When Mercedes-AMG rolls out a “concept,” it’s rarely just a flashy design study. The new GT XX prototype—a wild, high-performance electric super-saloon that previews the next AMG GT 4-Door Coupé—has just rewritten the record books. Over the course of an eight-day torture test at the Nardò proving ground in Italy, the GT XX not only set a new 24-hour EV distance record but also lapped the planet—figuratively—covering 24,907 miles in just seven days, 13 hours, and 24 minutes.
The headline stat is staggering: 3405 miles in 24 hours, at an average speed of 186 mph, pausing only for lightning-quick charges at up to 900 kW. That obliterates the previous mark of 2461 miles set by XPeng’s P7 just weeks earlier, as well as attempts from Xiaomi’s YU7 Max and even Mercedes’ own CLA electric prototype.
A Jules Verne-Inspired World Tour
Mercedes-AMG cheekily dubbed the campaign “Around the World in 80 Days”—but they did it in less than eight. Using two GT XX test cars, 17 professional drivers (including AMG F1 driver George Russell) rotated through three shifts around Nardò’s 7.8-mile banked oval. Supporting them: over 100 engineers and logistics personnel, plus a mission-control team back at AMG HQ in Affalterbach managing charge strategy. It was less a record run than a military-style operation.
And it worked. Along the way, AMG ticked off endurance marks for 12, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 hours, as well as distance milestones at 2000, 5000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, and 25,000 miles. No EV has ever gone further, faster, for longer.
Engineering at the Edge
The key to the GT XX’s relentless pace is its 1341-hp tri-motor setup—two axial-flux motors at the rear, one at the front—running on an 800-volt architecture. Power comes from a 114-kWh cylindrical-cell battery cooled by an oil-immersion system developed with AMG’s Formula 1 powertrain team at Brixworth. The system uses 40 liters of coolant to maintain peak thermal stability, enabling blistering fast charges without degradation.
How blistering? Mercedes claims the GT XX can theoretically add 249 miles of range in just five minutes. That charging efficiency proved decisive: short stops combined with a sweet-spot cruising speed of 186 mph delivered the best balance of speed and efficiency.
Legacy and What Comes Next
The feat echoes Mercedes’ history of using extreme prototypes—like the C111 test mules of the 1970s—to validate future technologies. AMG boss Michael Schiebe was clear: “Enormous performance and extremely fast charging were always available and made these records possible. For customers of our future electric models, this means they will get a genuine AMG—no ifs, no buts.”
While the GT XX itself won’t reach showrooms, its tech package previews AMG’s upcoming AMG.EA platform, which will underpin everything from hyper-sedans to a 1000-hp electric super-SUV due in 2027. First up: the next AMG GT 4-Door Coupé, scheduled for late 2026 with claimed performance of 0–62 mph in under 2.5 seconds and a 224 mph top speed.
Why It Matters
Records aside, the GT XX is proof that Mercedes-AMG isn’t just keeping pace in the EV arms race—it’s trying to set the rules. In an era where charging speed and efficiency matter as much as horsepower, Affalterbach just delivered a masterclass.
The takeaway? The future of AMG performance isn’t just fast. It’s relentlessly fast, all day long.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
