Is This The Next Best Thing To A Porsche 911 Turbo S?

How Mercedes went about making a hybrid sports car

Although the Porsche 992 Turbo S and Mercedes AMG GT63 S E Performance are in the same segment, they are very different in terms of design and how they go about making big power. The current 992.1 Turbo S puts out 640 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque from its 3.8-liter flat-six. But since the Merc is a hybrid, we’ll have to bring the upcoming 992.2 into context. There is much we don’t yet know about the upcoming Hybirdzed 911 Turbo S, but we know it is going to feature a more powerful version of Porsche’s T-Hybrid system. Combined horsepower is estimated in the ballpark of 710 horsepower.

It is the only way to keep the 911 Turbo S relatively lightweight while making it perform better than the hybrid Porsche 992.2 GTS, which already proved to be marginally quicker than the 992.2 Turbo S around Nordschleife. Mercedes went with a plug-in hybrid setup for the AMG GT63 S E Performance, which allows for nearly 8.1 miles of electric range. Porsche’s T-Hybrid system doesn’t feature such capabilities; instead, it focuses on lightness and maximizing performance from Porsche’s boxer engine.

Mercedes also threw complex hybrid tech into the AMG GT63 S E Performance to make it go faster. The hybrid AMG GT63 coupe features on-demand all-wheel drive, in which case, both the V-8 engine and the electric motor power the front and rear axles. In normal driving conditions or depending on the drive mode selected, the car sends power only to the rear. One downside of the AMG GT63 S E Performance is its curb weight of 4,674 pounds.

Porsche has its fair share of heavy hitters like the Panamera Turbo Hybrid. That said, the 911 still weighs well under 4,000 pounds, even in its heaviest version, which is not something Mercedes can say about its hybrid GT63 coupe. The current Porsche 992.1 Turbo S tips the scales at 3,615 pounds, and we know the T-hybrid powertrain expected to be in the 992.2 Turbo S would add about 110 pounds, so we are still looking at a much lighter sports car.

2025 Mercedes AMG GT63 S E Performance Specifications

The Mercedes AMG GT63 S E Performance is the brand’s first two-door, hybrid sports car. The 6.1kWh battery pack weighs 196 pounds and sits at the rear, improving weight distribution. Meanwhile, most of the M177 V-8 engine sits behind the front axle, making the GT63 S E Performance a front-mid-engine sports car. Here are the performance figures.

The AMG GT63 S E Performance manages to make the most out of its twin-motor setup. In most hybrid vehicles, the combustion engine and electric motor do not produce their peak power at the same time. But in the AMG coupe, they do, which is why the 612-horsepower, twin-turbo V-8, and the 204-horsepower e-motor produce a system output of 816 horsepower.

The 400-Volt architecture in the AMG GT63 hybrid allows for AC charging of up to 3.7 kW. It’s not a lot, but given the battery’s gross capacity of 6.1 kWh, it doesn’t need to be. Most GT63 S E Performance owners will, likely, not use AC charging often, as the car is very efficient in recuperating energy. At the same time. The M177 V-8 features a "hot V”, meaning the turbochargers occupy the space between the cylinder heads. This translates to a better response, which together with the instant torque from the electric motor makes the AMG GT63 S E Performance pretty quick off the line.

What you get in the Mercedes AMG GT63 that you don’t get in the Porsche 911 Turbo S

It’s clear that, on paper, even the current 992.1 Turbo S wins against the Mercedes AMG coupe, in terms of raw performance. The Turbo S is also praised as one of the most usable, high-performance sports cars ever made, but AMG may be able to trump that.

While both the Porsche and Mercedes coupes feature rear seats that are better used as additional storage space, the classic front-engine layout of the AMG GT63 opens up more cargo space – 19.85 cubic feet versus the Porsche 992 Turbo’s 4.52 cubic feet. Moreover, the GT63 features a hatchback-style tailgate, making it more practical. You also get a deep V-8 soundtrack, which let’s face it, Porsche’s iconic boxer engine cannot hope to match.

Can the AMG GT63’s price make a good case for it over the 911 Turbo S?

Official pricing for the range-topping Mercedes AMG GT63 S E Performance has not been announced yet, but it is expected to be around the $200,000 mark. Currently, we know that the regular, non-hybrid AMG GT63 costs around $178,000 while the most expensive version of the Porsche 992.2 (for now) - the Targa 4 GTS – costs $187,995. The current 992.1 Turbo S costs $230,000, but going by going by 911 price trends, expect the 992.2 Turbo S to cost more. While Porsche people will always go for the 911, for those looking for a great alternative, there is a front-engine, V-8-powered hybrid coupe from Germany that might just do the job.