2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63 vs. Maserati MC20 Cielo: Duel for Grand Tourer Supremacy!
In this genteel battle of ultra-luxurious grand tourers, there’s an obvious winner.
Contrary to the doom and gloom you see online about the demise of combustion-powered performance and luxury, the reality is that there are plenty of gas-drinking grand tourers still available for those who have the coin. Those who are in the enviable position of choosing from the current crop of flagship sports cars will no doubt consider the latest offerings from Maserati and Mercedes-AMG, the 2023 MC20 Cielo and the 2024 GT63. Maserati’s flagship looks the part of a supercar, with tight haunches and beautiful proportions; this one has a removable hard top, but there is an identical MC20 coupe. AMG’s offering is handsome, too, an evolution of the first-generation two-door hatchback complete with its signature long hood and gracefully resolved silhouette; opposite the MC20, it, too, is available as a droptop, though it’s technically a different albeit mechanically similar model: the newest SL-Class.
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As two of the best-looking grand tourers money can buy, each takes a different approach to one of autodom’s most enduring, envy-inducing vehicle types. To see which is best, we put both GT cars to the test during our 2024 Performance Vehicle of the Year evaluation at Chuckwalla Raceway. Both Maserati’s convertible and Mercedes-AMG’s coupe pack a ton of appeal, but only one grand tourer can come out on top.
High-Performance Hardware
Grand tourers are the do-it-all style plays of the automotive world. Beyond their extravagant looks and sumptuous interiors, these rarified vehicles are defined by their high-performance drivetrains, capable handling, and state- and nation-crossing comfort. In the case of the 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo, motivation comes from the automaker’s Nettuno 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, rated for 621 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. The MC20 Cielo launches from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and flies through the quarter mile in 11.7 at 124.7 mph.
The MC20 Cielo is a good match for its rival, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63. Cranking out 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque from its hand-built 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, AMG’s new-generation GT63 flagship (well, for now—there is an 805-hp GT63 S E Performance plug-in hybrid version arriving soon) and its new all-wheel drive launches from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds and blitzes the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds at 123.7 mph. This pair attains similar times around our figure-eight test circuit, too. The MC20 Cielo takes 23.2 seconds to complete a lap; the Mercedes-AMG GT63 takes 23.4 seconds.
Similar though their basic performance stats are, these cars’ individual characters can’t be more distinctive. The MC20 Cielo’s racy interior accents allude to its split personality as a gentleman’s GT and something trying to be more exotic. Acceleration is quick but explosive, as one would expect from an engine as sophisticated as Maserati’s Nettuno. You modulate the immense stopping power from the optional Brembo-sourced carbon-ceramic brakes using pressure, not pedal travel, as in a track-tuned machine. Turn into the corner, and the light but precise steering tucks in the front end with a whiff of understeer at the absolute limit. Upon exit, mat the throttle, and what feels like a very clever electronic limited-slip differential helps ladle out the power and propel the Maserati down the next straight.
Although the MC20 has a lot of good things going for it, we’ve noted some quibbles that hold the Cielo back from its true potential as a world-class GT. A sonorous exhaust note is expected from something Italian that looks like this, but the V-6's volume isn’t loud enough to avoid being washed out when the top is lowered; it isn’t much spicier the rest of the time, either. Raising the top and lowering the rear glass accentuates the engine’s noise a bit, but its song is a monotone baritone rather than a sizzling scream. The MC20 Cielo is quick, but it never blows your mind on longer straights. We’d like Maserati’s convertible to feel a bit more playful, but the MC20 Cielo falls short of driving like the charismatic exotic it seems to be trying for.
Where the MC20 Cielo takes a restrained approach to theatricality, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63 pounces with a sledgehammer approach to high-speed thrills. The V-8 growls with the guttural ferality that put Affalterbach on the map. Squeeze into the throttle, and eruptive acceleration rockets you off the line or out of a corner. Shifts from the nine-speed automatic transmission feel crisper and more definitive than those from Maserati’s dual-clutch eight-speed gearbox. The steering has heft matched with precision, giving you the confidence to wring the GT63 out on track for everything it’s worth.
With plenty of mechanical grip from the sticky Pilot Sport S 5 tires and all-wheel-drive traction, the Mercedes-AMG GT63 goads you into setting all of its drive modes to their most aggressive profiles while giving you all the equipment and communication necessary to fully send it. And although it’s easy to work Merc’s coupe into a rhythm on the track, the drive is never boring due to the all-wheel-drive system’s rear-biased tuning (in most scenarios, it feels rear-wheel-drive, with the front axle invisibly helping claw the car out of corners) and the exhaust’s snarling soundtrack.
Shortcomings are few, especially compared with the MC20 Cielo. The AMG certainly is heavier, weighing in at 4,241 pounds to the Maserati’s 3,920 pounds, but its heft is managed well by the AMG Active Ride Control suspension with semi-active anti-roll stabilization and adaptive dampers. If we’re to pick nits, we have to acknowledge that the GT63’s handling isn’t as edgy as that of an equivalent Porsche 911 or even the previous-generation GT, even if its limits are as high or higher. Still, these shortcomings are so slight and so easily overcome by skill that we can’t help but hand the driving dynamics portion of this comparison to the Mercedes.
Luxurious Appointments
Where the Maserati and the Mercedes are more greatly differentiated by their driving character, both touring cars wow with upscale materials and impressive tech inside. This 2023 MC20 Cielo test car’s interior color scheme blends an icy shade with gray accents splashed across highly detailed Alcantara chairs. Leather with contrast stitching and a tasteful dose of carbon fiber round out the cockpit’s trim. There’s an appropriate amount of digital real estate, too—a 10.3-inch touchscreen pairs with a digital instrument cluster of the same size. The displays are large enough to be legible without taking away from the MC20’s beautiful surfaces. Some might find the Cielo’s cabin to be a bit sparse, but we can also appreciate Maserati’s restraint in using an appropriate number of decorative accents without going overboard. As a grand tourer, the MC20 falls short of being able to carry a meaningful amount of luggage, with just 5 cubic feet of capacity total.
Over in the Mercedes-AMG GT63, the cabin is less exotic and a bit more digital. Thankfully, this test car wears handsome Red Pepper leather upholstery with AMG Carbon Fiber trim. The spacious, sensible interior receives large displays that dominate the leather-covered dash; there’s a prominent 11.9-inch touchscreen in the center and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Build quality feels exceptional, amending some of the creakiness we’ve noticed in recent Mercedes products. The suite of active safety assists should ease the burden on longer stints. We’ve noted fabulous gap maintenance from the semi-autonomous driving system in prior evaluations. As a grand tourer, the GT63 benefits from a massive 11.3-cubic-foot trunk if the rear-seat option is equipped. Without those seats, as this car is configured, that space balloons to 23.8 cubic feet. The AMG trades some exoticism for practicality, befitting a one-car touring solution.
The Verdict: Which GT Is Best?
Despite divergent body styles and philosophies on how to attain high performance, the 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo and 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT63 find themselves closer competitors than one might suspect. Mercedes scores points for driver engagement, and Maserati does a better job with supercar flashiness, but ultimately we would rather romp cross country in the AMG GT63. It doesn’t hurt that the Maserati’s starting price of $265,195 is deeply undercut by the Mercedes’ sticker of $178,750. That gulf deepens when you factor options into the equation. The 2023 MC20 that’s pictured here goes for an eye-watering $343,695, while the 2024 AMG GT63 gets the job done for just $211,810 as equipped. Value isn’t as big a factor for shoppers of vehicles in this segment, but we’re impressed that Mercedes has managed to accomplish so much for a sum we’re easily able to comprehend.
If the MC20 Cielo exhibited a little more refinement and a bit more theater, the result of this comparison test would have swung in the striking convertible’s favor. Unfortunately for Maserati, Mercedes-AMG appears to have left nothing on the table when developing the latest installment of its range-topping performance coupe. So exemplary is the GT63 that we had to shove thoughts of potential -C, -R, and Black Series variants to the back of our mind during our hot lap sessions, let alone that monster plug-in version coming later this year. The latest offering from Mercedes-AMG blew us away, earning it a place in the pantheon of grand touring greats. If this is to be the last roar of the golden age of internal combustion, consider us satisfied.
2nd Place: 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo
Pros
- Drop-top joy
- Striking styling
- Delightful cruiser
Cons
- Should be quicker
- Engine is too quiet
- Inconsistent interior
Verdict: If its performance matched its design, the MC20 would be a winner.
1st Place: 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63
Pros
- Boisterous character
- Confident handling and extraordinary grip
- Properly luxurious
Cons
- Feels hefty
- Hard to distinguish as new
- More performance available for less
Verdict: A continent-crushing touring car that’s at home on the street and the racetrack.
Billy Rehbock's passion for cars started with his dad's Volkswagen Jetta GLX, his mom's Cabriolet, and his own Hot Wheels collection. A USC graduate with a Master of Science in journalism, he's an associate editor for the MotorTrend Buyer's Guide and covers everything from sports cars to SUVs.
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