The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door is already pretty fast, but Mercedes may be planning an even faster version. Autocar reports that the GT 4-Door will get a plug-in hybrid powertrain anchored by a twin-turbocharged V8 that makes an impressive 805 horsepower. The British magazine published purported spy photos of this car, expected to be dubbed Mercedes-AMG GT 73 4Matic, undergoing testing. AMG may have other high-performance plug-in hybrids in the pipeline as well.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain could be a production version of the one used in the original GT concept from the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, according to Autocar. That car married a plug-in hybrid system with the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 used in numerous current Mercedes-AMG models. It also had all-wheel drive (4Matic, in Mercedes speak) so the production version will likely have that, too. Autocar predicts an electric-only range of 31 miles, although that’s likely based on the European WLTP testing cycle, not the U.S. EPA cycle.
The most logical competition for the Mercedes-AMG GT 73 would be the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid — another fast plug-in hybrid four-door. The all-wheel drive Porsche has 680 hp and 626 pound-feet of torque, does zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds (with launch control), and has an EPA-rated electric-only range of 14 miles. The most powerful current version of the Mercedes — the AMG GT63 S — is 0.1 second slower from zero to 60 mph, but the plug-in hybrid could improve on that. Mercedes said the original plug-in hybrid GT concept could do zero to 60 mph in under three seconds, after all.
Mercedes trademarked three “73” model names — G73, GLS73, and S73 — in Europe in 2017, and Canada and 2018, notes Autoblog. That means additional models could be slated to get the 805-hp plug-in hybrid powertrain after the AMG GT 4-Door. Mercedes may also use that powertrain in the next-generation SL, according to Autoblog. Mercedes fans know that the automaker previously used the “73” designation for the R129-generation SL73 AMG, which was produced from 1999 to 2001 and boasted a 7.3-liter V12 (this was back when Mercedes model names corresponded to engine displacement). That engine was also used in the Pagani Zonda supercar.
The addition of “73” plug-in hybrid models to the lineup would add yet another layer to the Mercedes-AMG hierarchy. In recent times, AMG has mostly moved downmarket with entry-level “43” variants, the “53” mild-hybrid models, and two tiers of compact performance models. But powerful plug-in hybrids would pull AMG back in the other direction, and bring it back to its roots of prioritizing bonkers power above all else.
