This Mercedes-AMG GT Is Inspired By A Fictional F1 Team

From the Renault Clio R27 to the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition, pretty much any car manufacturer that gets involved in Formula 1 will release the odd special edition to commemorate its racing exploits. The current Mercedes-AMG GT has already had this treatment once with the Motorsport Collectors Edition, and now there’s another one, with a bit of a twist – it wears the colours of an F1 team that doesn’t actually exist.

This is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition, and it is, of course, inspired by the fictional racing team featured in F1. No, not the sport, the upcoming Brad Pitt-fronted movie. In the film, the team uses Mercedes power units, and it looks like the German manufacturer’s partnership with Apple Studios, which is producing F1, runs a bit deeper – apparently, cars including the SL, G-Class, and AMG GT will all feature in off-track scenes.

Which leads us, somewhat inevitably, to the GT 63 APXGP (which is supposed to be pronounced ‘Apex GP’, we think). It’s mechanically identical to a regular AMG GT 63 4Matic+, which means it gets a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 pumping out 577bhp and 590lb ft of torque. Deployed through all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox, it’s capable of hitting 62mph in 3.2 seconds and cracking on to a 196mph top speed.

The APXGP Edition wears a colour scheme based on that of APX’s fictional car, a matt black and gold scheme with more than a hint of John Player Special Lotus about it (not that we’re complaining). ‘Race Gold’ accents can be found surrounding the grille, running along the car’s flanks and on its rear diffuser, and the 21-inch forged wheels are finished in it, too.

Perhaps the most eye-catching exterior change, though, is the pattern covering the rear of the car, similar to the abstract matt grey zig-zags worn by the F1 machine in the film. On the inside, meanwhile, there is more gold, plus the obligatory numbered plaque reminding you that you have one of the 52 APXGP Editions Merc is making – we’re not too sure of the significance of this number.

Elsewhere, the APXGP Edition gets some of the regular GT’s optional extras thrown in as standard. The AMG Aerodynamics package adds a fixed rear wing, while the Carbon Fibre package and Night Package II see various exterior highlights finished in bare carbon and black chrome, respectively. A panoramic roof and beefy 1170-watt Burmester sound system come standard, too.

There’s no word on how much this extra exclusivity and goldness will cost you compared to the £169,600 entry point of a regular GT 63, or how many – if any – of the 52 cars are UK-bound. The F1 movie, meanwhile – directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris – lands in cinemas here on 25 June.