Bonkers 1,000 kW Mercedes-AMG CONCEPT AMG GT XX Can Charge as Fast as You Can Refuel

Man of Many

3 days ago

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled its latest halo car, the CONCEPT AMG GT XX. While a concept, it previews a four-door series-production sports car from Mercedes‑AMG and serves as a showcase of the brand's capabilities, especially in the EV space. Three axial flux electric motors (two rear, one front) power the car and produce more than 1,000 kW (>1,360 hp) of combined power. Under the skin, there's a new AMG.EA 800-volt platform that can, in theory, add 400 km of WLTP estimated range in 5 minutes, but more on that in a moment.
The numbers are certainly impressive, but we're not so sure about the overall design that seems to channel more than a little Maserati, especially the look of the 'AMG-specific grille' with 10 vertical slats. Commentators online have already shared their distaste for the slippery, 0.198cd design, but we're not adverse to the low-slung, sculpted body with wide fenders and Sunset Beam Orange colour with its 'liquid metal' Electroluminescent effect.
CONCEPT AMG GT XX – Key Technical Data Electric Motors Three axial flux motors Max. Drivetrain Power >1,000 kW (>1,360 hp) Drive System AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable AWD Top Speed >360 km/h Charging Time (approx. 400 km WLTP) ~5 minutes Average DC Charging Power >850 kW over a wide SOC range Nominal Voltage >800 V Length / Width / Height (mm) 5,204 / 1,945 (2,130 incl. mirrors) / 1,317 Drag Coefficient (Cd) 0.198 Frontal Area 2.24 m²
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CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
What Powers the CONCEPT AMG GT XX?
Motors : Three axial flux electric motors (two rear, one front)
: Three axial flux electric motors (two rear, one front) Peak Power : >1,000 kW (>1,360 hp)
: >1,000 kW (>1,360 hp) Top Speed : >360 km/h
: >360 km/h Drive System : AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable all-wheel drive
: AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable all-wheel drive Acceleration: Not officially quoted, but expected to be hypercar quick
Okay, so what are these high-tech axial flux motors that Markus Schäfer is speaking of? Well, there are three of them powering the CONCEPT AMG GT XX—two at the rear, one at the front. They combine to produce >1,000kW (>1,360 hp) of power and propel the GT XX to a top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph).
To explain how important this car is, we have to get nerdy for a second because these motors are powered by a High Performance Electric Battery (HP.EB) made up of 3,000 cylindrical NCMA cathode and silicon-rich anode cells housed in a laser-welded aluminium cell for better thermal and electrical conductivity. That might sound like jibberish, but just know that these are cutting-edge batteries, and when combined with the AMG.EA dedicated an 800-volt architecture, the result is super-fast charging at 850 kW across a wide state-of-charge.
By the numbers, the charge time of ~5 minutes for 400 km of WLTP estimated range is nothing short of astonishing. However, there's a catch. There's only one charger in the world that can produce 850kW of power to charge the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, and it's developed by Mercedes-Benz and Alpitronic. What is encouraging is that Mercedes-Benz will expand the infrastructure of its own Mercedes-Benz Charging Network with the next generation of high-performance charging stations, Tesla-style.
Drive-wise, this is a concept car and isn't a car that many will get the chance to drive. However, it does send power to the ground through a fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive that could make its way to AMG's of the future. The three electric motors allow for fully variable torque distribution to the front and rear wheels, and this is something we'd expect to find in the next production AMG EV.
It also brings fake V8 engine noises into the fold, in the cabin, but also on the exterior through exterior speakers in the headlight housing, combined with a passive membrane technology in the soundbar that enables low-frequency and more powerful bass reproduction.
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
What's the Inside of the CONCEPT AMG GT XX Like?
The interior of the CONCEPT AMG GT XX is just as bizarre as the exterior, but it's not all form over function on the inside. Mercedes-AMG has brought clear race elements into the fold, including a LABFIBER Biotech leather alternative material that's made from recycled AMG GT3 racing tyres. Next to this, you'll find a backlit chequered-flag-inspired upholstery, machined-aluminium buttons with the AMG crest, a lack of cladding on the instrument panel and door panels, individually formed carbon-fibre bucket seats with 3D-printed seat pads, and plenty of AMG ONE-inspired style choices.
The combination of a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen, which is angled toward the driver, is impressive, but we're most interested in how the real-time visualisations of the drivetrain and battery are displayed on the AMG MBUX display, as they should add a video game-like quality to performance monitoring further engaging the driver and passenger.
Mercedes-AMG leads the steering wheel game, and they're going to continue to increase their lead with the rectangular, racing-style steering wheel in the CONCEPT AMG GT XX. It features a flat top and bottom, two horizontal struts and paddle shifters for regen control, AMG toggle buttons with coloured icons for drive modes and functions, and LED strip signals battery and performance status.
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
How Slippery is the Design of the CONCEPT AMG GT XX?
While we're not in love with the overall design, and it's certainly not 'beautiful,' there's a reason the CONCEPT AMG GT XX looks like this. Drag!
It's capable of immense performance, and when you're in the upper extremes of the 360 km/h top speed, the resistance of the air is the most significant hamper on performance.
Every element of the exterior design has been considered to make this car as slippery as possible. The sporty flat shape, sharply raked windscreen, low-slung bonnet, angled side windows, active air control system AIRPANEL (from the AMG GT series), and the absence of a rear windscreen all contribute to the drag coefficient of just Cd=0.198, which is close to cars like the Xiaomi SU7 (0.195 Cd) and Lucid Air (0.197 Cd).
Maybe the most stark example of the lengths to which the designers have gone is with the new 21-inch forged aluminium five-spoke active Aero Wheel. You'll find five movable elements in this wheel, including a central actuator hidden in the hub of each wheel that moves the aero-blades in the wheel to direct air into the brakes or over the wheel for efficiency. Each actuator is an autonomous unit that uses the spinning wheel to produce its own electrical energy via a mini-generator and uses Bluetooth to
communicate wirelessly with the control unit in the vehicle.
'With the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, we have succeeded in translating our design vision for AMG into the future,' said Michael Schiebe, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH and Head of Business Units Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Mercedes-Maybach.
'Sports cars have always been the icons of our brand; they are emotional and truly special to create. They represent unique moments in time. Icons like the 300 SL and the legendary Silver Arrows are the emotional heart of our brand, as are the GT and AMG ONE. Crafting these masterpieces is about creating something extraordinary—from the C111 to the Vision One‑Eleven, and into the future of production. The brand-new CONCEPT AMG GT XX embodies the hot part of our design philosophy of sensual purity.'
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG
What's Next For the CONCEPT AMG GT XX?
While we won't see the CONCEPT AMG GT XX enter production, it offers insight into the first series-production model based on AMG.EA high-performance architecture.
'The CONCEPT AMG GT XX is the next milestone in the history of AMG and forges a whole new dimension of performance,' said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement.
'We're bringing groundbreaking technology that redefines high performance, and the best thing is that this car is a true AMG with every fibre of its being. The heart of an AMG was always the motor, and that will remain so with our in-house electric architecture. With our high-tech axial flux motor, we're delivering a revolutionary new drive that is unparalleled in terms of power density, weight and packaging. This pairs with a new performance battery developed from scratch that enables a previously unimagined level of performance and endurance.'
When the production car based on the CONCEPT AMG GT XX does come to fruition, Mercedes-AMG will have a true Porsche Taycan rival in its repertoire and an answer to Chinese-made performance cars like the Xiaomi SU7.
CONCEPT AMG GT XX | Image: Supplied / Mercedes-AMG