Mercedes-AMG GT XX Concept Prototype Smashes EV Distance Record

Mercedes-AMG deployed two prototypes of its wild new GT XX concept EV saloon at the famed Nardò test track to break a raft of EV distance and endurance records.

Remember the wild – and very orange – Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept revealed back in June? Well, it seems the three-point star’s performance arm hasn’t sat idle with it, having built several working prototypes and putting them to serious work.

Recently, the firm camped out in Italy at the famed Nardò test track with said prototypes over eight days. Employing a roster of 17 works racing and professional drivers, which included current F1 driver George Russel, the division smashed a raft of EV distance and endurance records.

The multi-record bid involved up to 17 professional and works drivers and it included current F1 driver George Russel.

These drivers worked in three-shift rotations in each of the two prototypes readied – there were five drivers present for each eight-hour stint. Supporting them were a crew of 100 Mercedes-AMG personnel too.

The stand-out achievement here was the GT XX covering 24,907 miles (approx. 40,083.93 KM) – roughly the circumference of the Earth – non-stop on Nardo's high-speed banked oval in fewer than eight days - seven days, 13 hours, 24 mins and 07.10 secs, to be exact. 

One stand-out record smashed by the AMG GT XX concept was the 24-hour EV distance record whereby it covered up approx. 5,479.81 KM.

Next comes a new EV distance record where the GT XX concept prototype covered a total of 3,405 miles (approx. 5,479.81 KM) in a span of 24 hours. The German marque beat the previous record set by the Xpeng P7 earlier this month where it covered 2,461 miles (3,960.5 KM).

Said 24-hour record run saw the AMG GT XX concept log in an average speed of 186 MPH (approx. 299.34 KM/H). The firm adds that the cars had stopped only to rapid charge as quickly as possible, drawing in DC fast-charging speeds as high as 900 kW.

Along the way, the Mercedes-AMG GT XX prototypes deployed here also set new endurance marks for 12, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 and 168 hours, alongside new distance records for 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 and 25,000 miles (up to 40,233.6 KM).

The record attempts were performed on the famed banked curves of the Nardò test track in Italy.

Besides the 17 drivers, over 100 personnel from Mercedes-AMG were present to support them too.

Technically, central to this record-breaking runs were the GT XX’s sophisticated electric drivetrain. Comprised of a trio axial-flux e-motors operated on an 800-volt architecture, these collectively output a whopping 1,341 HP.

However, what’s arguably best enabled this record run was said EV powertrain's ability to draw in ultra-fast DC charging speeds. In fact, the automaker touted speeds between 850 kW and 900 kW here, thus resulting in ‘ultra-short stopping times’.

Mercedes-AMG credited the record attempts being achieved through the GT XX's ability to draw in ultra-fast DC charging of up to 900 kW, which allowed 'ultra-short stopping times' too.

Much of this also stems from the trick new cylindrical cell battery design. This was developed in-house by Mercedes-AMG with input from its F1 powertrain arm. The 114 kWh oil-immersed pack also uses direct liquid cooling with 40 litres of coolant maintained at a constant temperature.

Mercedes-AMG also touts that this oil-immersion cooling tech delivers superior heat transfer versus conventional systems. In turn, this allowed the pack to sustain ultra-high charging speeds mentioned without degredation, even enabling a theoretical 249-mile (400-KM) range-top-up with just five minutes of charging.

Despite the setup’s ultra-high outputs noted, the pace of the prototypes were set using information gained through both early recce runs and simulations. From which, Mercedes-AMG deduced that 186 MPH (299.34 KM/H) offered ‘optimal balance' between track speed and charging stops.

An eventual production version of the GT XX is slated to arrive by end of 2026 as the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.

Overall, the effort validates future tech, namely the new AMG.EA EV platform, ahead of production. Speaking of, the production-bound iteration of the GT XX concept – the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe – is slated to arrive by end of 2026.

At launch, Mercedes-AMG is promising ultra-high performance capabilities like 0-100 KM/H sprints in just 2.5 secs and a V-Max of 360 KM/H to match the ultra-high range and charging speeds noted.