The Mercedes AMG-GT XX Concept 1,340-HP 220 MPH EV Hypercar Previews Future of Automaker
Concept cars are supposed to be blue sky exercises in “what if” that are merely meant to give subtle hints at what an automaker might be up to in the distant future. Times have changed and the new Mercedes AMG-GT XX Concept is proof of that. Despite being called a “concept,” significant components of this 4-door coupe hypercar are already destined for future Mercedes-Benz models. In essence this car is less of a “what if” and more of a “coming soon.”
What The Flux?
The Mercedes AMG GT-XX‘s staggering 1,341 horsepower is produced by a trio of axial flux electric motors. What is an axial flux motor? The cliff notes version is that unlike a traditional radial flux electric motor, an axial flux motor is smaller, lighter, and can produce higher torque density than a radial flux motor. Despite the cool-futuristic name, axial flux technology has existed for decades, but was generally seen as less reliable than radial flux. However, with advancements in electric motor design axial flux motors are starting to make more sense in high-horsepower EV vehicles.
A recent example is the Koenigsegg Gemera which uses the automaker’s proprietary “dark matter” axial flux electric motor in combination with its 3-cylinder engine. By utilizing three axial flux motors—one in the front and two in the rear—the Mercedes AMG GT-XX can make massive power while saving a lot of space for passengers and other flashy tech. Mercedes AMG didn’t reveal torque numbers for the powertrain, but it did say that the GT-XX can reach a top speed of 220 mph.
While the axial flux motors are seen here on a concept car, they’re already in production at Mercedes‑Benz plant in the Marienfelde area of Berlin. So, it is pretty much a given that they’ll be seen in future Mercedes Benz production vehicles, including a possible production version of the GT-XX.
Super Fast Charging
We’ve held the belief that one of the barriers to EV adoption is charging infrastructure and the time it takes to charge publicly. Generally is is optimal to charge your EV at home overnight, but eventually many EV owners will need to use a public charger and that tends to repel some from EV ownership. While EV charge speeds have gotten much faster over the last 5 years, generally speaking it still takes roughly two to three times as long to charge an EV than it does to fill a gas tank.
The Mercedes AMG GT-XX looks to solve that issue with a unique oil-cooled battery pack which can deliver 800 volts across 3,000 battery cells. The battery pack can charge at 850 kW at 1,000 amps. Though, even the fastest public chargers top out at 350 kW which would mean a massive bottleneck in this case. That’s why Mercedes AMG worked with Alpitronic, a European market leader fast charging. Alpitronic developed a prototype charger that can push massive amounts of power through a CCS connector.
When paired up with the Mercedes AMG GT-XX, it can add approximately 250 miles of range in just five minutes. That is pretty much 1:1 with pumping gasoline at the average station. It will be a long time before that type of charging is widely available to the public, but it is a promising achievement.
Sleek Design
When you’re flying down the road at 186 mph, about 83% of the car’s energy is spent just pushing through the air. That’s why aerodynamics matter so much, especially for high-performance cars. This was at the front of mind for the GT-XX’s engineers and designers. It’s got a low, sleek body, a sharply angled windshield, a long hood, slanted side windows, and—interestingly—no rear window at all.
Even the underside of the car has been carefully engineered. A specially shaped underbody helps keep things balanced, creating just the right amount of downforce without sacrificing efficiency. It uses the Venturi effect to cut lift at the rear without bumping up drag too much. That means the car can sit lower and doesn’t need a massive spoiler to stay stable—even when you’re pushing past 223 mph.
All these aerodynamic tweaks help reduce drag and shrink the car’s frontal area. That not only boosts top speed but also extends range at high speeds. And despite riding on wide, high-performance tires, this car still manages an impressively low drag coefficient of just 0.198.
Eco-Friendly Interior
The interior of the Mercedes AMG GT-XX concept makes use of eco-friendly next-gen materials like LABFIBER—a biotech-based alternative to leather and silk. Developed with U.S. startup Modern Meadow, this leather-like material is made from recycled rubber, plant proteins, and biopolymers. It mimics the texture and feel of real leather but is lighter, breathable, waterproof, and even more durable. It can be finished in styles like suede or full grain, and it ages naturally like traditional leather.
What’s especially cool? The process starts with old racing tires—specifically, tires used on real AMG GT3 cars. One tire can make around 43 square feet of this eco-friendly material. Mercedes AMG promises that despite its origins, this material has a premium feel indistinguishable from high-quality leather.
Even the silk used in the car isn’t from silkworms. Instead, Mercedes-AMG uses silk proteins grown by genetically modified bacteria. These are spun into a glossy, high-strength yarn that’s completely biodegradable. Hopefully, its biodegradable nature doesn’t prevent it from holding up for long periods of time as it’s possible that a production version of the GT-XX will be a collector car.
The front bucket seats are another highlight. Built on carbon fiber racing shells, they come with 3D-printed seat pads tailored specifically to the driver using body scan data—just like in motorsports. These pads are swappable, super ergonomic, and covered in Pearl Black LABFIBER material. The seats also include ventilation holes and six-point racing harnesses because this thing is still hypercar despite all the luxury adornments.
Will the GT-XX Make it to Production?
Technically the Mercedes AMG GT-XX is a concept car, but damn if it doesn’t look production-worthy to us. While there is no solid word if or when the GT-XX will be produced, we wouldn’t be surprised if a slightly toned-down version of this four-door electric hypercar found its way into the hands of the automaker’s most exclusive clientele in the not-too-distant future. However, that’s the boring part.
What’s exciting is how much of the GT-XX’s tech will trickle down into the rest of the Mercedes AMG and Mercedes-Benz line up. The super-fast 850 kW charging has us pretty hyped up as well since that could benefit EV owners across the board. We’ll be watching the development of this “concept” very closely.
