2021 Mercedes-AMG GT73e PHEV spied

This isn’t your garden variety Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.

Instead, our spy photographers have captured the upcoming plug-in hybrid flagship of the line, the GT73e, which should make its debut this year.

This prototype also previews a subtle facelift for the GT 4-Door Coupe line, which includes restyled bumpers and headlights and the latest MBUX infotainment system.

Peer through the camouflage and you’ll see a charging port on the rear bumper.

While there are some tweaks to the exterior, the real news is under the skin.

It’s expected to feature a production version of the 2017 GT concept’s powertrain.

The GT Concept was an almost production-ready preview of the GT 4-Door Coupe’s exterior, and was powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with a rear-mounted electric motor.

Total system output was said to be up to 600kW, with a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) time of under three seconds.

The 4Matic all-wheel drive system also featured torque vectoring.

The GT73e was first teased in late 2019 and originally tipped for a 2020 introduction, though like many debuts slated for last year it was delayed.

Though this plug-in powertrain will debut in the GT73e, it’s expected to also be employed in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and SL-Class.

The current flagship of the GT 4-Door Coupe line – the GT63 S – is hardly a wallflower.

It uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine producing 470kW of power and a stout 900Nm of torque.

MORE: Mercedes-AMG GT news, reviews, comparisons and videos MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG