New Mercedes-AMG GT 55 review: aims at the Porsche 911, but misses

Verdict

In Mercedes' wider AMG GT range, we think this is the model that makes the most sense. It’s got more than enough performance for the road, benefits from the fantastic soundtrack of that V8 engine, yet doesn’t have the complexity – or the weight – of the hybrid set-ups in the more expensive models above. Despite this, we think this new, more rounded Mercedes-AMG GT has lost the character of its predecessor, and still can’t match the driver appeal of the Porsche 911.

This is Mercedes-AMG’s flagship sports car, the GT. For its second generation, there’s a wide range of models to choose from. The range-topping GT 63 S E Performance offers insane straight-line performance courtesy of its mix of V8 and electrical power, while at the base of the range there’s a four-cylinder turbo in the GT 43. 

Between those two are a pair of good old-fashioned V8s; there’s no hybrid assistance, no big batteries, just a noisy 4.0-litre engine with lots of cylinders backed up by a pair of turbochargers. Here we have the marginally less potent of those two, the AMG GT 55. And it’s clear from the off that this is my sweet spot of the range. 

Used - available now

2022 Mercedes

A-Class

29,364 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L

Cash £16,200

View A-Class

2019 Mercedes

GLA

41,580 milesAutomaticDiesel2.1L

Cash £19,199

View GLA

2020 Citroen

C3 Aircross

17,349 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £11,099

View C3 Aircross

2021 Skoda

Fabia Estate

40,939 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £11,149

View Fabia Estate

The M177 V8 isn’t at its most outlandish here, but it’s still hardly short on poke - power stands at 469bhp, while peak torque is 700Nm. With drive sent via all four wheels, it’s enough for the GT 55 to clock a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds. That’s six tenths down on the 63 and a second off the hybrid 63 E Performance, but when we mashed the right pedal to the floor and felt the furious shove from that V8 in our backs, I really didn’t feel like I needed any more.

And it’s made all the better by the devilish soundtrack. Emissions regulations may have done their best to dampen the noise coming from those quad exhausts, but this is still a thunderous, thrilling engine - which is the biggest selling point of the AMG GT.

With that drive sent to all four wheels, it’s possible to use much of that power, too. Purely as a tool for covering ground, this is an incredibly effective car. The suspension manages to cope with bumps better than some competitors at low speeds, while high-speed refinement – apart from a little road noise – is great, too. 

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But beyond these strong points, minor irritations started to take the shine off one by one. First, there’s the gearbox. While it’s competent enough in auto mode, in manual mode it’s not very responsive to flicks of the paddle. So despite your best judgement, it’s all too easy to inadvertently have progress halted by the rev limiter when accelerating hard. Given that Mercedes has fitted the GT with an agonisingly slow and soft limiter, such events become a touch frustrating. 

But not as frustrating as some of the safety systems. Modern Mercedes cars feature seat belt pretensioners that suddenly tighten during heavy braking; the car assumes it’s about to have a crash, so it grips the occupants in the safest position. The trouble is, the brakes on the GT are supremely powerful (even if the pedal’s feedback isn’t the most reassuring under foot), so when you’re enjoying yourself on a twisty road, it’s very easy to lean on them enough for this to happen. So just as I was trying to get under the car’s skin, the seatbelts tightened so violently that they practically buried themselves within my own.

And that’s if the autonomous emergency systems haven’t already got you. On several occasions, whether pulling out of junctions or even reversing into a tight parking space, the car would refuse to move because it felt that conditions weren’t safe - even when I was certain that they were. I can sort of forgive an over-zealous safety system on a car which might be driven by people who only want to get from A to B, but the GT is more likely to be driven by keen drivers, so we can’t help feeling that Mercedes might need to trust them more.

Perhaps more concerning than any of that, though, is that I struggled to find much sparkle in the GT 55’s character. Yes, it can definitely go quickly around corners, but it does so without the lairy, slightly juvenile excitement of the old GT, or the precision and delicacy of a Porsche 911. It's not a car that's particularly easy to gel with; the steering never quite feels natural when pushing on, so even when the tyres start to load up in a corner, it’s hard to judge where the limits really are. Some wiggle room in judging that limit can be aided by the rearward bias of the four-wheel drive system, which allows you to push the car around the turn from the rear axle, but feedback is a little lacking for a car that’s this quick. 

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And a car this heavy. Sure, the GT 55 is a full 200kg lighter than the plug-in hybrid 63 E Performance – and that does make a difference to its agility in the corners – but this four-seat coupe still weighs 2,120kg. The closest alternative in the Porsche line-up in terms of both price and drive layout, the GTS Carrera 4, weighs precisely 400kg less. 

Calling a car that’s got a big V8 lacking in character might seem strange, but when it has the high standards of its old predecessor to live up to, it’s sadly true. I loved the old AMG GT. I was lucky enough to drive a few different versions, and thanks to the dramatic long-bonnet proportions, the cabin full of supercar drama, and the huge transmission tunnel scattered with buttons (which meant it wasn't the most ergonomically sound), it always felt like a massive event. Low-slung driving position aside, the new car’s touchscreen-dominated cabin looks little different from what you’d find in a C-Class.

But it was the drive that set the old car apart. With all its power going to the rear wheels, it was a handful, but in the way a proper supercar should be. And it sounded glorious, too. I even liked it in its flat-plane crank form as the Black Series – the car now starring on F1 tracks as the official Safety Car – which put me in a minority among my peers. The Black's staggeringly capable chassis also helped its cause, with incredible poise and balance. 

Was the old AMG GT the most polished all-rounder for the money? No, a Porsche 911 would be better to live with every day. But the Mercedes was distinctive and characterful enough in its own right that I could completely understand why someone would choose one over a 911.

Mercedes-AMG has straightened the car’s laces with this second-gen model, in the hopes that a 321-litre boot and some very tiny rear seats will steal sales away from Porsche. But its practicality and its V8 engine remain the only two compelling reasons to choose it over its closest rivals. And I’m not convinced that’s enough.

Fancy getting your hands on a Mercedes-AMG GT? You can buy a used Mercedes-AMG GT for less than £50,000 through our Buy a Car service.