Cars of the Year: Mercedes-AMG GT

It’s a difficult time for Mercedes-AMG. It’s tricky to be standing in the bright light of electrification when you’ve become known for making some of the most potent petrol engines available. Cars like the new C63 – with its plug-in hybrid setup – have shown Mercedes-AMG to be adjusting for the times while trying to preserve its history.

But this car – the Mercedes-AMG GT – is a lot like a car from the copybook of old. The previous-generation car rose to prominence as the firm’s fire-breathing range-topping, snarling away above other models in the range as a cross-continent cruiser that could happily turn its hand to a little bit of track driving should it need to.

While the Porsche 911 has always been about precision and sharpness, the AMG GT has acted as that car’s evil cousin, the naughty kid at the back of the room throwing wet paper towels at the roof just for kicks.

It’s the second-generation car which puts more focus on comfort than the car which came before it. It feels as though this is reflected in the exterior design, too, which is less ‘angry’ than the one on the older car. It’s far less supercar-like, that’s for sure. In a silver paint scheme, it pays a close resemblance to the latest SL, too, which is unlikely to be an accident – the two cars share a platform.

But the power on offer is no less potent. Up front, we’ve got a hulking 4.0-litre biturbo V8 engine with a healthy 577bhp, sending that power to all four wheels via the Mercedes 4Matic all-wheel-drive system which should, in theory, help to keep things on the straight and narrow. Mercedes also offers the AMG GT with a plug-in hybrid setup in the frankly mad hat 800bhp GT 63 S E Performance, but here we’re dealing with a V8 engine with just a light peppering of electrical assistance instead.

One of the biggest tweaks for this new generation of GT comes inside, however. You see, the AMG GT now comes (optionally) with four seats, bringing an extra layer of everyday versatility to the car with the three-pronged star on the nose. Sure, those rear seats are hardly going to give LeBron James space to stretch out, but you could, in theory, take the little ones to school if you wanted to.

So is this a softer, more grown-up version of the AMG GT? Well, in many ways – yes. This GT feels even happier to chew through the miles than the car which came before it; it was my car to drive from home on the south coast to our Brecon-based shoot location and not once did it cause an ache or a strain. The V8 engine settles away to a gentle thrum ahead of you while the adaptive cruise control takes the reins – for the most part. There’s even one of the best buttons in the business for turning off the annoying speed limit warning system, with a simple tap on the top-right of the huge central screen deactivating it instantly.

I would like Mercedes to refrain from putting touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel as it’s too easy to inadvertently change a track or radio station when you’re navigating a turn, but the cabin is a genuinely pleasant place to be otherwise. If it weren’t for the sub-20mpg efficiency you’re getting, you could be fooled that you’re riding in an S-Class.

I’d driven the older AMG GT on numerous occasions and with its long, stretched-out bonnet and hugely flared arches it was an intimidating thing to drive; certainly, the all-out GT-R version added to the tension with its firmer suspension and heavier steering. I loved it, as you’d imagine.

But this AMG GT? It’s certainly softer and more easy-going than before. It’s actually a little narrower than it was previously, while the cabin isn’t quite as far back and this means that while the GT is still a big car, it’s easier to thread through the narrow lanes that we’re on than you might expect.

As the rain falls, it’s the AMG GT which feels like a reassuring pair of wellingtons during a downpour – and I’d never have guessed that initially. Despite its enormous tyres, it’s a car which manages through poor conditions admirably, while the burble of the V8 engine is enough to break through the tapping of heavy rain on the windscreen as we pass through small towns and villages. It’s even got a big boot – large enough for our shoot lunch each day.

But does the AMG GT’s improved sandwich-carrying ability come at the expense of the tinge of madness it had beforehand? Absolutely. It’s capable, yes, but I feel like it has lost some of the character it had before. Sure, the hulking great V8 engine under the nose helps with that and ensures that the AMG GT doesn’t disappoint, but it’s as if someone knocked a bit of soul out of this car.

Price: £167,405
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8
Power: 577bhp
Torque: 800Nm
Max speed: 186mph
0-60mph: 3.0 seconds
MPG (combined): 20
Emissions: 319g/km CO2