The world of super-fast sedans has never been this rich, as by now, almost every major player has one or more vehicles of the sort in their lineup. In this story, we’ll put the spotlight on two very different performers, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
Both of them have four doors, four wheels, decent amount of space for passengers and their luggage, and good build quality. This is where the similarities stop, as from here on, they go different routes.
Representing the upper end of the internal combustion engine (or ICE, for short) powered executive class, the AMG GT 63 S uses the ubiquitous 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that pumps out 630 HP and 663 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. It has an all-wheel drive system, 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) of 3.2 seconds and a 195 mph (315 km/h) top speed.
Driven: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance Is Charged With Appeal
The Model 3 Performance, on the other hand, is a premium compact sedan that boasts 450 HP and 472 lb-ft (640 Nm) from the two electric motors that power both axles. The instant torque helps rocket it to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.4 seconds and up to 162 mph (261 km/h), with a 348-mile (560-km) range on the WLTP cycle.
The AMG seems like the favorite one to win the quarter-mile drag race, but the instant torque of the Tesla makes it a worthy contender, despite packing almost 200 HP less, as it’s also lighter.
Grabbing the wheel in the GT 63 S, which happened to be an Edition 1, with colorful accents inside and a fancy paint finish on the outside, was Tiff Needell, who ran it across the finish line at 130 mph (209 km/h). Was that quicker or slower than the (much cheaper) Model 3? Only one way to find out.