“Some might see it as a sports car, others as a grand tourer,” said Schäfer. “It merges both worlds. But the most important thing is it must evoke desire.”
Its most striking design element can be found up front, where AMG’s Panamericana grille has been reshaped into a more concave, oval form with 10 vertical strakes. This is flanked by recessed headlights and a deep splitter.
Elsewhere, the bonnet features functional vents to extract heat, the windscreen is steeply raked for improved aerodynamics and the roof receives a defined central channel. Along the flanks, frameless doors with flush handles and compact aero mirrors reduce drag, while the side sills are sculpted for airflow management.
At the back, notably, the concept is missing a rear window. Below, six small round tail‑lights are joined by a 730‑LED light panel that can display an array of messages. An airbrake spoiler deploys under heavy braking or at high speed, working in tandem with a large carbonfibre diffuser.
Aerodynamic efficiency extends to the 21in alloys, which feature active blade sections – five per wheel – that open to aid brake cooling and close at speed to reduce drag.
All this combines for a drag coefficient of 0.19, which, if carried over, would make the production model one of the slipperiest cars on sale. The 0.19 figure is not as low as the EQXX’s record‑breaking 0.17, but Schäfer said the brief for the GT XX was to give precedence to downforce and cooling over outright drag reduction.
