Mercedes-AMG has pulled out all the stops to make its battery-electric GT 4-Door Coupe sound and drive like it’s powered by the four-litre V8 from the GT R Coupe – right down to replicating the vibrations from a powerful bent eight. 

The brand’s engineers took more than 100 samples using 16 microphone positions – for a total of more than 1600 audio files – to allow their software boffins to reconstruct the sound digitally. 

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Impressive as that is, a more interesting key to making the experience work is how not just the sound but the feeling of the Merc-AMG V8 is transmitted into the cabin, especially in the vehicle’s AMGFORCE Sport+ mode. 

Burmeister 4D sound exciters within the seats transmit vibrations to the driver and passengers, but not just by piping bass into the pews. Instead, the tech features tactile transducers that convert audio signals into physical impulses that can be felt through the body. In other words, instead of moving air like a subwoofer, the exciters vibrate the seat frame and upholstery directly.

The faux-bent-eight driving experience extends to simulated gearshifts with the Sport+ mode activated, too. Paddles mounted on the steering wheel allow the driver to whip through a simulated nine-speed gearbox with an artificial 7200rpm ‘redline’ – but without a ‘rev limiter’ for enthusiastic steerers to bounce the engine off. In better news, downshifts set off a realistic simulation of engine braking. 

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The system is incredibly flexible, matching what the driver is doing by seamlessly selecting and mixing the 1600-plus audio files, which feature not just acceleration, deceleration and gear-change sounds, but also exhaust notes.

The 4 Door Coupe comes in three versions: 53, 55 and 63. The 63 runs three e-motors – one up front and two at the rear – making 860kW and 2000Nm, which is good enough for a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 2.1 seconds and a top blat of 300km/h.