World’s Favourite Trainspotter in the AMG GT 63 vs. Mat Watson in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Showdown

With over 3.2 million followers on TikTok and 2.4 million on Instagram, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where, if you’ve used a social media app in the last four years, you haven’t come across Francis Bourgeois’s train-spotting videos. The world-renowned content creator uses a fisheye camera pointed at his face while getting excited at the sight of trains whizzing by and whizzing by. However, it turns out he’s also a car enthusiast, and this time, he’s racing Mat Watson in the quarter-mile.

Francis describes trains and Tube stations with the same passion and enthusiasm that Jeremy Clarkson brought to his storytelling on Top Gear and The Grand Tour. But train and Tube serial numbers aren’t all he knows. A true enthusiast, he could tell you how many valves and horsepower locomotives produce and how fast they can go.

In this race, he’s behind the wheel of a 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63. With so many YouTube videos, it seems like everyone has been driving this Mercedes since it came out, but that’s no wonder, given how incredible it looks, feels, and drives.

THE AMG The GT 63 is well equipped with what Mercedes boasts is a “hand-built” AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 577 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. Its AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G 9-speed automatic transmission sends all that power to the AMG Performance system. 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system.

Francis Bourgeois driving a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 versus Mat Watson driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Photo: carwow

Opposite car enthusiast Trainspotter is Mat Watson from ‘carwow’ in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Using two electric motors, the N version can usually produce 601bhp with 770Nm of torque. However, thanks to its sophisticated N Grin Boost function, it increases those entry-level figures to 641bhp or 650ps for 10 seconds. It also makes a strange digital rev noise in ‘manual’ mode.

It’s 84 kWh The battery can last 356 kilometers, according to EPA estimates. In the United States, a 2025 Ioniq 5N starts at about $66,000. Of course, the MSRP excludes freight, taxes, title, license fees, and other nonsense. Previously, the Ioniq 5N lost to a Lamborghini Aventador SV LP750-4, which had a base price of $493,095 in the United States, compared to $66,000 for the Hyundai. Did it really win, or was it just faster?

The $175,900 (MSRP) Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Coupe was also put to the test recently, going up against the 2017 AMG GT S, 2022 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and 2017 Nissan GT-R. Long story short, it beat them all. However, it can’t compete with the Porsche 911 Turbo (non-S), BMW M8, and Audi R8 V10 Performance Quattro.

Back in our neck of the woods, train spotters Mat and Francis took part in two drag races, which the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N won both times. Electric vehicle The Mercedes got the better of the Mercedes from the start in the first race, pulling away all the way to the finish line. In the second race, the AMG took the lead in menacing fashion and looked like it had the win in its pocket until the end, when the electric car caught up and won by a few inches. Both cars finished in 11.4 seconds. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a 0-60 mph time.

Francis Bourgeois driving a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 versus Mat Watson driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Photo: carwow

Now, since the winner somehow has an electric manual mode that simulates acceleration and shifting, they did a few half-mile rolling races for fun and laughs. The Mercedes ultimately came away with a win, proving its $176,000 worth. Unfortunately, it turns out the AMG won because the Ioniq 5 N was in manual mode and not using the N Grin Boost. So after another run in automatic mode with the boost, the Hyundai came out on top.

Finally, it was time for the usual 100 mph brake test, which revealed that the $66,000 EV had better brakes than the Mercedes sports car. After Mat invited Francis to see what the N felt like in the passenger seat, the train enthusiast was so taken with the EV’s launch that he wanted to switch cars and take part in another drag race.

Unfortunately for him, the AMG won, albeit by a narrow margin. But after experiencing what the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N felt like, winning or losing didn’t matter, with Francis Bourgeois finishing with: “That’s a real piece of racing.“In American translation, that meant he was nothing short of ecstatic about the prospect of drag racing in such a powerful electric vehicle. And that’s saying something, coming straight from the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63, which is no slouch either.


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