The next generation of the Mercedes-AMG GT could be a plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive

Mercedes-AMG is putting the final touches on the long-awaited GT Black Series, but new details about the next-generation sports car are beginning to emerge. According to several sources, the redesigned Mercedes-AMG GT will be launched in 2021 and will feature a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with mild-hybrid technology. Little is known about the system, but it reportedly features an EQ Boost starter-alternator similar to the one used in the 53-series AMG models.

It is not yet known how powerful the starter-alternator will be, but it will be capable of providing an additional performance boost. This, combined with the updated V8, could allow the top-end versions of the GT to produce more than 659 CV. The powertrain will also deliver significantly more torque, and the next-generation GT R could develop up to 949 Nm of peak torque, a dramatic increase over the current 700 Nm.

To make the most of the improved powertrain, Mercedes-AMG will reportedly equip the car with an all-wheel-drive system featuring torque-vectoring. This should not only improve traction but also allow the car to be quicker, as it can put power down more easily. According to reports, to appease purists, there will be a Drift mode that sends power exclusively to the rear wheels.

On the performance front, the next-generation Mercedes-AMG GT is expected to be lighter than the current model, as it will adopt a new aluminium architecture that uses “more cast aluminium components within the load-bearing areas”. In addition to reducing weight, the new structure is set to be more rigid than the current architecture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urqyyehBZ-I

Mercedes-AMG GT, this is what the new electrified beast will look like

While the next-generation Mercedes-AMG GT will adopt electrification, it appears that a plug-in hybrid variant has been ruled out. According to one source, a plug-in hybrid model would need at least a 12 kWh battery to offer an acceptable electric range, and there simply isn’t enough space to fit a battery that large.

For reference, the most powerful current iteration of AMG’s V8, codenamed M178, is found in the GT 63 S 4MATIC 4-Door Coupé, where it produces 638 CV and 900 Nm with the EQ Boost feature. In its current form, the GT R produces 580 CV and 699 Nm.

The new GT will be produced, once again, in coupé and roadster body styles. It is scheduled to reach UK showrooms in early 2022. Key rivals for the new model include the Porsche 911, which is also set to adopt hybrid features when the facelifted version of the current 992-generation model is launched, and the Aston Martin Vantage.

But while Porsche is looking to pursue the full plug-in hybrid route, including fully electric capability for limited distances, this has been ruled out for future Mercedes-AMG GT models due to packaging concerns. “With a 75-litre fuel tank behind the cabin, we are already at the limit of packaging. For distances that are worthwhile on electricity, you need a battery with at least 12 kWh of capacity. Besides taking up dominant space, it also adds significant weight.”

The key to the GT’s future is the decision by Mercedes-Benz to pair it with the successor to the SL. Both models share vital elements of their platform, transmission and interior in a move that, according to AMG experts, has helped rationalise and reduce the cost of their development despite the adoption of new technologies. Among that new technology is an all-wheel-drive system that can rapidly balance drive between the front and rear axles, as well as a torque-vectoring function to vary the amount of power sent to each individual rear wheel.

Along with a newly developed transmission, the additional traction of the new all-wheel-drive system should rectify one of the existing weaknesses of the rear-wheel-drive GT, namely its launch acceleration compared with supercar rivals. But, like today’s E 63, it will feature a Drift function that sends power exclusively to the rear wheels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWNcLwTvFdQ

It will reach dealerships from 2021

Although the GT is set to retain its existing two-seat layout, the new SL will adopt a more spacious 2+2 interior, a move that aims to ensure the models attract different customers. The basis for the second-generation GT is a revised aluminium spaceframe that is said to weigh less than the 233 kg structure used by the existing model. The weight saving has been achieved in part by adopting more cast aluminium components within the load-bearing areas. AMG has also reportedly met its goal of increasing rigidity, especially at the front end of the new spaceframe, which uses a newly designed cross member described as having “improved torsional properties”.

The new GT is expected to feature a more contemporary exterior, described as “a bigger step over the current GT than the previous SLS was to its predecessor“. The more modern approach is also reportedly reflected in the interior, with new Formula 1-inspired digital graphics among the early design proposals.