Mercedes-AMG built an electric car for people who don't want one

Mercedes-AMG is preparing an electric car aimed not just at speed fans, but at drivers who still can't accept an EV without an angry engine up front. The new AMG GT 4-Door EV is being called one of the most important projects in the division's history.

AMG has already released a video from testing, where the prototype is being driven hard around a track. The car doesn't just go fast in a straight line: it's made to slide sideways with smoke pouring off the tyres. For AMG, that matters. An electric car shouldn't be a sterile gadget on wheels — it should misbehave the way the brand's combustion models always have.

At the core sits the new AMG.EA architecture. It's a dedicated 800-volt platform built specifically for electric AMGs, not a shared Mercedes base. The car uses three electric motors: two at the rear, one for each wheel, and another at the front. The units come from Britain's Yasa (a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary) and are compact, light axial-flux motors — roughly a third smaller and two-thirds lighter than conventional electric motors.

The two separate rear motors aren't just there for power. They allow torque to be split between the wheels with real precision. That kind of torque vectoring lets the car slide into a controlled drift and hold it the way you'd expect from a proper AMG. In the video, Mercedes F1 driver George Russell explains that around 40% throttle is enough to make the car break traction in style.

Output is promised at more than 1,000 hp. But AMG isn't betting on the number alone. The driver gets three rotary controllers on the centre console: they govern motor response, chassis behaviour and how aggressively the traction control intervenes. Want everything pinned down? The car will glue itself to the asphalt. Want a show? The electronics give you more rope.

The most controversial — and most important — piece is the simulated combustion character. The new AMG EV will mimic a V8, including the sound, virtual gear changes and haptic feedback through the seats. To some it'll feel like theatre, but for AMG it's a way to keep an emotional link with the driver. Smooth electric thrust is quick, but it isn't always engaging.

An SUV-style version of the electric GT will follow on the same hardware. Yet it's the saloon that will be AMG's first big test in this new era. It has to prove that an electric car can be more than fast — that it can also be loud, brash, adjustable and just a little wrong. In other words, exactly what an AMG should be.