Tested: The Mercedes-AMG GT63 Pro Can Be Both Wild and Docile
Wildflowers don't last long in the desert. If you want to catch those ethereal blooms before they wither in the heat, you have to get there fast. Say, in something like the Mercedes-AMG GT63 Pro. With 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, plus all-wheel drive to keep you stable on sand-swept roads, the GT Pro can eat up desert highway quicker than the native sphinx moth caterpillars devour evening primrose.
Okay, the GT63 Pro might have been overkill to chase superblooms. Even the base four-cylinder GT43 would be able to outrun a caterpillar, but there's something poetic about sending the muscled, twin-turbo V-8 of the GT Pro on a delicate mission of nature study. On the way, the long straights and mountain roads surrounding Borrego Springs, California, made the perfect testing grounds for a grand tourer with track aspirations.
It can be easy to forget that Mercedes has a long history of motorsports, since most of its passenger fleet leans toward cushy SUVs and executive electrics. Many are blisteringly fast, but the four-door configuration often blinds us to the performance. Not so the GT coupe. One look at its long hood, compact cabin, and tidy rear wing is an instant reminder that Mercedes's current dominance in Formula 1 is a historical norm, not a recent development.
For the GT63 Pro, Mercedes uses the same 4.0-liter V-8 that makes 577 horsepower in the regular GT63 and ups that by 26 horses. Such as all GT63s, the Pro gets AMG's Active Ride Control that hydraulically links the adaptive dampers at each corner, eliminating the need for a traditional anti-roll bar. Also carryover is the rear-wheel steering and all-wheel drive. The Pro adds carbon-ceramic brakes, plus additional driveline component cooling for track use as standard equipment. All of this is included in the base price, and aside from the useful front-axle lift ($1800), most of the options on our $216,910 test car were cosmetic, like yellow seatbelts ($300) to match its sunny paint, extra interior carbon fiber ($2850), and a microsuede headliner ($1600).
GT spotters will notice larger side openings with directional slats alongside the toothy grille, as well as the jaunty rear wing on the truncated decklid. Other changes for the Pro are underneath, where the differentials and transfer case are liquid-cooled, and undertray fins direct air to the big brakes.
The GT stayed cool and collected no matter how hot the temperatures rose around us in the desert, or how enthusiastic we got on the throttle. The V-8's roar is muffled by its turbo exhaust, but it pops discreetly on decel, and when those snorts and hiccups combine with the clatter of small pebbles flung from the GT's sticky (no-cost option) Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2R tires, it makes for a decently racy soundtrack.
At the test track, the Michelins kept the Mercedes in a tight circle, pulling 1.11 g's on the skidpad. It's grippy when starting and stopping, too, taking only 2.6 seconds to get to 60 mph, clearing a quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds at a roaring 128 mph, and coming to a halt from 70 mph in a seatbelt-straining 137 feet. On the road, that means being able to take tight corners quicker than you'd expect from a 4272-pound machine. Exiting those twists is effortless at any speed, with torque for days and quick downshifts from the nine-speed automatic. The steering is excellent, nicely weighted but not heavy, but the brakes don't have the best feel. There is a moment of mush before their hard halt. Despite that, the test results demonstrate that in a panic stop, they do their job with impressive results.
The GT Pro is so unflappable at high speed that it seems pointless to ever slow down, but when the scenery or the fear of jail time reminds you to ease off, the Mercedes just rumbles along, unbothered, showcasing the benefit of a big V-8.
HIGHS: Standout shape, scaldingly quick, sticky as a gecko on a Hawaiian ceiling.
At lower speeds, windows down to appreciate the smell of sage and prickly pear, the Mercedesness of the GT comes into play. It's low-slung and stiffly sprung, but the seats (upholstered in $1900 black nappa leather and microfiber) are plush, and the adaptive suspension relaxes when it isn't being tossed around corners. The only way this sports car could be more comfortable would be if it offered massaging seats along with the kinetic seat movement and heated and ventilated seats.
The downside of the Mercedes interior is the big center screen, which dominates the small cabin, distracting from the excellent view of the GT's long nose stretching toward the horizon. The curse of the oversize extends to a fat steering wheel with haptic controls that will have you scrolling through display options every time you twitch your thumb. There are a lot of settings and a lot of ways to adjust those settings. It's visually and ergonomically crowded, although by current Mercedes interior standards, it's understated.
LOWS: Complex infotainment, V-8 appetite, no massaging seats.
Although the GT is considered a 2+2, the back seats, should you go for that no-cost option, are for emergency use only. Best to consider everything behind the driver and passenger as additional luggage space. The actual cargo room is pretty good at 11 cubic feet and deep enough for a real suitcase.
The GT Pro is not a cheap ride. It's thirsty too, returning 13 mpg during its time with us. It's a heavy car with a heavy price tag, and if you're shopping for a track toy, there are lighter and more affordable places to rest your helmet.
VERDICT: The race-ready AMG GT63 Pro is coolly capable on the track and makes you look cool on the street.
If, however, you're looking for a sports car that looks ferocious but can handle commuter tasks as easily as it can rip through a road course, while upping driver confidence without the complications of any hybrid add-ons, the GT Pro is the pick. That's a rare bloom these days and worth a drive to experience.
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Specifications
Specifications
2025 Mercedes-AMG GT63 Pro
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested*: $205,550/$216,910
Options: AMG carbon trim, $2850; driver assistance package, $1950; black nappa leather/microfiber with yellow contrast stitching, $1900; front axle lift system, $1800; Manufaktur black microfiber headliner, $1600; 21-inch AMG forged split-spoke black wheels, $500; Magic Vision Control $350; yellow seatbelts, $300; AMG fuel cap, $110
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 243 in3, 3982 cm3
Power: 603 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 627 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 16.5-in vented, cross-drilled ceramic disc/14.2-in vented, cross-drilled ceramic disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R
F: 295/30ZR-21 (102Y) MO1
R: HL305/30ZR-21 (107Y) MO1
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 106.3 in
Length: 186.1 in
Width: 78.1 in
Height: 53.3 in
Passenger Volume: 53 ft3
Cargo Volume: 11 ft3
Curb Weight: 4272 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 2.6 sec
100 mph: 6.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 10.8 sec @ 128 mph
130 mph: 11.1 sec
150 mph: 15.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.1 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.5 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.6 sec
Top Speed (mfr claim): 197 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 137 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 274 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.11 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 13 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 14/12/19 mpg
*Pricing reflects 2026 model year
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2." In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.