1000bhp and 'impressive' control: AMG GT 4-door Coupé prototype driven

Its drivetrain comprises three axial-flux motors, two at the rear and one up front, working through a single-speed transmission to all four wheels. Drive is managed by AMG's 4Matic+ system, with fully variable torque distribution between each axle, while rear-wheel steering aids agility at lower speeds and stability at higher ones. Developed with British firm Yasa, those compact, disc-shaped motors are smaller and lighter yet also more power-dense and faster-responding than conventional radial-flux units.

Each rear motor is controlled independently, allowing torque to be varied not just front to rear but also across the rear axle, creating a yaw response that you feel directly through the chassis.

Electrical energy comes from a large lithium ion battery mounted within the floor and centre tunnel, with direct liquid cooling at cell level. The system runs on an 800V architecture and so is capable of charging at over 500kW, but more significant is its ability to maintain stable output under sustained load.

It's not just the way it builds speed but how the new GT 4-Door Coupé communicates what it's doing that makes it so impressive. A synthesised sound and feedback system draws on the character of the original GT coupé, adapted for electric drive. As speed builds, the car feeds back through the seat as much as through the controls, a transducer delivering vibrations that rise and fall with throttle load, in the manner of a V8. So it's not simply an acoustic overlay: it recreates the rhythm of an engine in both sound and sensation, linking your inputs more closely to the car's responses.

A synthetic sequential shift function adds another layer of character. Operated via steering wheel-mounted paddles, it mimics shifting through a conventional gearbox. It's artificial but effective, adding a sense of cadence. The effect is reinforced by a centrally mounted rev counter, its needle sweeping in step with the rising and falling vibrations. You don't have to use it: the car can be driven in near-silence. But when engaged, it draws you further into the process.

Only once you begin to explore the chassis more fully does the broader depth of the GT 4-Door Coupé become clear. Through a tightening left-hander, come back onto the throttle and the rear axle sharpens your line, taking some of the load away from the front. Add a little more and its rear end moves progressively, without any sudden breakaway. It's easy to hold and just as easy to gather up again, the car settling quickly and cleanly as you unwind the steering.

On subsequent runs, that adjustability becomes a defining trait. The rear works with you, rather than simply following the front, allowing you to shape the car's attitude with small inputs. It never feels exaggerated; it's usable and engaging.

That sense of control extends to the suspension. The standard Active Ride Control air springs with hydraulically linked dampers provide semi-active roll stabilisation by varying roll stiffness. The result is that strong body control evidence earlier without excessive stiffness.

Even beneath camouflage, the car's proportions reflect the shift to electric power. Lower, wider and longer than the current V8 model, it adopts a drawn silhouette with a long nose section, heavily curved roofline and long tail ending in a subtle, Kamm-style cut-off with active aerodynamic elements.

Inside, the impression is equally strong. The driving position is largely unchanged, retaining the same low, stretched stance, but the environment has evolved. The centre console rises higher between driver and passenger, creating a more defined cockpit, with three rotary controls sitting prominently atop it. There's a tangible analogue feel to many of the controls, the rotary dials providing precise mechanical feedback.

Ahead, a single panel integrates the 10.2in instrument display and 14.0in touchscreen, angled towards the driver, with clear separation of functions - and the passenger's touchscreen doesn't intrude. Rear space is more usable than the roofline suggests, with individual seats and recessed footwells allowing a natural seating position, while a glass roof floods the interior with light.

What emerges here isn't an electric reinterpretation of the original GT 4-Door Coupé but a fundamentally different car - one that places greater emphasis on control, interaction and consistency, while still delivering the sense of occasion expected of an AMG.