In an SUV-dominated automotive world, it’s refreshing to see a coupe still alive. Mercedes insists there is a place in this world for its Porsche 911 rival, which will more or less be an SL with a fixed metal roof. The two models have been co-developed by AMG and while a convertible model with an upper material is already in circulation, the coupe has not been revealed. Ahead of its official debut, an interesting prototype has been spotted.
Hiding the Hyper Blue Metallic SL paint under swirling black and white camouflage, the 2023 AMG GT Coupe appears to have a full production body. Our spy photographer has told us that the test vehicle represents the Edition 1 model, which is typically sold during the first 12 months of production. The dead giveaway is at the rear where the fixed wing is part of the aerodynamic package which also includes a prominent front spoiler lip.
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We’re probably dealing with the coupe equivalent of the SL 63, which means there’s a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 under the hood. That makes 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque in the convertible, allowing the Sport Leicht to hit 60 mph in three and a half seconds. The AMG GT Coupe should be slightly lighter and therefore faster than the cabio while having a sharper steering and stiffer suspension setup.
The gold brake calipers hint at the carbon ceramic brake calipers for the Edition 1, which sport 20-inch wheels with the recently launched Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires measuring 295/30 ZR1 front and 305/30 ZR21 rear. Just like the SL, the new performance coupe is expected to have rear-wheel steering, fully variable all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission.
It will be interesting to see if the coupe-ified SL will also get a four-cylinder petrol engine as part of a plug-in hybrid system to echo the SL 43. It will serve as an entry-level model while at the other end of the spectrum, more than 800 horsepower is expected from the SL 43. an electrified V8 setup borrowed from a car with an unusually long moniker – the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance 4-Door Coupe.
Look out for the official debut that will take place in the coming months considering this prototype seems almost ready to lose its disguise.
