Mercedes-AMG GT63 2026 review: Pro Coupe - Australian track test

When it comes to the Mercedes GT coupe, this is the peak.

It’s the 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT63 Pro, and it’s landing in Australia to bring a sharper edge to the brand’s two-door performance flagship.

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For the privilege, you’ll need to stump up $418,900, before on-road costs. That’s compared to the already hefty $370,400 the AMG GT63 costs without those extra three letters added.

Mercedes-AMG also created a special version of the GT63 Pro called the 'Motorsport Collectors Edition', limited to 200 units worldwide and costing an extra $150K on top of the Pro’s asking price.

Mercedes-Benz Australia wouldn’t tell us if any are coming Down Under, but it wouldn’t be hard to spot one given the 'Obsidian Black Metallic' paint is contrasted with hand-painted Mercedes star patterns and 'Petronas Green' highlights inspired by the brand’s F1 car.

In reality, the AMG GT63 Pro is special enough without the exclusivity or visual flair of the Motorsport Collectors Edition.

It’s more powerful than the non-Pro, for a start. Its 450kW and 850Nm is up 20kW/50Nm on the standard, and that was already a set of figures that leaves competitors behind for the price.

That comes thanks to the venerable 'M177' engine under the long bonnet, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol unit built by one of AMG’s engineers in Affalterbach.

With all four wheels copping the shove from the engine via a nine-speed multi-clutch transmission, the two-tonne two-door can hit 100km/h in just 3.2 seconds according to Merc.

That means it’ll be really difficult to spot the visual cues that differentiate the Pro from the rest of the GTs, like the 21-inch wheels, altered front venting in the bumper, the exhaust, carbon-fibre body elements, or the little chequered flag beside the GT63 badge.

Inside, it’s not as hardcore as the ‘Pro’ might suggest. No race seats and harnesses, there’s still a pair of relatively comfortable AMG sports seats, nice leather upholstery, even a sunroof!

The way it looks and how usable it remains is a testament to the fact this sharpened-up AMG is still meant to be a car you could live with when you’re not putting its dynamics to the test.

Speaking of which. Inclement weather during Summer at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit provided the (perhaps sub-optimal) conditions for our time behind the wheel of the GT63 Pro.

A few laps to get reacquainted with the circuit were followed by a healthy number of runs to work out how capable this beast is.

Phillip Island boasts a mix of fast, sweeping bends and tighter technical turns and the AMG has the tools to tackle both.

The thumping V8 under the hood and the width of its Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tyres (295/30 fr - 305/30 rr) mean power is plentiful and traction isn’t lacking, so powering out of long corners into open straights is immensely satisfying. There is also a standard set of carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers at the front, so pulling up at the other end of those straights is no hassle.

Even by modern standards, two tonnes is heavy for a sports car, but the AMG GT manages its weight well, the Pro removing 23kg from the standard car via weight-reduction including liberal use of carbon-fibre to land at 1937kg. But lose focus, and mistakes will of course be exaggerated by how heavy the car is, especially in the wet.

With its rear-wheel steering in play, the 4.73m long car feels more nimble than you’d expect, though, and if you’re familiar enough with the track you can carry an impressive amount of speed through some sections of PI that would have some stumped. A racing driver advising from the passenger seat also helps.

Given its weight and power, you’d think the GT63 Pro would be a handful, but it’s genuinely balanced and manageable. And when you get it right the car makes you feel heroic rather than scared.

As with a lot of cars that wear the AMG badge, it feels like something you could take directly from a track to a meeting and then pick your partner up from work without feeling out of place in any case.

The day-to-day life part of the Pro has its… pros and cons. Sorry.

A useful 321L boot can become 625L with the rear seats folded down. Also, there are rear seats!

But its claimed 15.0L/100km fuel consumption figure means you’ll be filling up that 70L tank regularly, with 98 RON premium fuel of course.

There’s also servicing, every year or 20,000km, but Mercedes charges quite a bit to get a GT63 looked after. You’re able to buy plans for three years ($5165), four years ($7700) or five ($9420). That's a fair bit more than you'll pay for servicing a Porsche 911 GT3, for example.

The latter would bring your prepaid servicing up to the same timeline as Merc’s five-year/unlimited km warranty and five years' of roadside assist, all of which is starting to lag behind the mainstream in terms but is still standard for premium brands.

On the plus side, even though there’s no ANCAP rating (the cost to crash-acquire one would be immense), Mercedes’ focus on safety being high-tech and non-intrusive should surely mean the Pro doesn’t feel like it’s trying to take over the task of driving on the road, while also being able to protect you should the worst happen. We didn’t have lane-keep active at the track, of course.