Biblical clouds breeze across the sky above, vacillating between brief, glorious moments of sunshine and dark gray clouds unleashing onslaughts of track-soaking downpours. It’s finally my turn to drive Mercedes-AMG’s new GT63 Pro on the Ascari racing circuit, and despite not having driven the car or the track before, I’m not worried. The sky is blue as I walk toward the herd of red and gray cars, and as I approach, the growl of a gaggle of burbling twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8s gradually grows louder. My inner child is grinning from ear to ear. As I select the largest helmet available and squeeze it over my gargantuan skull, it suddenly begins to pour down rain. “Well, I guess this is gonna be a real test of the new AMG GT63 Pro’s supposed driver friendliness,” I think to myself as I wait for the driver’s seat to whirr back into its rear-most position in preparation for my lengthy frame. I ease myself behind the wheel and into the surprisingly spacious driver’s seat; mercifully, I fit.
Full Disclosure: Mercedes-AMG flew me to Spain to drive the CLE53 Cabriolet on road and to experience the AMG GT63 Pro on the Ascari racing circuit. It was my first time in this part of Spain, and my first time driving on the gorgeous string of tarmac that is Ascari. I exclusively drove the GT63 Pro on track, so there are no on-road impressions in this review. I’m endlessly grateful for this opportunity to remember how cool my job is, and to experience the beauty of the Andalusian region.
The GT63 Pro is meant to be both approachable daily driver and capable track day car that helps drivers squeeze out the best lap times, in contrast to the previous-generation AMG GT R Pro that was a dedicated track attack machine and didn’t coddle drivers in any way at any time. This is not a direct replacement for that car, but clarifying the naming similarity is in order. Like other second-gen AMG GTs, the GT63 Pro has standard all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering, and its handcrafted twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 produces 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, up 26 horsepower and 37 torques over the standard GT63. It’s 0.5 seconds faster to 124 mph than the standard car, but despite the additional power, the 0-to-60-mph time remains the same at 3.1 seconds. Improved track day longevity comes courtesy of aero tweaks for increased downforce and cooling, water cooling for all three differentials, two additional radiators for a grand total of four, and standard carbon-ceramic brakes with extra cooling inlets when compared to the GT63.
It’s visually distinguished from its lesser sibling by subtly wider front air ducts and checkered flag emblems attached to its fenders and hind end, and it can be had as a 2+2 with virtually useless rear seats or as a true two-seater. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but a Mercedes-AMG representative told me to anticipate the Pro’s starting price to be around the $200,000 mark, about $20,000 more than a normal GT63. That’s a lot of car to be taking around a wet track for the first time ever, but there I was.
Legendary racing icon Bernd Schneider’s enchanting accent comes over the walkie talkie giving us an idea of what to expect. One warm-up lap to familiarize ourselves with things, three hot laps, and one cool-down lap. “I just have to make it through five laps without going off, I can do this,” I think. Sure, I’m certified in performance driving and vehicle handling, but I’ve never driven on the notorious Ascari before, and my first hot laps will be in the rain. I adjust everything to my liking, and Bernd begins to pull on track. I pop the AMG GT into drive, flip the wipers to full speed, and take a deep breath. Even Eminem would struggle to comprehend how apocalyptically sweaty my palms are, but we’re on the track now so focus, Logan.
My first laps on the circuit are frankly terrifying. I use all my brain power to thumb through my rolodex of memories desperately hoping to locate my driver’s training while simultaneously following the five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider on a drenched track in a car with over 600 horsepower funneled to the road through cold Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, a stickier no-cost option not offered on the base car. Needless to say I’m basically shitting myself for five laps, but I make it back to the pits without ruining the car or my reputation. The AMG GT63 Pro is surprisingly friendly on the sopping wet track, but I’m grateful for traction control as there are a few alarming and entirely necessary interventions. On the cold tires and wet track, I find both understeer and oversteer, and don’t let myself trust the car’s downforce to keep me glued mid-corner. Perhaps against my best judgment, I immediately request another run.
Mercifully, the skies clear and the sheets of water are mostly dried up by the time my second chance comes along. We hit the flawlessly smooth asphalt surface of Ascari for round two, and I’m ready. This time, I let the car do the work and am able to trust it to stay glued to the course through the high-speed turns. The GT63 Pro isn’t a razor-sharp track attack monster, but it’s incredibly capable, especially when taking corners at speed. AMG worked to reduce front-end lift at high speeds while also increasing downforce at the rear, and on the dry track I’m astonished by how much the car stays planted despite mid-corner bumps and occasional wet patches. The rear-wheel steering keeps it feeling surprisingly controlled, even when I roll onto the throttle too heavily on corner exit and the rear gets a bit squirrely. It doesn’t feel particularly sharp or edgy in any capacity despite its immense power, but the Pro sure feels fast.
Turn-in is precise, but I find myself wanting for more feedback from the steering wheel. It’s not an issue of steering precision or speed, but especially on a wet track I need to know more about the grip levels that my front tires have, and it doesn’t give me any feel until I understeer egregiously. The 9-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission does a great job of selecting the proper gear on the track, and it possesses the best trait that a transmission can possess: you can trust it, and you never have to think twice about it. Stomping on the massive carbon-ceramic clampers heading into a low-speed turn produces quite a bit of wiggle from the rear end, but the brakes never show even hints of fade or increased pedal travel. Naturally, the V8 sounds great, with the occasional pops and burbles to spice things up a bit. The car feels plenty capable of laying down some great times while remaining comfortable, but overall a bit numb.
On the straights it feels powerful, but not too powerful. What’s too powerful? I once rode passenger in a Porsche 911 Turbo S at the Porsche Experience Center, and it was so unfathomably fast that it made me dizzy and I started experiencing tunnel vision when honking on it on the track. Thankfully, I don’t encounter that when driving the AMG GT63 Pro. Its power delivery is linear, with maximum horsepower delivered between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm, and should the wall of torque smack you upside the head, the all-wheel-drive system manages to dole it out with grace.
Is it a hardcore track-focused 911 GT3 RS competitor? No, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s a more natural competitor to something like the Porsche 911 GTS; slightly more track-focused than the normal GT63, but without the full road-legal race car vibe. Mercedes-AMG’s goal for the Pro was to create a car capable of being a comfortable and luxurious daily driver while simultaneously being able to excel on the track. It’s a great car, but I was left wanting to know more about the relationship between the GT63 Pro’s wheels and the glorious race track beneath them. If you’re a modern Mercedes-AMG fan, then you’ll love it. I’m excited to see what more the folks at AMG can do with this platform for future hardcore variants, but in the meantime, the GT63 Pro is a daily driveable, or daily trackable, performance car that doesn’t defy its luxurious roots.
