What’s Next for the 1,340-HP Mercedes-AMG GT XX Concept? Intentional Nauseation, Technological Sensation
The next Mercedes-AMG halo car, a 1,340-horsepower electric four-door coming next year, can make you sick. And that is a good thing.
Mercedes unveiled the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept, an electric car that is the future of the AMG performance brand, at an event in Stuttgart. That kind of horsepower puts it in hypercar territory—with a top speed of 225 mph approaching Formula One record speeds.
Perhaps its highest praise: “the sheer sensation from driving this, with the incredible amount of torque and power is really something. You can get sick as a driver in this car because it is so overwhelming a sensation,” says Joerg Miska, the CEO of Yasa Ltd., the British subsidiary that developed the axial flux motors that power the car. And boy do they power it, delivering 300 more horsepower than the Mercedes AMG One hypercar and an undisclosed but huge amount of torque.
But don’t worry about it being too fast or nausea-inducing. The automaker brought in hardcore V-8 enthusiasts to try the prototype as part of its testing, knowing they presented the biggest challenge to win over, and a regular EV wouldn’t do it. They all emerged from the prototype experience with big smiles, said Mercedes-Benz Group Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer, and none suggested it be toned down when it goes into production in 2026.
“It is one of the most emotional cars we have ever built,” said Schäfer. “It continues to put motorsports on the road.”
Next Step: Track Records
The first production car on the new AMG-EA architecture launches next year, likely mid- to late 2026, but if the program must be delayed a few months to make sure the vehicle is done right, it will be to ensure a strong first impression, says CEO of Mercedes-AMG Michael Schiebe.
The team is working on the launch plans now, including the need to train dealers and get them behind the wheel so they will become enthusiastic ambassadors. It will be a staggered global launch with key markets like Europe and the U.S. likely first. Schiebe also sees potential in China for growth in the sports car segment.
The production car has a name, and that is expected to include the letters GT, but Schiebe is not revealing what it will be until next year. It will not have the letters EQ in it. Mercedes-AMG GT E perhaps? Asked what its competitors are, Schiebe said its size makes a 1:1 comparison difficult. It is a large, high-performance, four-door coupe that must also work as a daily driver.
The prototypes have already undergone a lot of testing and Schäfer said he was in one a few months ago, chasing down an AMG One. The next step is for the AMG GT XX to prove itself on the track, which is going on right now. As the modern version of the C111 experimental car from the seventies, the GT XX is expected to break track records. Schiebe will not say which tracks or expected outcomes but says he is confident records will be shattered.
Electric AMGs Must Be Better
Schiebe says because AMG V-8s are legendary, an electric AMG must be forged from the same DNA but be even better and push the limits. That is why the first vehicle on the new AMG-EA architecture could not use conventional motors. Instead of a conventional radial flux motor, engineers chose the more cutting-edge axial flux motor, which are a third the size and weight but with double the torque density.
The axial flux motor is the V-8 of the electric world, says Schäfer. It provides the required emotional experience, acoustics, NVH, and shifting sensation you expect from a V-8 or V-12 race-oriented AMG.
Others may claim to offer an axial flux motor, but Schäfer says no one will have one with the specs that Mercedes-AMG will offer in terms of weight, torque, and output.
The unique tall, thin cylindrical battery cells that are individually cooled create a battery that offers continuously high performance. The battery was developed in-house and is not much more expensive to produce than a conventional one; the cooling aspect is what adds extra cost, says Senior Manager R&D High Voltage Batteries developer Denis Blanusa.
