New Mercedes-AMG EV prepares to tempt Porsche Taycan buyers

Is the Porsche Taycan about to get its most serious performance EV rival yet? Mercedes-AMG thinks so…
 

New prototypes of Mercedes-AMG’s flagship four-door EV have been spied having shed a few layers of their camouflage. The pictures reveal more of the new high-end model’s design and engineering traits. The high-spec Mercedes-AMG electric performance car has already been directly previewed by the AMG Vision Concept from 2022, and when it arrives next year it should rival cars like the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and Audi E-Tron GT RS Performance.

With less cladding mounted around its sides, we can now more clearly see the low-slung four-door’s sleek design, frameless doors and huge wheels. Unlike previous EQ models including the EQS and EQE, AMG has decided to give the car a more distinct bonnet, plus generous overhangs that will combine to create a more elegant and sophisticated silhouette.

Both the nose and tail of the car in our pictures still feature extensive cladding, but we know that the front will be extremely low-slung, something confirmed by how low the bonnet sits over the front wheels. The tail will also feature a Kamm-style design, ditching the more rounded rear that’s been a staple of Merc’s design language since the early 2000s.

This new high-end four-door model will be based on an entirely bespoke architecture called AMG.EA, rather than using tech from Merc’s existing AMG EQ models. AMG.EA utilises several new technologies, including axial flux motors that are lighter and more power dense than the radial motors used in most EVs.

This bespoke platform will support the dramatic proportions we can already see, so too the 21-inch wheels and sophisticated chassis technology that we expect will also be in use. Using the AMG Vision Concept as reference we also have some idea about the new car’s detailing, such as the vertical strakes on the nose and Merc’s new three-pointed motif within the headlights.

Mercedes-AMG EV teasers
Official teaser images of Mercedes-AMG’s new all-electric super saloon and Porsche Taycan rival have also already been released showing the performance brand’s first bespoke EV undergoing testing near the Arctic Circle in typical AMG style: sideways.

Under the skin, we expect to see a combination of a flat battery pack and a dual-motor layout with up to 1,000bhp. It’ll need that much power to go up against Porsche’s super-high powered Taycan Turbo GT, which produces 1,093bhp and is capable of 0-62mph in 2.2 seconds.

Expect plenty of high-end chassis hardware, too, including elements like rear-wheel steering and other innovative suspension tech like active roll control, or potentially even a fully-active system as you’ll find on the latest Taycan.

All this new content won’t come cheap, though. Merc’s flagship EV will most likely rival only the highest spec versions of the Taycan and its twin, the Audi e-tron GT. This should see pricing start well over six figures. Such is the price of progress, especially when there’s an AMG badge affixed to the bootlid.

AMG says the new model and its platform are “still at the beginning of a demanding and comprehensive test plan, which will span multiple proving grounds, continents and climate zones”. Meaning we should start to learn more about it in the coming 12 months, with Mercedes already confirming a market introduction in 2025.