It’s a half-mile drag race between a top-of-the-line Mercedes AMG GT 63 with an internal combustion engine and a top-of-the-line electric Mercedes AMG EQS 53. Two cars that occupy the top of the Mercedes AMG food chain. However, one represents the culmination of internal combustion, while one is the electric future.
The AMG GT 6.3 uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 combined with an electric motor on the rear axle to produce a combined 843 horsepower. By comparison, the EQS 53 produces only 760 horsepower. Those numbers make it seem like the gasoline-powered AMG GT has the advantage, but not so fast. Like all electric vehicles, the EQS makes its power immediately. There’s no powerband or waiting for the turbos to spool up.
Ultimately, the instant power isn’t enough to overcome the power deficiency or the extra weight. In the drag race held by Carwow, the AMG GT 63 routinely bested the EQS. When testing the EQS earlier this year, we noted the standard dual-motor arrangement offers a Race mode, temporarily increasing power from 649 to 751 horsepower. It’s good for a 3.4-second sprint to 60 mph but not good enough to beat the AMG GT 63.
Despite the similar size, the EQS is more than 600 pounds heavier than the AMG GT 63. In addition to weighing less, the gasoline-powered AMG GT 63 has an ace up its sleeve, with the electric motor driving the rear wheels. It takes a second, but once the twin-turbo V8 gets in sync with the electric motors, it simply pulls away. Its 0 to 60 time beats the EQS by over half a second, reaching 60 mph in 2.84 seconds.
If the regular Mercedes AMG GT 63 isn’t wild enough, there’s also an E Performance F1 Edition. Finished in Alpine Grey paint and AMG graphics, it includes an aero package with a bigger front splitter, extra air deflectors, a fixed rear spoiler, and a more aggressive diffuser. As for the EQS, there are no special performance or trim packages yet, but it’s a good bet Mercedes AMG could have something in the works.
