The New All-Electric Mercedes-AMG Is Powerful, Acid Yellow, and Hideous

The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe was a very poorly named but extremely cool car. Unlike every other AMG-powered Mercedes four-seater, the four-door GT was not a tuned-up version of an existing Mercedes sedan, but instead an original model intended to provide the best German driving experience possible with four doors. It had a great-sounding engine. Car reviewers universally praised its athleticism. Although it wasn’t a handsome car, with the right set of multi-spoke wheels and a muted color, it was the ultimate sleeper sports sedan: subtle, athletic, and extremely powerful, with up to 831 horsepower.2018 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Courtesy of Mercedes BenzUnfortunately, it didn’t sell. Indeed used examples have held their value even worse than its less practical twin, the two-door GT Coupe, which is also heavily depreciated. This could be because expensive sedans are simply a dying sector, replaced by SUVs — but Mercedes, for some bewildering reason, seems to disagree.And so, though the new AMG GT 4-Door Coupe shares its unwieldy, confusing name and swoopy sedan body style, it has swapped the V8 for an all-electric powertrain. The top GT 63 version puts out an astonishing 1,153 horsepower and 1,475 lb-ft of torque, and it will hit 60 miles an hour from 0 in just 2.4 seconds. That’s more power and faster acceleration than the original Bugatti Veyron. Mercedes claims the car does a 2.1-second 0-60, but you have to look at the asterisk, where they note that includes a one-foot rollout, which doesn’t count.2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Courtesy of Mercedes BenzAlong with upping the power and swapping the powertrain, Mercedes also clearly thought the car wasn’t selling because it was too pretty, and they replaced the original car’s muted CLS-esque looks with one of the most hideous bodies ever fitted to a modern car.At the front is a large black faux grille with vertical illuminated lines, above which sits two blob headlights, connected by a thick light bar, and centered with tri-point lights inspired by the Mercedes badge. You won’t have forgotten what that logo looks like, because there’s an enormous one in the center of that black faux grille.2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Courtesy of Mercedes BenzThe details are extremely unpleasant, but it’s when they’re put together on an aero-optimized face that the true horror of this front is realized. To improve the drag coefficient, the front has been pushed down and forward, giving a sort of jutted fish-jaw look. This is then flanked by race-inspired features — the aggressive side vents and fake bonnet bulge—to complete the look.From the side, it’s still a swoopy sedan, but a bit fatter than before, and now more similar in looks to its chief rival, the Porsche Taycan. This is by far the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe’s best angle, and as you turn to the rear, prospective customers will be relieved to find that its rear is as unpleasant as its face.Courtesy of Mercedes BenzLike the grille, you have a large black expanse along the top of the car, lipsticked with a curved light bar, and accented with three taillight elements on each side, each carrying over the tri design language. Here, they look like radiation warning icons, which is fitting.Much like the front, it’s not just the details that assault the eyes, but the surfacing as well. The whole back of the car is too bulbous, with too many awkward curves, and the dramatic rear diffuser does nothing to help. That diffuser has active aero elements — a large shelf that extends out the back at high speed, for increased stability — to join the pop-up spoiler, which prospective customers will probably keep up at all times. All this aero wizardry is probably unnecessary, given that the car weighs almost 5,500 pounds; it won’t have trouble staying on the ground.2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Courtesy of Mercedes BenzIt is perhaps the worst-looking rear end fitted to a car since the worst years of SsangYong. Therefore it’s almost something of a feat by the Mercedes designers, who presumably have visual difficulties, that it’s not the car’s worst angle. The front proudly takes that claim. You can’t escape the poor taste when you’re inside the car, where you find a carbon-wrapped version of the same interior fitted to every other boring modern German car. Three wide screens, shoved together, make up the entire dashboard, which is then surrounded by carbon fiber, red accent lighting, and black alcantara.2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Courtesy of Mercedes BenzMercedes hasn’t announced pricing, but given that the last car was expensive and didn’t sell well, one can expect this one will be even more expensive and sell even worse.Also, because electric cars don’t make much noise from their motors, Mercedes has fitted large exterior speakers around the car that can play V8 engine noises. But if you want a Mercedes-AMG sports sedan that’s powerful, athletic, and has a great V8 engine sound, you could just buy the last version, which actually has a V8, and will be a lot less expensive.

The New All-Electric Mercedes-AMG Is Powerful, Acid Yellow, and Hideous

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