Mercedes-AMG GT63 S Destroys the Lightning Lap Four-Door Record

From Car and Driver

• A Mercedes-AMG GT63 S ran a 2:49.3 lap at Car and Driver’s 2019 Lightning Lap.

• The next-fastest four-door, the BMW M5 Competition, is nearly five seconds slower around the same track.

• The AMG GT63’s time is faster than that of the 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia.

With a lap time of 2:49.3, the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S set a new four-door record at Car and Driver’s 13^th running of its Lightning Lap track test. That’s nearly five seconds quicker than the next-fastest four-door, the 2019 BMW M5 Competition, which ran a 2:54.0 around Virginia International Raceway’s 4.1-mile Grand Course at this year’s event.

The GT63’s blistering lap places the four-door Mercedes as the 26^th fastest vehicle out of 259 production vehicles that have run in 13 Lightning Lap events. The AMG brute leaves a laundry list of capable two-doors in its wake, including the 2015 Nissan GT-R NISMO, the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and the 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia. We should note that the two-door 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R is still Mercedes' top dog, having established a 2:43.3 lap in 2017.

On its way to 2:49.3, the 630-hp GT63 ripped through Turn 1 with 1.05 g’s of lateral grip, hustled up the hair-raising Climbing Esses at an average of 122.2 mph, and peaked at 155.6 mph on the front straight. You can revel in that experience with our video and full rundown of the GT63's lap.

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