The Mercedes-AMG performance brand introduced a sports car concept Tuesday at the Geneva International Motor Show that combines a 4.0-liter V8 gas engine with an electric motor to create a powerful hybrid super beast capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under three seconds.
This is no two-seater sports car though. The Mercedes-AMG GT Concept is what the performance brand calls a four-door coupe—ignoring the traditional definition altogether. The sedan has an aggressive looking front and a coupe-like line, but with four doors.
The roofline continues, sloping down at the back to give it the fastback rear end. That fastback rear masks a rather large tailgate—and storage space—that makes this a practical super sports car.
The AMG GT Concept can be driven in all-electric, all-gas, or hybrid modes. The concept is equipped with the company’s all-wheel drive system, which is supported by the electric motor, to boost performance and handling.
And instead of clunky side mirrors, the concept uses miniature cameras, known as mirror cams.
The show car revealed at the Geneva aims to highlight the exterior design of the brand’s coming series production model. In other words, this concept, unlike many others revealed at auto shows, is coming to the marketplace.
The show car, which is tagged with an “EQ Power+” label, highlights where all performance hybrids are headed. Daimler says all performance hybrids from Mercedes-AMG will be given this label in future. Today, the AMG GT Concept and the Formula 1 vehicle are the only models to bear the new designation.
Daimler[/hotlink], the parent company of Mercedes and the Mercedes-AMG performance brand revealed in September 2016 that it was working on a new hypercar. The company also said at the time it planned to expand its range of upmarket AMG Mercedes-Benz performance cars by at least 10 models.
Little details were shared at the time, although Daimler did say research teams from the Mercedes Benz AMG division and the company’s Formula 1 engineers were working on the project. The AMG Hypercar will be unveiled at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt later this year.