Live Your Formula One Fantasy: New, 1-of-52 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP
Mercedes x SHARP
We knew Mercedes-AMG would push the marketing envelope to celebrate its starring role in Brad Pitt’s upcoming summer blockbuster, F1. We were thinking maybe a cast-and-crew dad cap, a hoodie, or even a capsule collection. We did not think, however, Mercedes-AMG would launch a new car. And yet, here it is.
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition is a highly exclusive run of just 52 cars that blur the line between Hollywood fantasy and reality to a dizzying extent. Remember: this is a real sports car made by a company with a real World Championship–winning Formula One team, to promote a fictional Formula One team in a Hollywood film.
The APXGP Edition is distinguished by gold accents that are painstakingly applied by hand to each car. AMG’s 21-inch crossspoke forged wheels are also painted in a matte gold hue. Velour floor mats with an embroidered leather APXGP logo and a numbered plaque on the centre console confirm the car’s exceptional status. Under the hood is AMG’s beloved 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine; trust us when we say 585 horsepower is plenty for living out your Formula One driver fantasies on the road or the racetrack.
It’s not just this car that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. The film aims to do the same. Brad Pitt stars as an old, comeback-hungry driver for the fictional APXGP Formula One team, alongside his younger, hotshot teammate played by co-star Damson Idris. Director Joseph Kosinski (of Top Gun: Maverick fame) had the film crew embedded with real Formula One teams during real Grand Prix weekends. In some scenes, Pitt and Idris even shared the racetrack with real Formula One drivers.
As an official promotional partner, Mercedes-AMG provided the technical backbone of the film. Former Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was deeply involved as a producer. And it was Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff who convinced Kosinski to use Formula Two cars dressed up to look like Formula One cars in the film; those fictional APXGP Formula One cars raced by Pitt and Idris were built by the real Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One team.
“F1 brilliantly intertwines the fictional APXGP team with the real-world Formula One. The thrilling storyline and realistic race footage will set moviegoers’ hearts racing,” said Michael Schiebe, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-AMG. “We’re excited to showcase our performance vehicles, including the dynamic AMG GT, in this high-performance setting.”
For most of us, watching the film is about as close as we’ll ever get to being an Formula One driver. However, 52 lucky drivers can get one step closer, living out their Formula One fantasy behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition.
