As a car critic, the most frequent question I’m asked is, “What’s your favorite car?”
To be honest, I hate the query. There’s no simple answer. Cars are tools (sometimes toys), and my favorite vehicle for any particular job depends on the job. So determining a “favorite” demands certain considerations: What’s my budget? Is this my only car or one of many? Am I driving it myself or will I be luxuriating in the back seat? Am I using it on pockmarked Los Angeles streets, on wide-open Texas highways, on winding Portuguese corniches?
You get the picture.
Lately I’ve been saying that the car that surprised me most in 2025 was the Jaguar SUV used by Waymo. But that’s a different column. If pressed, I’ll name the car that managed to lodge itself in my memory as the one that made the job fun. The one that made me smile when I saw it parked waiting for me in the morning. The one I looked for reasons to drive that extended beyond daily chores and commuting. The one that I proudly posted on social media, and that I didn’t want to give back after the press loan ended.
In 2025, that car was the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance coupe. There are five different versions of the AMG GT available — this particular one with the unwieldy long name is Mercedes’ new $202,200 variant with a whopper of an 805-horsepower hybrid V-8, agile all-wheel drive and useful, if small, back seats.
It’s no accident it’s a hybrid. I’ve long said (and the market is agreeing) that hybrids are the best solution for the uncertainty in the transition between internal combustion and electric power. Just a few weeks ago even the European Union abandoned a controversial ban on combustion-engines set for 2035 and gave hybrids a prominent role in its goal to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050.
These are all radical changes for a longstanding model line that Mercedes has now elevated to better compete against similar offerings from Porsche. (More on those in a minute.) I still remember the first time I saw it parked outside my house. It was painted in “Desert Sand,” a color as polarizing as marmite. (Comments — the publishable ones — on my Instagram account varied from “horrendous” to “splendid.”) The Manufaktur Signature hue wasn’t what I’d have picked for one of my own vehicles, but it caught my attention, and I liked that. Plus, the 21-inch forged gold wheels made it pop. Their split spokes felt like the flash of an elegant wristwatch or aureate ring on someone with real style.
The new four-seat AMG GT doesn’t have quite the exquisite aquiline snout of its predecessor, nor is it perfectly proportioned like the 911, but I hadn’t driven 100 feet before I discovered more than enough goodies inside to offset any reservations about the body shape.
It has natural wood-grain trim elements on the doors and Burmester surround sound. It has ergonomic seats that are heated and cooled and give good massages. I loved that the panorama roof was covered by a sunshade that was not automated — simple is always better. The expansive legroom and headroom easily accommodated my penchant for wearing boots with a stacked heel and any number of hats. With such thoughtful cabin accoutrements, I was happy to spend multiple hours each day in the driver’s seat as I picked my way through Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Century City on the way to work.
More important, from a performance perspective, the AMG GT is a viable alternative to the Porsche 911, which dominates the sports-car segment. Here’s how I figure: While the price of the AMG GT most closely matches the $184,000 Porsche 911 GTS, its performance more closely approximates the Porsche 911 Turbo S — which costs $270,300. At this level, you get a big bang for your buck in the Mercedes.
Even though their corporate offices sit just six miles apart in Stuttgart, Germany, the difference between the coupe from Mercedes and the one from Porsche is like comparing bratwurst and brötchen. They’re different meals altogether.
At 4,828 pounds, the AMG GT is heavier and wider from mirror to mirror than the 3,829-pound 911 Turbo S. It doesn’t have quite the slice-n-dice steering and laser-sharp braking of the lighter car; it might dart like an angry wasp down Sunset Boulevard, but it’s not quite as livid as the 911. It’ll get from 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds, which is a very fast time, but still a half-hiccup slower than the 2.4-second Turbo S. (For the record, both of those times blow away the new Ferrari Amalfi, which clocks in at over 3.3 seconds.) Top speed in the AMG GT is 199 mph, compared with 200 mph for the Porsche. If you can tell the difference at that velocity, let me know.
So yeah, the 911 beats this handsome brute in some categories. But with 1,047 pound-feet of torque — twice that of the Porsche — and more than 100 more horsepower, the AMG GT is a fearsome hammer. Accelerating out of the world-class corners of Los Angeles Crest felt like exhibit A, B and C of proving it owns the title of quickest road-going Mercedes ever built.
I want to be clear: This is not a referendum on the fabulous 911, an exceptional Swiss Army knife of a car. But Mercedes has created a worthy challenger here. If you want to spend less money and stand out more in your neighborhood, the Mercedes-AMG GT is a worthwhile option. Who knows? It might even become your favorite new car too.
This report is auto-generated from Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.