Automakers are really into the idea of taking the performance pie and slicing it up into stair-step sized pieces for buyers. BMW’s increasingly dense lineup of “performance” cars springs to mind—there’s the base car, the M Sport version, the full-on M models, the racy Competition versions, and the top-of-the-line CS or GTS versions that often sit at the top of the totem pole. The performance pie is being cut up into ever-thinner slices, and the 2021 Mercedes AMG GT 43 is the latest example of this trend.
The AMG GT 4-Door has been around for a few years and it comes in a number of different flavors: There’s the 53, 63, and 63 S versions that split up performance between pretty darn quick (53) and utterly ridiculous (63 S). Now, the new 43 version promises to take things . . . down a notch? More than likely. Motivation comes via a turbocharged 3.0-liter I-6 engine that’s very similar to the one in the 53, but the 43 makes 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque.
Power is sent through AMG’s nine-speed automatic transmission to all four of the 4-Door’s wheels. The 43 also gets AMG’s adaptive suspension and its host of drive settings, which includes everything from comfort to race modes. Though the 43 loses 64 horses and 15 lb-ft to the GT 53, it now represents the least expensive way to get into an AMG GT 4-door. When it hits dealer lots at the end of the year, the GT 43 will start at $90,950—more than $10,000 less than the 53.
Clearly, the 43 is for the buyer who wants a sporty sedan but doesn’t want the sportiest version of it. Quite the niche, but the GT’s well-developed chassis should still shine through despite its sub-400-hp engine. Regardless of powertrain, though, all 2021 GT 4-Doors benefit from the addition of the three-pointed star’s MBUX infotainment system. Regardless if what GT you end up going for, you’re getting something proper from AMG.
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