AFFALTERBACH BECOMES AFFASTERBACH

Mercedes-AMG Revs into the Electric Future with Concept AMG GT XX

- WORDS NIHAL RASHID

The clock ticked past midnight, but I stayed glued to the screen. Somewhere in southern Germany, the sleepy village of Affalterbach had been reborn as “Affasterbach” for the night. And at its centre, like a lightning bolt cast in Sunset Beam orange, was the Concept AMG GT XX. My Editor-in-Chief was lucky enough to be there in person. While I held vigil at my desk, he was on the ground, sending back notes, photos, and the occasional expletive. Mercedes-AMG hadn't just unveiled a car. They'd built a theatre, lit it with electricity, and dropped their most audacious concept car to date onto its main stage.

Where Show Meets Substance

Let's be honest. The name might sound like a GPU, but the Concept AMG GT XX is AMG's clearest sign yet that it's not just dipping a toe into the electric age — it's diving headfirst, V8 bravado and all.

This sleek four-door fastback is AMG's first ground-up EV, previewing a production model that will arrive next year. It rides on the bespoke AMG.EA platform, and while it's officially a concept, much of what lies beneath that orange skin is locked in for the real thing.

According to my Editor, the whole affair was styled like a Formula 1 weekend crossed with a music festival. AMG took over the village with checkered flags, pit lane mockups, and a grid of heritage cars lined up like they're about to do hot laps down Main Street. And in the middle of it, parked like it owned the place, the Concept GT XX.

Orange. Very Orange.

Even from the press images, the GT XX looks like it was painted by a sunset with a caffeine addiction. The colour is called Sunset Beam. There's an electroluminescent rocker panel that displays the battery's charge. And at 5.2 metres long, it's more land yacht than sports coupe.