Mercedes-AMG GT 53 Aces Black Friday Road Test

On this Black Friday I just found out what I want for Christmas — a Mercedes-AMG GT 53. It passed every aspect of my Black Friday road test by such a margin that I have been compelled to add it to a small, select group of former favorites that I have assembled lo these years.

As one who has been road testing cars for Motor Trend, Kelley Blue Book, America on the Road Radio and Drivingtoday.com for the past three decades, I have found there are some cars that you immediately develop such an affinity for that by the time testing is over, you consider it to be “your car.” I regarded a certain Porsche Carrera that way when I picked it up in the company’s then-headquarters in Reno and piloted it back through the California Gold Country. I regarded the first Mazda Miata I ever drove, which happened to be one of the first Mazda Miata’s anybody other than Mazda employees ever drove, in exactly the same way. And now I’ve fallen lustily for the GT 53. Everything about the car is just plain right, so falling in love with it is right, and I don’t want to be wrong. Just ask Luther Ingram.

That I should fall head-over-heels for a 4-door is both a sign of my advancing age and a sign of the times. Not much can be done about my age, but current auto designers, like those who developed the GT 53’s incredibly appealing shape, have conspired to make 4-doors cooler than those silly 2-door coupes of years gone by. The Mercedes-AMG GT 53 has the purpose-built and darkly ominous shape of a nuclear attack submarine, especially when decked, as mine was, in dark silver matte paint. As the first 4-door sports car from AMG in Affalterbach, drawing liberally from AMG GT models but offering more than a modicum of rationality, it is irresistible.

Here are some reasons why:

Engine technology resulting in instant acceleration

The Mercedes-AMG GT 53 is powered by an ingenious combination of internal combustion, supercharging, turbocharging and hybrid-electric boost. At its heart is an AMG-enhanced 429-horsepower 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine equipped with both a turbocharger spun by exhaust gases and an electric supercharger. As if that is not sophisticated enough, though, it also is fitted with what Mercedes-Benz calls an “EQ Boost” starter-alternator positioned between the engine and transmission that offers an additional virtually on-demand 21 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. The result is gobs of right-now torque, making the GT 53 immensely satisfying. 

Coupled with the AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9- speed transmission that can be paddle-shifted if you like, the power flows in prodigious quantities to the wheels that have traction through its AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. In the system an electro-mechanically controlled clutch connects the permanently driven rear axle variably to the front axle, and through sensors and computer logic it delivers the best possible torque split dictated by driving conditions and driver’s input. The transition from rear-wheel to all-wheel drive and vice versa is invisible. All you feel is complete traction.

So why the love? Certainly there are higher-horsepower vehicles on the market, including V-8-powered versions of the same basic 4-Door Coupe platform. But with a zero-to-60-mph time of less than 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph, the GT 53 feels perfectly balanced and responsive to a fault.

It looks so damn good

It’s hard to fall in love with a car if you don’t love the way it looks. Happily, to our practiced eyes the GT 53 is a knockout with a sensuous, flowing silhouette and a low “greenhouse.” The long hood features two power domes behind the “shark nose” AMG-specific grille. The windscreen is swept back at an extreme angle, and the coupe-influenced design is enhanced by frameless, hardtop-style side glass. Yet this is a 4-door with four real seats that accommodate full-size adults.

The fastback rear end with active-aero rear spoiler disguises a hatch that opens into a very accommodating cargo area. It probably won’t carry more than one golf bag, but since my weekend hobby is baseball and the longest implement I need to tote is my 34-inch Louisville Slugger and my catcher’s bag, I’m okay with that.

The interior makes you feel smarter

The interior of the GT 53 is as stunning as the dreadnought exterior. In keeping with the GT name, the cockpit is designed to reflect the classic sense of “Gran Turismo” — Grand Touring. And it seems equal emphasis is placed on both words. Certainly the electronic instrumentation, controls and even the trackpad infotainment system controller are intuitive and easy to decipher, all of which makes touring at speed easier and more enjoyable. 

At the same time the interior design and choice of materials lend immediate credence to the “grand” portion the Gran Turismo combination. Two high-resolution displays, each measuring 12.3 inches, give the interior color and animation while managing to avoid a video game look. Three different styles are available for the digital displays: “Classic,” “Sport” and the completely new “Supersport.” A change of styles can be made at will via the instrument cluster or the central display.

Under the mid-panel-mounted display screen, illuminated air vents with the look of a turbine lend an elite yet lighthearted air. Below them capacitive switches directly in front of the stylized center console activate rear-view camera, navigation, radio, media, telephone and vehicle settings. With the touch of a finger the appropriate symbol lights up directly in the head unit and preselects the menu item, and the function can then be activated by pushing in. (Intuitive, right?) 

Even the steering wheel is smarter and better-looking than it needs to be. In addition to providing meaty “grip,” several functions are combined in groups that can be precisely and intuitively controlled via buttons. For example, you can control the entire infotainment system using finger swipes without having to take your hands off the steering wheel.

While I appreciate the high-tech nature of these innovations, I also enjoyed being inside the GT 53 just because it looks so good. My test car was fitted with rich red leather seats, which I have to admit, made me love the interior all the more. Up front, the seats are adjustable in typical Mercedes-Benz fashion via seat-shaped controls on the window sills. Two rear-seat options are available: twin non-folding carbon-fiber-backed seats or split folding 40:0:40 seats that flank a touchpad-equipped console that enables control of lighting, heating/ventilation and seat heating. 

It goes, stops and handles just as you’d want it to

After spending a week flogging the car, commuting in it and finally communing with it, I came to the conclusion that one of the reasons I came to love it is it is the most “analogue” version of the GT 4-Door Coupe. For instance, while yet-more-expensive versions of the car have cylinder deactivation, air suspension, rear-wheel-steering and even active engine mounts, the GT 53 doesn’t bother with stuff like that. Granted, it’s powertrain is an amazing conglomeration, but its highly effective suspension is a conventional front and rear multi-link with steel springs and adjustable damping, not the product of algorithms. 

The standard-specification 10-spoke 19-inch wheels painted vanadium silver are 9.5-inch wide and fitted with 255/45 R 19 tires at the front and 11.0-inch wide with 285/40 R 19 tires at the rear. The AMG GT 53’s brakes are internally ventilated with perforated compound brake discs and silver-painted 6-piston front-brake calipers. Solidly purposeful, but nothing unconventional.

The quick, direct electromechanical speed-sensitive power steering has a variable ratio and offers precise feedback. Tuned by AMG, the rack-and- pinion steering offers three stages of power assist: “Comfort,” “Sport” and “Sport+.” The corresponding characteristic is automatically activated depending on the transmission mode or it can be personalized as desired in “Individual” mode.

Yes, the GT 53 offers computer-aided traction and lateral dynamics, but there is a simple elegance to its handling that might be muted in the more elaborate GT 63 variants. My suggestion: just start driving.

Putting it all together, it’s not just lust; it’s love

This amazing collection of engineering, design, and technology would be far less fulfilling if its pieces didn’t work so well together. But the pieces work in a beautifully symbiotic way. The Mercedes-AMG GT 53 is certainly no lightweight. Just under 200 inches long, it weighs more than 4,500 lb, yet it has the feel of a much lighter throw-it-around machine. Instant torque is Santa’s little helper here. Not only does 60 miles per hour come fast, but you can say hello to 100 mph in just over 10 seconds.

Slicing through traffic becomes a Henckels knife exercise with the only challenge keeping the willing engine and chassis from whisking you along effortlessly at speeds that could far exceed legal limits. Off the freeway, with its wide tires, supple suspension, excellent brakes, and lighting-like throttle response, California canyon-running seems the GT 53’s natural habitat.

So like I said, on this Black Friday I found exactly what I want for Christmas. I haven’t yet found the will to give myself a $100,000 Christmas present — and that is indeed almost exactly the price of this current apple of my eye. But should you love the act of driving as much as I and have that $100K to contribute to the economy, you should. The G T53 will now be forever ensconced in my mind as one of “my cars,” and that is a small but very select group that I’m certain you’d love too. Merry Christmas!