Mercedes-AMG’s new GT 4-Door Coupe might not burn gasoline, but it definitely burns rubber, and wants you to convince you it torches both. The all-electric super sedan debuted yesterday packing up to 1,153 hp (1,169 PS / 860 kW) and enough synthetic V8 noise to make nearby Hellcats nervously check their mirrors.

AMG also released footage of a bright yellow four-door coupe being hammered around a test circuit so we can make our own minds up about the fake V8 growls, aggressive crackles, and simulated gearshifts.

Related: Mercedes-AMG Is Bringing Back The Noise, The Drama, And The V8

The mischievous Mercedes brand calls the system AMGFORCE S+, and unlike the generic spaceship noises many EVs settle for, this setup specifically tries to mimic the sound and feel of the AMG GT R’s V8. That means fake upshifts, fake drivetrain interruptions, fake burbling on overrun, and apparently enough bass-heavy theatrics to shake your chest while accelerating.

The company’s engineers went seriously over the top when creating it, too. Mercedes says the sound system uses more than 1,600 individual audio samples combined in real time depending on throttle inputs, speed, shifting events and driving behavior. There are even custom sounds for unlocking the car, plugging in the charger and starting launch control.

Three Axial-Flux Motors

All mouth? Not at all. The AMG with the fugliest back end we’ve seen on a new car for a long while has more than enough firepower to back up the noise. Riding on the company’s bespoke AMG.EA architecture, the GT 63 4Matic+ packs a 106 kWh battery, an 800-volt electrical system, and three axial-flux electric motors producing up to 1,153 hp and 1,475 lb-ft (2,000 Nm) of torque with launch control activated.

AMG claims it’ll hit 62 mph (100 kmh) in 2.1 seconds with US-type drag strip rollout, top out at 186 mph (300 kmh), and recharge from 10-80 percent in only 11 minutes thanks to 600 kW charging capability.

Fast, But Not For Real

So it’s brutally fast in every sense. But the fake V8 soundtrack is what everyone’s going to argue about. Some enthusiasts will love that AMG’s trying to preserve some emotional drama in the EV era. Others will probably think it’s the automotive equivalent of lip-syncing. But what do you think?

Watch the video, crank the volume up, and tell us whether AMG nailed it or completely lost the plot.

Mercedes-AMG

The all-electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door has been a long time coming, and a popular YouTuber may have just inadvertently leaked the all-new model. As the first EV built from the ground up by AMG, this new model will directly target the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.

The new model will debut in just a matter of hours, but it appears that a YouTuber published a preview video of the car a little too early, with a nearly 10-minute-long clip briefly appearing on their page. While it was swiftly deleted, a screenshot of the video’s thumbnail was captured, giving us an unimpeded view of the car.

Read: AMG’s New Electric GT Fakes Its V8 Noises Better Than Dodge’s Charger Daytona

As recent prototypes have revealed, the front end is dominated by a gaping, wide blacked-out front grille, just like many other Mercedes models. Positioned just above this grille is a small slit running under the hood, likely to also aid in cooling. As for the headlights, they feature an intriguing shape with Three-Pointed Star daytime running lights. Compared to the old ICE-powered AMG GT 4-Door, this new one looks a bit like a catfish.

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Somewhat making up for the EV’s odd front end is an exceptionally sleek roofline, with blacked-out wing mirrors and door handles that sit flush. A set of black wheels with red outer rims and red brake calipers is also visible.

An EV That Should Be Fun To Drive

Of course, it’s not just the design of this sedan that will impact whether or not it’s a success. Driving the wheels will be a trio of advanced Yasa axial-flux motors, likely combining to deliver over 1,000 hp. This will be more than enough to help the new AMG compete with the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.

Mercedes-AMG is also eager to ensure the car sounds like a proper AMG should. Recent testing videos have revealed that it will include a V8-inspired soundtrack and faux gears, as pioneered by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Mercedes-AMG has already shown us the inside of the upcoming 4-Door Coupe, but this week, we got a much better idea of what it’ll be like to really get behind the wheel. Why? Because today we heard the EV powertrain do its best V8 impression, fake gears and all.

The reveal takes place inside one of those cheesy promo videos Mercedes trots out every time it’s about ready to debut a new car. CEO Ola Källenius goes for a spin in a camouflaged prototype, and together with a co-host runs through some supposed “challenges” that don’t really prove anything at all.

Related: Mercedes-AMG Is Bringing Back The Noise, The Drama, And The V8

But there’s usually something interesting hidden in the fluff, and this GT video is no different. Most importantly, we get to hear the synthesized V8 noises the car makes when Mercedes-AMG F1 development driver Doriane Pin engages Sport+ mode and guns the four-door coupe hard from a dead stop.

Obviously, it’s hard to know from just watching a video how realistic those noises sound when you’re in the car, but they sound pretty good from here. Better than a Dodge Charger Daytona, that’s for sure.

Transmission Tips From Ioniq 5 N

And because AMG has worked in some fake shift points, we get to hear it barrp, barrp, barrp its way up to a pretend redline as it runs through some imaginary gears, just like a real combustion-powered GT 4 would. Skip to 4:30 on the video to jump straight to the key moment.

You might reasonably argue that if you want an AMG that sounds like a V8 so bad, then you should just get one, but that’s ignoring the fact that there are some massive tax advantages in some countries for going the EV route. And if you have to have an EV, you might as well have one with a sense of fun.

Slimline Motors

Besides, this new GT is much smarter than your average EV because it’s fitted with incredibly light axial flux motors from Yasa, the company that supplies electrical tech to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, and which Mercedes bought in 2021.

We don’t yet know exactly what kind of power the GT’s tri-motor setup produces, but the GT XX concept that previewed it made 1,341 hp (1,000 kW / 1,360 PS). Porsche’s top Taycan is already pushing out 1,034 hp (1,048 PS / 770 kW), and Xiaomi’s SU7 Ultra generates 1,526 hp (1,548 PS / 1,138 kW), so the AMG is going to need to summon as many horses as it can when it debuts, probably this summer.

The video also shows the GT pulling off some donuts, proving that the first car to use the AMG.EA electric platform can send its power exclusively to the rear tires if the driver wants, much like a V8 GT.

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