AMG Future Performance: Sports car brand presents hybrid show car
Mercedes-AMG GT Concept – Driving Performance of the future
As part of its 50th anniversary, Mercedes-AMG is celebrating a successful past while also continuing to look forward. With the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept show car, the sports car and performance brand is giving an indication of the alternative drive configurations AMG is designing. This four-door coupe heralds a further extension of the AMG GT family, following the legacy of the SLS AMG and AMG GT, which were completely developed at AMG’s headquarters in Affalterbach. The designation and fundamental design elements on the front and rear end denote the family affiliation to the AMG GT. The “EQ Power+” badging on the mirror camera indicates the increased performance that can be expected from hybridization at AMG.
“With the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept, we are giving a preview of our third completely independently developed sports car and are extending the attractive AMG GT family to include a four-door variant,” said Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. “The AMG GT Concept, like the AMG Hypercar, which we are presenting at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, illustrates how we are defining performance of the future at AMG. Impressive driving dynamics coupled with high efficiency, resulting from an innovative drive system tailored specifically to the vehicle segment – that is ‘Future Performance’ made by AMG. With our AMG GT Concept, that means a combination of an ultra-modern V8 gasoline engine and a high-performance electric motor, both intelligently networked with an extremely powerful yet lightweight battery concept. This performance hybrid powertrain offers an impressive electric range and the opportunity to generate a system output of up to 805 horsepower in its last level of development, and covers the sprint from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds – which corresponds to the performance of a super sports car.”
The four-door sports car from Affalterbach will seamlessly continue the success story of the AMG GT. The dynamic fastback will be highly suitable for everyday use thanks to a large tailgate, luggage compartment and comfortable interior. The AMG GT Concept blends the high functionality of performance cars with the sportiness of AMG GT sports cars, and gives a sneak preview of the exterior design coming to the series production model.
Muscular proportions and clear surface design
With the aid of an unmistakable design idiom featuring a deeply drawn hood and powerfully raked windscreen, the AMG GT Concept is recognizable at first glance as a genuine AMG GT. The exterior design stands out with extremely muscular proportions and sensuous surface styling. The concept car represents the design philosophy of “Sensual Purity” with the added performance characteristics of AMG.
“The AMG GT Concept embodies the most extreme expression of our design idiom and underlines the autonomous profile of AMG as a performance brand,” said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer, Daimler AG. “Through ideal proportions it creates a pure design with emphasis on its surfaces, featuring sensuous shapes, and is hot and cool at the same time.”
Advanced AMG GT characteristics
The Panamericana grille—with vertical ribs painted red on the sides—newly configured and extremely slim headlamps and side air gills with a dominant design in the front bumper are hallmark AMG GT design characteristics which have been advanced to a new level in order to express pure power. The hood, reaching right to the wheel arches, underscores the AMG GT Concept’s sports car genes. This is also expressed by the eye-catching “Hot Red” paintwork featuring a finish that shimmers in the light like liquid metal thanks to a special formulation.
The Mercedes-AMG principle that fascination is always linked with function also applies to the AMG GT Concept. Proof of this includes moving radiator shutters in the center and side air intakes which improves both aerodynamic and thermal efficiency, and are inspired by the AIRPANEL active air control system found in the AMG GT R.
Rear assembly in hallmark AMG GT look
The wide rear assembly provides an unmistakable AMG GT look with extremely slim horizontal tail lamps and the shape of the tailgate. The taillamp also has new light technology, located beneath the three-dimensional lens of the rear lamps: a ribbed cooling module is integrated into the lens to guide waste heat away.
Further design elements at the rear end include a wide carbon-fiber diffuser curved downwards at the sides and a centrally arranged tailpipe reminiscent of the Mercedes-AMG GT R.
The crouched, dynamic greenhouse, with its steeply sloping roofline and slim layout of the frameless side windows, emphasizes the dynamic forwards thrust of the AMG GT Concept when seen from the side. The tapered side, broad rear shoulders and flared wheel arches reinforce the overall muscular expression. Exterior side mirrors on this concept are replaced with aerodynamically favorable miniature cameras, known as “mirror cams.” The roof, A-wing of the front spoilers, rear diffuser and side sill panels are finished in carbon fiber and make a distinct connection with motorsports.
Uniquely styled wheels allow for a good view of the AMG ceramic high-performance compound braking system. The brake calipers are painted in a bronze color and showcase “AMG Carbon Ceramic” lettering.
“Nano active fiber technology” for daytime running lamps and tail lamps
With “nano active fiber technology,” Mercedes-AMG is presenting future-oriented daytime running lamps for the first time. This is produced by a special bright light system in a freely styled light cord. The three-dimensional illumination effect lends the AMG GT Concept an autonomous light signature, which is flanked by numerous further accents in the high-tech headlamp. Two tubular rod lights illuminate the road surface directly in front of the car and constitute the driving light together with a large LED main headlamp. A red AMG logo within the headlight denotes a special attention to detail. Overall, the front headlamp is a three-dimensional, multilayered, high-tech component which underscores the technical standards of the AMG GT Concept.
AMG Future Performance: forward-thinking hybrid drive system
The drive system of the AMG GT Concept represents a completely new development. In 2010, Mercedes-AMG proved that a super sports car with a battery/electric drive system can be realized with the SLS AMG Electric Drive. Additionally, Formula 1 driving dynamics and impressive efficiency are promised by the planned AMG Hypercar, which will give a sneak preview of the ultimate application of what is currently feasible with hybrid technology.
Following the AMG brand pledge “Driving Performance,” Mercedes-AMG will develop segment-specific hybrids in the future that will boast impressive performance and maximum efficiency.
Innovative combination of combustion engine and electric motor
After the W08 EQ Power+ Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula 1 car, the AMG GT Concept show car is the second AMG model to bear the new designation “EQ Power+,” a designation which all performance hybrids from Mercedes-AMG will be given in the future.
The performance hybrid system combines a powerful Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo engine with an additional powerful electric motor, ensuring immediate response and offering extraordinarily high performance. A sprint from 0-60 mph takes the AMG GT Concept less than three seconds, demonstrating the performance of a super-sports car.
Maximum driving performance AMG’s primary focus on all projects and is why the AMG GT Concept has a balanced axle load distribution. The fully variable AMG performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system is supported by an electric motor which drives the rear wheels directly and has the effect of an additional booster. Additionally, with torque vectoring, every wheel can be allocated torque individually resulting in a tangible increase in performance.
The electric drive unit
Three operating modes can be preselected via the electric drive unit: the AMG GT Concept can either drive purely electrically, purely with the combustion engine or with an optimal combination of both drive sources as a hybrid.
The exclusive AMG-developed hybrid components aim to facilitate a unique and dynamic “Driving Performance” experience.
Power from two drive systems: performance operating strategy from Formula 1
The operating strategy of the AMG GT Concept is derived from the hybrid powerpack of the MERCEDES PETRONAS AMG Formula 1 racing car and was developed through cooperation with the development engineers at Mercedes-AMG HPP (High Performance Production GmbH). As in Formula 1, the battery is charged while the vehicle is driven in order to have the maximum amount of electrical power available for use at all times.
Scalable performance battery
The energy storage unit in the AMG GT Concept is more powerful than conventional hybrid batteries, but at the same time is more compact and lighter – further proof of the systematic way in which the AMG Lightweight Performance Strategy is being implemented. Charging of the battery while driving can occur via brake recuperation or with the aid of the combustion engine if the battery charge has dropped beneath a certain charge threshold.
On a modular basis this system is scalable upwards — the performance and capacity of the battery can be adjusted to meet specific requirements of customers or markets, for instance.
