Mercedes Puts the Porsche Panamera In Its Crosshairs With The 805-HP AMG GT Concept

This hybrid-electric beast rips to 60mph in under three seconds.

For its third entirely in-house model (following the SLS AMG and AMG GT), Mercedes’ AMG high-performance subsidiary imagines applying the form language of its AMG GT two-seater to an ultra-performance hybrid-electric four door hatchback.

This 805-horsepower beast rips to 60 mph in less than three seconds while providing passenger and luggage accommodations for a double-date weekend getaway. Performance is courtesy of what AMG chairman Tobias Moers terms a “ultra-modern V8” and a boost from electric motors in the fashion of Mercedes’ Formula One champion race cars.

The AMG-GT Concept wears the brand’s toothy Panamericana grille, slender headlights and new “Hot Red” paint which is formulated to shimmer like liquid metal in the light.

An unusual technical aspect of the AMG GT Concept’s battery for its hybrid electric drive system is that it is designed to be scalable, so some models might be built with minimal batteries for a brief performance jolt, while others might have larger packs to permit prolonged electric-only operation. This could permit owners to drive such cars into city centers where combustion engines might be prohibited, for example.

While this is a concept car, Mercedes acknowledges that its bodywork previews the styling of an upcoming production model. With the German car industry’s home show coming to Frankfurt in September, it is a good bet we will see the real car then.