After last week’s tease, we’re now seeing the “sedan” variant of what will eventually be a pair of AMG performance cars based on the company’s new electric architecture, officially (and efficiently) dubbed AMG.EA. Mercedes is calling its first effort the AMG GT XX, and this four-door concept is a prelude to two forthcoming production models that should debut in the coming year. The second will be an SUV that will compete with the BMW XM, and we’ll probably see early signs of it either late this year or early next.
EV platforms are notoriously fluid given the rapidly evolving landscape, but AMG.EA incorporates a series of significant advancements across its entire ecosystem, from batteries featuring an all-new chemistry to a new, compact axial flux motor design—a convenient upside when you’re trying to fit several of them. Imagine a disc brake assembly that makes a car go, rather than stop. And the kicker? Just one can produce hundreds of horsepower. Mercedes says that each of the AMG GT XX’s three motors is less than 3.5 inches wide.
Yep, three motors, and from them, 1,341 horses. They’re split into two separate drive units (one front, one rear), with two of those three residing in the rear drive unit, not only biasing its power output rearward, but allowing for each motor to function as half of a near-infinitely variable torque-vectoring system on the rear “axle” along with dynamic distribution between the front and rear drive units, both of which have dedicated cooling circuits to help sustain continuous torque output. Mercedes says it’ll hit a top speed of 223 mph—spicy, for a four-door EV. The Taycan Turbo tops out at 190, while the Model S Plaid hovers at 200.
Powering all of this is a new NCMA (nickel//cobalt/manganese/aluminum) battery chemistry. The 3,000-cell battery pack is directly cooled and optimized for power density, charging speed, and longevity, says Mercedes-Benz. The GT One XX is also capable of 850kW (1,000+amp) fast-charging, which can add 400 km (or 248-ish miles) of range in just five minutes. This is based on WLTP calculations and requires a charger capable of delivering that much juice, so take it with a grain of salt. Still. Impressive. And those wheels? They incorporate active aero. The vanes reposition themselves based on the car’s drive mode. When aiming for efficiency, they close off to reduce drag. For performance, they adjust to allow better air flow to the brakes. Individual generators powered by the wheels provide the electricity to run the tiny actuators mounted in their hubs.
And as Mercedes teased last week, the GT XX will make noises. How exactly that will be implemented, the company didn’t say. The initial announcement made no mention of a dedicated “exhaust” sound system, but did note that the GT XX has external speakers embedded in its headlight housings capable of emitting “driving sounds.” Yep, that’s the wrong end, but it would explain why Benz’s teaser clip featured the front of the car, rather than the rear. Mercedes says these can also be used for other required exterior sounds, such as pedestrian warning signals.
Inside, the GT XX features several newly developed and more sustainable materials, including synthetic “leather” made from recycled rubber, vegetable proteins, and biopolymers, and 100% biodegradable “silk” threading produced by genetically modified bacteria.
Sadly, Mercedes doesn’t yet have any numbers to offer for a few key metrics, including both its overall range estimate and virtually all of its performance figures, including 0-60. But with three motors and over 1,300 horsepower, it’s pretty safe to expect it’ll be stupid quick off the line—and just about everywhere else, including the charging station.
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Byron is a contributing writer and auto reviewer with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
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