Used 2019 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG GT

The Mercedes-AMG GT models are among the German automaker’s most performance-oriented sports cars. In addition to a drop-dead-gorgeous 2-seat coupe or roadster, the lineup expands for 2019 with the introduction of a more practical 4-door model. Every GT except the base 4-door is powered by a twin-turbo V8 tuned to make up to 630 horsepower. All models reward drivers with speed in spades and heroic handling that turns the common corner into a cause for celebration.

Yet the Mercedes-AMG GT also boasts surprising levels of civility and the creature comforts expected in a Mercedes-Benz. Cost of entry isn’t cheap, starting around six figures and escalating quickly. That puts the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT models into the rarefied air of high-end luxury performance cars like the Porsche 911, Lexus LC and Aston Martin Vantage.

The 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT is the rare sports car that packs equal parts power and panache. The former can be had for a fraction of the price in a mainstream Chevy or Dodge. The latter, however, takes a brand like Mercedes-Benz to pull off. Acceleration is beguilingly quick, with most models hitting the 0-60-mph benchmark in the 3-second range. The “slowest” of the bunch is the base AMG GT 53 4-door Coupe, which takes a whole 4.4 seconds.

Beyond straight-line blasts, the GT knows how to hug curves, while the sounds its 4.0-liter twin-turbocharge V8 makes are glorious. Shifts from the 7-speed automatic transmission are quick (9-speed for the 4-door Coupe), and can be made even quicker with a flick of the Dynamic Select switch that also sharpens steering and throttle response.

All this said, one of the traits we like most about Mercedes’ AMG GT is its everyday civility. In Comfort mode, the GT will be just as happy loping along your favorite coastal road as it is tearing up backroads in Sport or Race mode. Unique to the 4-door Coupe is Mercedes’ standard 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which enhances traction in both spirited driving and on slippery roads.

The 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT coupe and roadster are closed-in, purpose-minded affairs with seating for two and not a whole lot of room to move around. Materials are first-rate, however, and the wide console has enough switches and drive-mode settings to pass for the cockpit of a jet rather than a car. A center-mounted 8.4-inch high-resolution display conveys navigation, audio and other information. The seats are low but supportive. The trunk is more generous than you may expect with its 10.1 cubic feet of space.

If you want the GT’s sleek design, performance and panache, plus the ability to ferry passengers and stuff, look to the 4-door Coupe. Despite its name, it’s actually a 4-door liftback. In back are two comfortable seats that can accommodate 6-footers, and instead of a trunk, there is a practical, upward-rising hatch over the cargo bay. Longer items can be hauled thanks to folding rear seats.

In a word, the Mercedes-AMG is striking. Its aforementioned long hood and pushed-back cockpit can’t help conveying speed. The 2-door GT coupe and roadster models remind of Mercedes’ famous 300SL models of the 1950s. The 4-door Coupe, meanwhile, could be the German automaker’s best example yet of morphing a traditional 4-door into a coupe shape. As with its 2-door siblings, it features an elegant hood and a lovely, rounded tail.

Fun fact: The 4-door Coupe is actually a couple of inches longer than the Mercedes-Benz CLS — the brand’s original “4-door coupe” — but this one’s proportions are so balanced that you’d never know it.

GORGEOUS DESIGN
Whichever version of the GT you choose, be ready to turn heads. You might also find yourself explaining that yes, this is a Mercedes-Benz. The GT’s alluring curves and stunning proportions highlighted by a long hood make this sports car look even more expensive than it is.

4MATIC WITH DRIFT MODE
If you opt for the more practical, passenger- and cargo-friendly 4-door Coupe, you can just as quickly throw pragmatism to the wind by literally drifting it around a racetrack. Available on the GT 63 and standard on the GT 63 S, this special mode turns this all-wheel-drive car into a rear-wheel-drive one, enabling smoky drifts (on a closed track, of course).

A base Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4-door Coupe comes well-equipped — as a $100,000 car should — with standard features like dual-zone climate control, power liftgate, universal garage remote and heated front seats covered in MB-Tex faux leather (genuine hide is extra). While the 2-door models have a simpler 8.4-inch central infotainment screen, the 4-door Coupe model uses Mercedes’ fresher setup of twin 12.3-inch high-resolution displays — one for the instrument cluster and the other in the center to relay navigation and other info. The 4-door Coupe comes with active safety systems such as automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring (optional on 2-door version).

The GT Coupe and Roadster both pack a handcrafted AMG V8 engine as standard (optional in 4-door Coupe models), plus higher-performance brakes and suspension. As is usual with Mercedes, the GT lineup’s options list is long and pricey. Everything from massaging seats can be had on the 4-door Coupe, while both it and the 2-door coupe can get a panoramic roof. The roadster comes with Mercedes’ snazzy Airscarf system with neck-level heaters, while all models can receive ventilated front seats.

Also in the offering are some of the finest automotive audio systems available, courtesy of high-end German audio maker Burmester.

If you regularly sit in traffic or face long commutes, you’ll want the Distronic adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems. The 4-door model also offers more advanced safety systems like evasive-steering assist and active lane-change assist, which enables the car to safely change lanes with merely a flick of the blinker.

Except for the base 4-door Coupe model, all 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT models use a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with various states of tune. Still, the turbocharged inline-6 in the AMG GT 53 is no slouch, and combined with a mild hybrid system called EQ Boost, it puts out 429 horsepower and can punch out an additional 21 via its electrified system.

The V8 models, meanwhile, have power output ranging from to 469 to 630 horsepower. The roadster and coupe models are rear-wheel drive and use a 7-speed automatic transmission, while the 4-door Coupe is all-wheel drive and features a 9-speed automatic.

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 (GT 53 4-door Coupe)
429 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
384 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-5,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/24 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (GT)
469 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
465 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/22 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (GT S)
515 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
494 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/22 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (GT C)
550 horsepower @ 5,750 rpm
502 lb-ft of torque @ 2,100-5,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/21 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (GT R)
577 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
516 lb-ft of torque @ 1,900-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/20 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (GT 63 4-door Coupe)
577 horsepower @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
590 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/20 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (GT 63 S 4-door Coupe)
630 horsepower @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
664 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/20 mpg