Mercedes honors tennis legend Roger Federer with its strongest model. The Swiss and German car brand have been partners for 14 years, and it remains so even after the recently announced retirement of the 20-time Grand Slam winner. With the joint project “Neon Legacy”, they honor Federer’s successful 24-year career.
The result is a unique one-off based on the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 SE Performance. This cryptic name hides the four-door sedan version of the AMG GT and the first plug-in hybrid from Mercedes sports subsidiary AMG. A V8 biturbo and an electric motor have a system output of 843 hp (620 kW) and a maximum torque of up to 1470 Nm! This means that the 4-door vehicle has a curb weight of 2.4 tons, but reaches 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds. The maximum speed is 316 km/h.
Tennis ball yellow and Federer logo
The unique piece designed with Roger Federer comes in neon yellow – inspired by the color of tennis balls! It is also provided with a one-time Federer seal, which can travel 13 kilometers entirely on electricity. This AMG GT 4-door was presented as part of the Laver Cup, with which Federer ended his active career at the end of September. Unsurprisingly, the model is not yet available for purchase. However, it is not lost in Federer’s private collection.
Because in two weeks, auction house RM Sotheby’s will auction the plug-in AMG along with 70 other vehicles at Motorworld Munich. Federer-Mercedes trades at the equivalent of 200,000 to 240,000 francs. Proceeds will be donated to a public street tennis court in London.