Mansory’s take on the AMG GLS 63 has the characteristic bearing of the tuner’s other efforts: it looks more than a little like a mechanized, four-wheeled Rottweiler, and more than a little like an SUV aspiring to crash the gates of a track competition and take the trophy.
Dressed in the shadowed tones much favored by consumers these days, and sporting a body wide enough to make a Hummer feel a twinge of insecurity, the vehicle does make—in the words of the company’s website—a ‘powerful impression.’
Mansory’s niche, though, is in creating be-all-and-end-all variations of the already quick and beautiful, and the power follows through from impression to performance. The AMG GLS 63’s stock engine is not exactly a forgettable bit of fabrication; a 5.5L V8 that’ll pump out 585 horsepower, which is enough to propel the 6,000 pounds of sport utility to 62 in a notch over four and a half seconds. The top speed is limited at 155 miles per hour.
Mansory’s revision brings the horsepower rating up to 830, and brings the GLS 63 top speed up to 183 MPH. The tuner incorporated a great deal of carbon fiber into the rethink, improving the power-to-weight ratio, and airflow also has been dramatically focused. There are bigger front air intakes, and a front splitter, rear diffuser, and new bumpers. The hood is a Mansory design in carbon fiber, which allows engine heat to escape. A carbon fiber lip reduces front-end lift.
Wheels and wheel arches deserve note, as well. The arches have been widened considerably—25mm in front, and 40 in back—giving the Mansory GLS 63 the wider presence; visually arresting, yes, but the purpose is more to increase stability during higher-speed cornering, and pneumatic suspension helps, too, in this arena.
The clearance of the GLS 63 is reduced, although the wheels may be optioned to XXL 23” rims. So the vehicle loses its off-road pretentions, as it gains more respectability as a ferocious road car. A sports silencer helps with the cabin noise associated with ferociousness.
Interiors, which Mansory takes particular pride in showing off, are typically luxuriant, with lots of leather and Alcantara, and lots of carbon fiber trim.
No word from Mansory as of yet on pricing for their AMG GLS 63.
