Of late, high-performance Mercedes AMG cars have been making a big racket. I mean, they are loud. And Wotan knows this beast must have made some noise when it was blasting around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In this case, though, the “big racket” we’re talking about is how the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S is the fastest luxury class vehicle on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Yes, calling it the “fastest luxury class vehicle” is kind of equivocating and slicing the cake a bit thin, but why not let Mercedes AMG have it? Because this thing, a sort of quasi-sedan/coupe thing, is Fast with a capital F.
Right Tools For The Job
The new record, 7:23.009 minutes, was set by former racing driver and AMG development engineer Demian Schaffert, beating his own previous lap record by 2.3 seconds. And not to detract from Herr Schaffert, but given the tools he had to work with, it seems like a lead pipe cinch. The bi-turbo Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S was completely stock, but “stock” in this case means it comes with enough tech to mistake it for Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes GP car.
The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S is equipped with a fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system, active rear-axle steering, an electronically controlled rear-axle limited-slip differential, and the AMG DYNAMICS agility program. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires sure helped, as did the AMG Aerodynamics Package, increasing stability at higher speeds and reducing the aerodynamic drag.
As for that bi-turbo engine, it’s a 4.0-liter plant that cranks out 630 horsepower and 664 lb-ft. of torque. It’s connected to an AMG-developed nine-speed transmission. Top speed of the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S is 195 mph with a zero to 60 time of 3.1 seconds.
Difficult Weather Conditions
It’s also worth noting the track conditions when they set the record were pretty terrible. Not raining buckets, but, with an outside temperature of 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit and a track temp of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s c-o-l-d cold. Getting heat, and therefore grip, to the tires had to be a real bear. You can tell from the video below that it was a gloomy day when Mercedes AMG did the record lap. Yet Schaffert seemed unfazed.
“Even though I’ve been accompanying our GT 63 through its development for several years now, it’s always impressive to see the widespread we have been able to achieve with this exclusive vehicle. This is especially true after the recent slight revision,” he explained. “On the one hand, the four-door coupe is comfortable and equipped with many intelligent safety features for everyday driving, and on the other hand it offers this extremely high level of driving dynamics and precision, which we have now been able to demonstrate once again on the demanding Nordschleife.”
Check out the video below of Schaffert’s handiwork with the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
