The high-performance two-door boasts 805 horsepower, F1-derived hybrid bits, and active ride control and rear steering
There be a new top dog amongst GT Coupes over at Mercedes-Benz. Boasting no less than 805 horsepower; up to 1,047 pound-feet of torque; and some novel power-distribution technology, the new 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance is the most powerful production plug-in hybrid coupe in the company’s lineup. And, accelerating to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) in just 2.8 seconds and topping out at 320 km/h (199 mph) it packs a serious punch.
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Said punch results from the pairing of Mercedes’ ubiquitous 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo — in this guise fortified with 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque — with a 201-hp Electric Drive Unit in the rear. So far, so good, right? Separate power units coming together to propel a sports car to mad speeds? Interesting, but not exactly novel.
What is novel, however, is that AMG says that EDU integrates the 201-hp permanently-excited synchronous electric motor and electrically shifted two-speed transmission right into the limited-slip rear differential. Mercedes then mounts the lightweight AMG High Performance Battery right above that rear axle.
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
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This design has numerous advantages, says Mercedes. Besides offsetting the big lump of internal-combustion engine up front for better weight distribution, AMG says it “converts its power more directly into propulsion for an extra boost when starting off from a standstill, accelerating, or overtaking.”
But, when the rear wheels do slip, thanks to its direct connection to the axle and AMG’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, the electric motor’s torque can be directed to the front wheels via the mechanical driveshaft and front axles. Most car companies brag about the electrical control offered by electric motors; Mercedes-AMG is rejoicing in the mechanical connection the novel placement of its EDU offers.
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According to the company, the 400-volt lithium-ion battery is “inspired” by technologies used in its Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s Formula One racers, specifically its cooling system. Most common battery-temperature management systems — by now, I hopefully don’t have to tell anyone that li-ion batteries operate most efficiently in a narrow temperature window — are either air- or liquid-cooled, with systems that lower the temperature of the cases holding the individual cells.
Mercedes’ “direct cooling” system uses a high-tech coolant — based on an electrically non-conductive liquid — that flows around all 560 cells and cools them both individually and directly. Compared to those more common indirect systems, Mercedes says its application has a much higher heat-dissipation ability.
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Those 560 cells, by the way, offer up 6.1 kilowatt-hours of energy, some 1.3 kWh more than the four-door version of the S E Performance. Presumably that means the two-door coupe will allow for more than the four-door’s 10 kilometres (six miles) of electric-only range.
Perhaps more interesting it that the older four-door actually boasts 27 more horsepower than the newer two-door version, mainly the result of the big 4.0-litre V8 having, well, 27 ponies less. (Presumably AMG has turned down the turbo boost, but more details on this last as we get them.) It’s also worth noting that those 6.1 kWh can be charged by plugging in via an onboard 3.6 kW charger.
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Probably not developed using the ground effects that makes the Petronas F1 racer so rapid, but using wind tunnel info gleaned from racing, active aerodynamics contribute to the “agile handling” of the 63 S E Performance. At speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph), the whole car is lowered some 40 millimetres (1.6 inches) causing a venturi effect and reducing lift at the front axle.
Another active component is the retractable rear spoiler that changes position based on vehicle speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, and steering speed. Depending on which drive program is selected, the spoiler can assume as many as five different angular position to either optimize stability or reduce drag.
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As if that’s not enough, there’s a new version of AMG’s Active Ride Control that offers “active roll stabilization.” Essentially, active hydraulic actuators replace conventional mechanical anti-roll bars and can vary their stiffness according to deteced roll during cornering within fractions of a second. On top of that, all four dampers have separate adjustability for their compression and rebound circuits, and the damping chambers at all four wheels are interconnected.
In other words, not only can the anti-roll bar stiffness be controlled according to cornering needs, but so can the individual shock absorbers. As Mercedes says, the “roll spring rate” adjustments are very wide.
But, even everyday less-than-hooligan comportment benefits. For instance, imagine a road with a deep rut in only one track. According to Mercedes, the new S E Performance can compensate for this one-sided road imperfection by actively altering camber on one side of the car.
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2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PerformancePhoto by Mercedes-Benz
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As with so many Mercedes, the S E Performance steers the rear wheel along with the fronts. Up to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) they steer in the opposite direction as the fronts for a tighter turning radius and greater agility; above 100 km/h, the rears match the direction of the front tires for increased stability. Mercedes says other advantages include easier vehicle control at the limit; and less steering effort because steering the rear wheels allows the traditional steering ratio to be “more direct.”
There be all manner of other goodies underneath the new S E Performance’s sleek exterior. Huge carbon-ceramic discs — giant 420-mm items in front — keep all that power under control, and “aerodynamically optimized” 20-inch AMG 10-spoke alloy wheels — in Tantalum Grey — are wrapped in sticky 295/35R20 and 305/35R20 performance radials.
Mercedes says there’re also personalization options through its Manufaktur program. The company has not released information detailing pricing, but did note the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance would arrive in Canadian dealerships in late 2024.
David Booth is Driving’s senior writer as well as the producer of Driving.ca’s Driving into the Future panels and Motor Mouth podcasts. Having written about everything from the exact benefits of Diamond Like Coating (DLC) on motorcycle camshafts to why Range Rovers are the best vehicles for those suffering from opiod-induced constipation, Booth leaves no stone unturned in his quest for automotive veritas. Besides his long tenure with Driving, he was the editor in chief of Autovision magazine for 25 years and his stories has been published in motorcycle magazines around the world including the United States, England, Germany and Australia.
Graduating from Queen Elizabeth High School in 1973, Booth moved to from his Northern Quebec home town of Sept-Iles — also home to Montreal Canadiens great, Guy Carbonneau, by the way — to Ottawa to study Mechanical Engineering at Carleton University where he wrote a thesis on the then burgeoning technology of anti-lock brakes for motorcycles and spent time researching the also then burgeoning use of water tunnels for aerodynamic testing.
After three years writing for Cycle Canada magazine and another three working for the then oldest magazine in Canada, Canadian Automotive Trade, Booth, along with current Driving writer, Brian Harper, and then Toronto Star contributor, Alex Law, created an automotive editorial services group that supplied road tests, news and service bulletins to what was then called Southam newspapers. When Southam became Postmedia with its purchase by Conrad Black and the subsequent introduction of the National Post, Booth was asked to start up the then Driver’s Edge section which became, as you might suspect, Driving.ca when Postmedia finally moved into the digital age. In the past 41 tears, Booth has tested well over 500 motorcycles, 1,500 passenger cars and pretty much every significant supercar of the last 30 years. His passion — and, by far, his proudest achievement — however is Motor Mouth, his weekly column that, after some 30 years, remains as incisive and opinionated as ever.
Booth remains an avid sports enthusiast — that should be read fitness freak — whose favourite activities include punching boxing bags until his hands bleed and running ski hills with as little respect for medial meniscus as 65-year-old knees can bear. His underlying passion, however, remains, after all these years, motorcycles. If he’s not in his garage tinkering with his prized 1983 CB1100RC — or resurrecting another one – he’s riding Italy’s famed Stelvio Pass with his beloved — and much-modified — Suzuki V-strom 1000. Booth has been known to accept the occasional mojito from strangers and the apples of his eye are a certain fellow Driving contributor and his son, Matthew, who is Global Vice-President of something but he’s never quite sure what. He welcomes feedback, criticism and suggestions at David@davebooth.ca
CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines has struck a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer satellite-based Starlink WiFi service on flights within the next several years.
The airline said Friday the service will be free to passengers.
United said it will begin testing the service early next year and begin offering it on some flights by later in 2025.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The announcement comes as airlines rush to offer more amenities as a way to stand out when passengers pick a carrier for a trip. United’s goal is to make sitting on a plane pretty much like being on the ground when it comes to browsing the internet, streaming entertainment and playing games.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do on board a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” CEO Scott Kirby said in announcing the deal.
The airline says Starlink will allow passengers to get internet access even over oceans and polar regions where traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals may be weak or missing.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Sony has made it easy for Canadian consumers to preorder the PlayStation 5 Pro in Canada directly from PlayStation’s official website. Here’s how:
While preordering directly from PlayStation is a popular option, you can also secure your PS5 Pro through trusted Canadian retailers. These retailers are expected to offer preorders on or after September 26:
Steps to Preorder via Canadian Retailers:
Many retailers and websites offer the option to sign up for notifications when the preorder goes live. If you’re worried about missing out due to high demand, this can be a useful option.
Preordering the PS5 Pro is expected to be competitive, with high demand likely to result in quick sellouts, just as with the initial release of the original PS5. To maximize your chances of securing a preorder:
The PlayStation 5 Pro is set to take gaming to the next level with its enhanced performance, graphics, and new features. Canadian gamers should be ready to act fast when preorders open on September 26, 2024, to secure their console ahead of the holiday season. Whether you choose to preorder through PlayStation’s official website or your preferred retailer, following the steps outlined above will help ensure a smooth and successful preorder experience.
For more details on the PS5 Pro and to preorder, visit direct.playstation.com or stay tuned to updates from major Canadian retailers.
Since the PlayStation 5 (PS5) launched four years ago, PlayStation has continuously evolved to meet the demands of its players. Today, we are excited to announce the next step in this journey: the PlayStation 5 Pro. Designed for the most dedicated players and game creators, the PS5 Pro brings groundbreaking advancements in gaming hardware, raising the bar for what’s possible.
The PS5 Pro comes equipped with several key performance enhancements, addressing the requests of gamers for smoother, higher-quality graphics at a consistent 60 frames per second (FPS). The console’s standout features include:
Game creators have quickly embraced the new technology that comes with the PS5 Pro. Many games will receive free updates to take full advantage of the console’s new features, labeled as PS5 Pro Enhanced. Some of the highly anticipated titles include:
These updates will allow players to experience their favorite games at a higher fidelity, taking full advantage of the console’s improved graphics and performance.
Maintaining consistency within the PS5 family, the PS5 Pro retains the same height and width as the original PS5 model. Players will also have the option to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive or swap console covers when available.
Additionally, the PS5 Pro is fully compatible with all existing PS5 accessories, including the PlayStation VR2, DualSense Edge, Pulse Elite, and Access controller. This ensures seamless integration into your current gaming setup.
The PS5 Pro will be available starting November 7, 2024, at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of:
Each PS5 Pro comes with a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed. Pre-orders begin on September 26, 2024, and the console will be available at participating retailers and directly from PlayStation via direct.playstation.com.
The launch of the PS5 Pro marks a new chapter in PlayStation’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences. Whether players choose the standard PS5 or the PS5 Pro, PlayStation aims to provide the best possible gaming experience for everyone.
Preorder your PS5 Pro and step into the next generation of gaming this holiday season.
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