### The Unlikely Road Trip Last year's Super Bowl, if you can remember that far back, pitted the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. Long before the matchup was cemented, Mercedes asked if I wanted to road-trip a Benz from Atlanta to New Orleans for Super Bowl weekend, and I replied that I'd make that trip for lesser reasons than that—I once drove an Aston Martin Rapide from Atlanta to New Orleans just to get a really good po' boy. As for my steed, we settled on the 831-hp Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E-Performance , a car that would soon thereafter destroy our acceleration records for non-EV four-doors, running the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds at 131 mph. ### The GT63 S E-Performance: A Practical Beast The cargo area is impinged upon by the AMG hot-rodding treatment—the 201-hp electric motor and 5-kWh battery had to go somewhere—but there's ...
### The Unlikely Road Trip
Last year’s Super Bowl, if you can remember that far back, pitted the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. Long before the matchup was cemented, Mercedes asked if I wanted to road-trip a Benz from Atlanta to New Orleans for Super Bowl weekend, and I replied that I’d make that trip for lesser reasons than that—I once drove an Aston Martin Rapide from Atlanta to New Orleans just to get a really good po’ boy. As for my steed, we settled on the 831-hp Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E-Performance , a car that would soon thereafter destroy our acceleration records for non-EV four-doors, running the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds at 131 mph.
### The GT63 S E-Performance: A Practical Beast
The cargo area is impinged upon by the AMG hot-rodding treatment—the 201-hp electric motor and 5-kWh battery had to go somewhere—but there’s still plenty enough room for a couple of carry-ons. The hatchback makes it quite practical for a car that can hunt Hellcats at the drag strip. The lone stop sign is haphazardly nailed to a phone pole that leans at a 45-degree angle.
### A Road Trip Through Alabama
Somewhere in Alabama. Heather is napping when we reach the Alabamabahn, and that’s for the best, because this is one place where I can hypothetically exploit the GT63’s ridiculous abilities. I can’t tell you where this place is, and if I could I still wouldn’t, but I’ll describe it in general terms: the highway splits, with northbound and southbound lanes on concrete pilings over wetlands. They’re not connected, so a cop going the opposite direction can’t cut over and get behind you.
### The Yellow Road Train
In Mississippi, we divert off the highway to drive along the Gulf Coast. On our way to the Bayou restaurant in Ocean Springs, we’re at a red light when some kids in an old SLK with the top down spot the AMG and hold their phones up over the windshield header to take photos. The kids are all right.
### The Ghost Exit
Heather, mostly unaware of how quickly we got through Alabama. Making our way into Louisiana, I decide to take a random exit and discover a bizarre scene. The exit maybe went somewhere once upon a time, but it now dead-ends in a swamp. And evidently, the ghost exit is now a dumping ground—mostly for old tires, but also furniture and mattresses.
### The Road to New Orleans
That evening we roll into New Orleans and discover that the Super Bowl atmosphere is something to behold even if you never set foot in the stadium. Everybody knows they’re at the place that everyone’s watching, and there’s a giddiness in the air. On Sunday, Bourbon Street is shut down and Fox’s pregame broadcast is happening right in the middle of the street—we walk behind Terry Bradshaw, Gronk, and company as they’re on air.
### The Road Trip Experience
Yes, you can pretty much walk right into the broadcast at the public Super Bowl Fan Experience. This year, this will be happening in downtown San Francisco. Get in the car! I promise it’ll be worth the trip.
### Conclusion
The AMG GT63 S E-Performance is a car that’s as comfortable on a road trip as it is on the track. Its 831 horsepower and 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 make it a beast on the highway, and its practicality makes it a great choice for a road trip. Whether you’re driving from Atlanta to New Orleans or from Seattle to San Francisco, the GT63 S E-Performance is a car that’s sure to make your journey unforgettable.
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