aerodynamics. Most noticeable is the active rear spoiler, on the GT 53 model we had, integrated into the boot lid. In addition to extending when required and retract when not, it has five different automatically controlled stages of deployment, depending on vehicle speed. Get to 80 km/h, the spoiler rises to improve on downforce and aerodynamic efficiency as the car accumulates speed. Stage 2 comes upon reaching 140 km/h, to boost downforce, while Stage 3 delivers maximum downforce and stability one you arrive above 200 km/h.

Meanwhile, stage 4 comes in at 180 km/h, when you want perfect airflow and stability for cruising. Not that you should ever see it, legally on our roads at least. Stage 5 on the other hand delivers the maximum extension to act as an airbrake.

The daily driver: The GT 53

In our books, it is easier to make an expensive performance car with no compromises than it is to craft a more affordable version that still does not overshadow on track talent. With that in mind, we turned our attention to Mercedes-AMG’s other GT 4 Door option, the new GT 53. It gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, producing 320 kW of power. Far less than the GT 63 S, certainly, but then you pay far less, too. Don’t get us wrong, its price is not cheap by any means.

We could argue that competition is the likes of the Porsche Panamera Turbo or even the BMW M6 Gran Coupe. The fastback silhouette of the Mercedes looks strikingly like the enhanced styling of the 2019 Porsche Panamera. The Mercedes has a more aggressive fascia of them all. Meanwhile, the Audi RS7 was found shaking.

One could assume that the GT 4 Door is based on the CLS platform. It, in fact, uses the MRA architecture of the current E Class sedan.

The GT 53 does not have a “V” to put its turbocharger in, but it does get a mild hybrid system. Mercedes’ EQ Boost uses an electric motor that doubles as both the car’s alternator and starter. It’s mounted between the engine and transmission and feeds the AMG’s 48-volt electric system.

It works in cycle with the two-stage turbocharging, with the mild hybrid system kicking in as the turbo winds up. The outcome is this overwhelming rush of torque with no perceivable turbo lag, its immediate, but also a turn of raw speed that suits the AMG badge. The GT 53 delivers a 0-100 km/h time of 4.5-seconds. That is an appropriately fast time for a large family sedan. Top speed arrives at 285 km/h.

Pleasant as it might be to keep going fast the entire day, eventually the GT 4-Door has to venture onto everyday driving. It is down to the AMG Dynamic Select Function to tame the beast, adjusting the engine, transmission, suspension, and how the exhaust behaves, accordingly. Switch it to Comfort and the suspension gets noticeably more supple and the flaps in the exhaust system are closed, taming the sweet soundtrack we oh-so love unless you press hard on the accelerator.

For a little more excitement, there’s Sport mode. Shift times are reduced, and the engine fine-tuning and throttle response are more assertive. The result is that performance on the road is as good – or indeed better – than you’d imagine for a sports car with four doors. That’s the big enough differentiator between the AMG GT 63 S and the C63 S.

Step inside and you will notice how the dashboard flows around the driver, into the door trim, with those signature turbine-look air vents and twin 12.3-inch dashboard displays as standard. It goes beyond what the S-Class version offers, though, and AMG regards it as a sort of three-in-one deal, with three cluster styles to suit the driver’s tastes or mood.

There are touch-control buttons for navigation, and a round-controller with its own integral display to switch drive modes on the new AMG Performance Steering Wheel. On the other side, there’s an odd-looking two-button control that offers shortcuts to key AMG features. Each button has a small LCD on above them that do more than display the associated setting. Touch them and you can select which setting will be changed when you press the appropriate button.

For our last words we leave you with this; If you’re in the fortunate position of shopping for a potent four-door sedan, as much at home moving people around in style as it is being let wild for a track day, it’s worth your while looking at Mercedes-AMG’s latest offerings. Anybody with the Porsche Panamera GT or the BMW M6 GC on their shortlist would be negligent to ignore this new AMG super 4 door. Alongside minimal road and wind noise, combined with a smooth ride, all of these leave a sense of luxury whether you are behind the wheel or being driven. After all, it drives just as aggressively good as it looks.

Tshegofatso Harmonix Phiri contributed his legendary photography skills to this review.

With this newest generation, the question is whether Mercedes has thinned the G Class for the unavoidable on-road tastes, or if this rebooted beast is as barefaced as ever.

First impressions allude that the 2019 AMG G63 is bigger, and it definitely is a bigger SUV than it used to be. 5.3cm longer, and about 12cm wider. You get more shoulder space as a result and almost 15cm more legroom at the back. Strangely there is still only a regularly sized sunroof, rather than the spacious panoramic glass we’re used to from other modern luxury vehicles.

For the AMG G63 you pay luxury car money. The AMG G63 Edition 1 we had on test is priced at R3 086 653.

That could be because it unapologetically looks the part. Obviously related to the G Class it replaces, though cleaner and more expressive the more you stare at it. Only three parts were carried over: the chunky door handles, headlamp washers and the spare wheel cover. Still, the fierce aesthetic is distinctive.

Until today, my heart cannot escape the damn gravitational pull of the G63. It’s like a child’s drawing of a car brought to life. A dump truck for grown-ups; a mindful decision to ignore the smoothed shapeless SUV nonsense of modern cars. As a result, I’ve felt that one gets constant wind noise at highway speeds, but who cares when it looks this flippen good?

My heart cannot escape the damn gravitational pull of the G63

There are some vehicles of which in those first few minutes of sitting behind the wheel, make you feel superior. Powerful, even. The G63 with its thick, moulded steering wheel wrapped in punctured leather and its contemptuous seating position, swallows you in a way that you really can’t foresee from the outside. It just feels too good, and naturally, you’ll feel really good, too.

I know, this is a luxe vision from an era at death’s door. A petrol guzzling, brutalist and unremorseful behemoth. There’s no hybrid, fc*k no, just conspicuous wastefulness of a sort we’re meant to be leaving behind.

With sales of the G wagon already measured in the thousands, perhaps that doesn’t matter so much. The AMG G63 has a new AMG 4.0-liter V8 biturbo, hand-made and delivering a pungent 430 kWof power and 850 Nm of torque. It cuts the 0-100km/h time to an amazing 4.5 seconds. It has a 9-speed automatic transmission with wider gear ratios, just like we asked for, which means a single gearbox can deliver the goods both on-road and off as we experienced in Clarens.

According to Mercedes, the suspension has been completely re-engineered with the help of AMG’s engineers and it’s quite evident. The vehicles features new Dynamic modes, too, three on-road and a fourth “G Mode” for off-road use. Active brake assistance and lane-keeping assistance is available, along with the latest version of Mercedes’ adaptive cruise control. It all feels like the S Class.

That’s not to say it’s disappointing. Nowhere is it near that. Plant your right foot on the paddle and the G63 surges forward with a pace that’s epic. Like a glacier, torn free of the ice flow and hurtling with a mass you can feel on the back of your neck.

Did we mention that that the G63 has Sport Plus mode? And of course, you’d want it. Why would you, how could you not? Body roll isn’t supressed entirely but enough to make throwing what’s a considerably sized dare-I-say truck into mountain corners feel adequately short of death.

Over increasingly tougher series of rock climbs, unrestrained inclines in both directions, and general lastagheid, the G63’s talents became clear. Special visuals on the 12.3-inch infotainment screen show steering angle and degree of incline or flip over to cameras at the corners when you need a little extra assurance that there’s still some path left ahead of you. Hovering at the top of a edge, the G’s creases picked out in contrasting dust and grit, I felt both a sense of strange satisfaction as well as disappointment that most G-Class owners would never feel this side of their SUV.

At some point I had to wonder whether Mercedes could not quietly do away with all that terribly clever – and cleverly capable – off-road hardware and make a G-Wagon for the road alone. Leave it with all-wheel drive, naturally, but also recognize that almost 99% of owners probably would need no more than that. Would that be a practical suggestion, or a weakening of what makes the whole thing special in the first place? You tell me.

Did the we mention that that the G63 has Sport Plus mode? And of course, you want it

After my time with it, I can’t help but recommend the AMG G63 to friends and family. If you’re going to be stubbornly excessive, go get the whole thing. Matte black paint, foursome of gleaming exhausts poking snoutish from under the running boards, and that special red AMG pinstriping that completes the look.

While we’re here, get the 22-inch wheels and the cream cabin leather of a shade, so singularly unsuitable to the off-road lifestyle, that it makes you gasp each time you have to climb inside. Refuse to apologise for treating yourself to more speakers, more subwoofers and try not to smirk when pedestrians cringe as the power door locks slam closed like a cell door in maximum security. It’s your door, goddamnit!
Only a few things defy logic. Some purchases defy logical intelligence. The G-Class makes little practical sense unless you really need a Dune-ready limousine, but that’s also really not the point I’m trying to make.

The point is that you want it because it’s big, and unbending, and a little bit stout (read this in Afrikaans), but all in the best imaginable way.

If you can’t make it first in the line for school pick-up with a 0-100 kmh time of 3.8 seconds – thanks to 375 kW and 700Nm of torque – then there’s something wrong. All that power starts right at 1,750 rpm, too, so hold on tight the moment your lead foot hits the gas pedal, because that’s some serious grunt for a family hauler.

I like Mercedes-AMG’s mentality of, “we’ve got it, so let’s use it!” In this case “it” is the exact same engine as you’ll find in the AMG GT family of sport cars, here combined with some high tech features to keep you and your most precious cargo safe on the road. For starters, it gets the same 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system which was first introduced in the E 63 S, air spring suspension, a limited-slip rear differential, and adjustable dampers for when you’re in the mood for some spirited driving.

I like Mercedes-AMG’s mentality of, “we’ve got it, so let’s use it!”

Trust me when I tell you that this bazooka of an engine is definitely something to write home about, putting the GLC 63 SUV and Coupe in a class of their own, especially when mated with AMG’s Speedshift MCT 9-speed transmission. During our driving, I didn’t bother much with the paddle shifters, instead leaving the shifts to handle themselves – which they do lag-free and with little hesitancy to drop a few cogs when necessary – and simply enjoyed the driving experience.

That was the idea, anyway. As the day went on, it proved hard to resist the manual shift as the paddles called to me. Like other modern transmissions, it’s fast and allows for multiple downshifts in one fell swoop. The double-clutching feature is something Mercedes-AMG says is a “highly emotive gearshift experience” and I’m inclined to agree. A start-off wet clutch replaces the torque converter, saving on weight and optimizes the response to your throttle input, especially during quick acceleration and load changes.

Mercedes-AMG may offer two body styles, SUV and Coupe, but I had the choice of one or the other. My drive partner, George Matsheke from Marvin, and I picked the Coupe, which in our opinion is the more useful of the two designs if you actually want to transport people and their accumulated luggage – and still look good doing it.

One of the major differences between the two, other than the styling, is the trim level. 

While Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is good enough, the AMG badge demands more. In this case, that means 4Matic+ for better performance handling and a limited-slip differential. Fortunately, the road conditions at Zwartkops were not on the slippery side of wet, rarely did it seem that power wasn’t being sent to the intended wheel. That was true whether it was on the highway or speeding through a sweeping wide turn, but don’t get the impression that the GLC63 is a spoilsport. A little side action is absolutely permissable, and by that I mean drifting, not something you get to do often in a midsize SUV.

Custom drive modes are commonplace in modern cars these days but, in my experience, it’s really the hardcore performers that truly differentiate with the driving characteristics of each. We experimented with some drifting exercises on the twisties around some of the tracks more entertainingly-tight switchbacks, but no, drift mode isn’t one of the official options available. Instead, in the Coupe we settled on Race; had we picked the GLC 63 S SUV we’d have had Sport+ mode, only, should the urge to hit the track never cross your mind. It’s hard to picture this turtle-looking vehicle on the track, though I’m sure people do it.

Comfort mode is most suitable for hauling the family around, while Sport and Sport+ preps the car for quicker throttle response, stiffer suspension, and tighter steering. My drive partner modified the Individual settings to Sport+ except for the steering, which he kept at Comfort. It keeps the steering nicely relaxed, and would certainly be my primary configuration for everyday driving. All the same, we were agreed during the twistier sections of the drive that, even in Sport+ mode, the steering could be a little bit more direct. I found that there’s still too much “steering wheel” action, despite what the mode is called.

On the outsider, Mercedes-AMG gave the GLC 63 the new AMG Panamericana front grille, once reserved for the AMG GT C Roadster and GT R sports coupe alone. It goes hand in hand with what’s under the hood, which also sets it apart from the regular GLC. I once referred to the GT C Roadster as a silver bullet, which probably makes the GLC63 Thor’s hammer: fast and powerful. “The front is the fascia of the car, and the face is the first expression, this is where you get the eye contact,” explains Vitalis Enns, head of Mercedes-AMG interior and exterior design. You won’t get to see it yourself on the road, but it’s pretty much guaranteed to make an impression as the jet wing-inspired grille, topping its large front splitter, rapidly fills the rear-view mirror of whatever is unfortunate enough to get in front of you.

The world of motor sport donates the car’s wider wheel-arch cladding front and rear, lending the SUV a more muscular appearance. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you if you think it looks lower, too; that’s thanks to the new side-sill panels, which visually elongate the overall lines. Other distinctive elements exclusive to the S-trim are the matte iridium silver inserts, while the rear end gets a muscular rear apron and diffuser in grained black, while the S-model variant finishes it in matte iridium silver. Our GLC 63 Coupe sported a new spoiler lip on the roof, too, which is a first for this vehicle. It reminds me of the great looking spoiler on the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, minus the adaptive feature of course.

Add the AMG Performance exhaust system with flap control option and, at the push of a button, the car really cranks up the soundtrack by opening two more exhaust flaps. The biturbo V8 already has a euphoric grunt, frankly, so checking this box should let everyone within a block know you mean business. When you manage to ditch the family, S+ and RACE drive modes are absolutely distinctive; conversely, should you want keep the peace with your neighbours, you can mute the sound with a button on the center console.

The interior is everything you’d expect from a pricey, luxurious Mercedes-AMG: very much like being wrapped in a first class cabin. Driver and front passenger enjoy a sporty ARTICO man-made leather, mixed with DINAMICA microfiber. It didn’t matter whether I was behind the wheel or a passenger, there was little body roll, even during our more spirited driving stints, and the seats hug you nicely. The contrasting top-stitching for the dashboard is a nice touch, while opting for the S-trim gets you a performance steering wheel in black nappa leather and microfiber, AMG badges in the front head restraints combined with leather trimming, and finally an AMG instrument cluster with red highlights.

At the end of the day, if you’re looking for raw power that’s nicely dressed in a finely-tailored suit, then either the GLC 63 SUV or Coupe fits the bill. Their closest competitor is Porsche’s Macan Turbo and the Audi SQ5 . Mercedes-AMG ha set pricing for the 2018 GLC 63S at R1 563 596 and R1 679 605 for the Coupe, which may well filter out all but the most enthusiastic of performance SUV buyers, but there’s no denying that we’re looking at two of the most powerful – and appealing – cars in the segment

First of the models is the all-new 2017 AMG C63 coupe and the high-end sports car looks dead sexy inside and out. The car will be offered in a standard C63 utilizing a bi-turbo V8 engine that makes 650Nm. A hotter C63 S version of the car will pack a bi-turbo V8 with power bumped up to 700Nm of peak torque and can reach 100km/h in 3.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 250km/h. The C63 S is an in-house development from Affalterbach.

C63 buyers also get AMD Ride Control suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers and AMG Dynamic Select transmission modes. The limited slip differential in the rear axle and dynamic engine mounts were developed by AMG.

The second member of the foray comes in the form of a roadster, the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG. It’s an updated version of the existing SL 65 AMG, packing some more power under the hood, improved brakes, and redesigned aluminium chassis. But, what does the 2017 SL 65 AMG have under the hood? A 6.0 litre twin turbocharged V12 engine, capable of producing 463Kw at 5500 rpm. It also generates a serious amount of torque: 1000Nm. Top speed is said to be 250km/h, with the car going from zero to a hundred km/h in exactly four seconds. The SL 65 AMG is closely followed by its younger brother; The SL 63 AMG which downplays with a V8 biturbo engine.

In closing comes the SLC range of models; the SLC 200, SLC300, SLC43. Both the SLC 200 and SLC 300 carry a 4 cylinder engine while the SLC43 lives up to impressive style and driving performance with a 3-litre V6 biturbo engine with a modified version of the AMG sports suspension familiar from the Mercedes-AMG SLK 55, and the combination is reflected in the sporty performance figures, with the SLC 43 accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. 

 Pricing for these models begin at R680 000 to anything over R1.2m depending on how you choose to style yours.