Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, Slip Sliding

THE "WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT handles back home" is the roadtester's default get out when passing judgement from the international launch, the understanding being that manufacturers will always pick venues that flatter their cars. And those favourable impressions on a sunny Spanish road might be put under harder scrutiny on a wet and bumpy one back in the UK. Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, Slip Sliding.

On a much colder day in sun deprived Scotland, the reassurance of all-wheel drive help calm the nerves when approaching the GT 4-door Coupe. Well, a little. But there remain some very big numbers staring back at you from the spec sheet, not least the 630bhp and 664lb ft delivered by the twin-turbo V8 and the speed with which it could propel over £150,000 worth of AMG into a drift of these wet and slippery roads. Quite different to the heroic, tyre-smoking stuff.

With more space and bravery) that is, of course, available in the S version's Race mode, having pulled both shift paddles and accepted the 'feel lucky, punk?' option of turning it into a 600bhp-plus rear-wheel drive monster. If you are lucky enough to have access to a private test track and someone else paying for your tyres, experience of this function on the E63 S proves it's an absolute hoot and is another sign of AMG's self-awareness and ability to cut loose. Today is neither the time nor the place though.

That an AMG should be capable of such feats is to be expected, even if most owners will never venture there. In some ways, the bigger challenge is providing a taste of the same thrills in a luxurious, four-seat car, whatever the weather or road.

QUESTION TIME 

There are questions to answer before even turning a wheel though. First of all, does the four-door coupe really stand comparison with the GTs of the same name? The badge may be the same and the styling influence is obvious. But, much as a Porsche Panamera shares nothing with a 911 beyond visual inspiration, the GT 4-Door Coupe is very different from the two-seat version. Hence the engine is the M177 version of the four-litre 'hot-vee' V8 and it drives through a nine-speed automatic gearbox mounted to its rear, in a clear break from the M178 dry. sumped engine and transaxle-mounted dual-clutch transmission of the proper GT. In this class, only the Aston Martin Rapide sticks with such a sporting mechanical layout, the GT 4-Door instead using heavily adapted E-Class underpinnings and actually more closely related to the E63S than the GT.

Few will lose too much sleep about such engineering semantics; to succeed, the GT 4-Door simply has to offer a convincing taste of its more purebred namesake and in that it's a clear success. Rest assured, this is all AMG.

Entry level for this car is a relative term, the GT63 4Matic+ costing £121,350 and using a 577bhp version of the four-litre V8. That's enough for 3.4 seconds 0-62mph and 193mph from the off, the Sversion starting at £135,550 and increasing power to 630bhp and taking torque from 5901b ft to 6641b ft. The on paper improvements appear marginal: 0-62 mph now 3.2 seconds while the top speed climbs to 196mph. But there's more to the Sthan a couple of tenths here and top speed bragging rights there; the package includes AMG Dynamic Plus with dynamic engine mounts and the additional Race setting with the aforementioned Drift Mode. The Salso gets different wheels and yellow brake calipers, both versions upgradeable with an AMG Aerodynamics package that replaces the extendable rear wing with a larger fixed one and adds a new front splitter, front end flics and side skirts. If you really want to splash out, two levels of AMG Carbon Fibre packages mean you can have these looking even fancier.

As standard, the GT 4-Door Coupe is a four-seater, with individual seats in the rear. As a no cost option you can have a three-seater bench that you can fold flat for additional storage, though it's worth pointing out the centre chair is best considered a temporary perch. If you're fully buying into the car's philosophy you'd be better off upgrading to the Rear Luxury Lounge package, which reverts to two individual seats and features temperature controlled cup holders, central infotainment touchscreen and dedicated Thermotronic climate control for the rear. It's a seemingly unlikely blend of S-Class luxury and AMG GT sportiness.

Appropriately, the unashamedly macho vibe continues as you take your seat behind the wheel. The cockpit will be familiar from other models in the range but the execution here is a generation on from the regular GT, the V8-inspired switch layout of that car replaced with a more modern 'haptic configuration of touch sensitive surfaces. The old Comand wheel has also gone, your only choice for interaction with the car now the touch pad, miniaturised versions of the same on the steering wheel or voice control. Not everyone will consider this progress.

While the dash and general layout is more 'regular' Mercedes than the two-door GT the vibe has successfully been carried over, the 4-Door Coupe feeling a lot more serious and driver focused. It's mainly thanks to that engine, the menacing thunderclap of revs as it fires up reminding you of its potency.

MUSCLE POWER 

There's a muscularity to the car's demeanour to set it apart from the E63 too. The steering is light but direct, both standard V8 and V8 S versions getting rear-axle steering as standard and contriving a surprising sense of agility. Because you're not sitting on top of the rear axle in the way you are in the two-seat GT the rear-steer sensation is less pronounced but the system does a good job of making the 2.2-tonne GT 4-Door dance like a car half its size and weight.

There's an awful lot of technology putting that power to the road too, whether it be the fully variable all-wheel drive system, three-chamber variable airsprings and adjustable dampers or fully active locking diff on the rear axle. The impressive bit is how seamlessly it all operates, the familiar AMG Dynamic Select basically offering varying degrees of excitement depending on your mood.

In these conditions a sensible person would probably opt for the Slippery setting, which sets the stability control to its most cautious and calms the accelerator's response. But life's too short, and this is an AMG GT. With each nudge of the switch through Comfort, Sport and Sport + the car noticeably tenses and quickens its responses, that mighty engine making its presence felt with increasing assertiveness and sound. This being an Smodel, it also gets Race and the dedicated "Master' setting to the all-encompassing AMG Dynamics, by which point the GT 4-Door starts feeling seriously angry.

The boom of the V8 is proper goosebumps stuff, the twin-scroll turbos quickly spooling up to deliver the full 664lb ft of torque from just 2,500rpm. Though AMG does much to disguise the forced induction nature of this V8, the rush of boost is obvious and genuinely thrilling, though even with a full fat 630bhp on tap, the weight of the car does blunt the acceleration a tad.

What's truly remarkable is the ability to chuck it around like an A45 hot hatch. OK, the visibility isn't great and you have to accept the GT 4-Door takes up a lot of road. But it's to the car's credit that you soon adapt and relish in the combination of instantaneous turn-in and a readiness to be balanced on the throttle that anyone can appreciate, AMG Master' or not.

LOCKED IN 

The use of an electronic locking diff has become a defining feature of modern AMGs and made them much more usable on slippery roads. By constantly metering the power across the rear axle you have the joy of traditional rear-driven balance without the fear of it suddenly snapping sideways. And if you do manage to overwhelm the rear tyres, the all-wheel drive system is ready to send power forward to pull you straight again, the systems working seamlessly to maximise traction and acceleration without the need for rug pulling interventions. This proactive approach lets you enjoy more of that fabulous V8 power without waking the ESP too much and is clear evidence AMG wants you to enjoy this car's formidable dynamic abilities at every opportunity

AMG's goal with this car was to ensure it was a proper GT and worthy of the name in more than just a simple badge or familiar appearance. True, it's mechanically more closely related to the saloon car range than it is the two-seater supercar. But that character has been successfully translated and any doubts are silenced the moment that mighty V8 lets rip. GT by name, GT by nature. Only this time round with room to share the experience with your friends and family.

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: