The latest model from AMG makes its debut, and shows no fear in a segment dominated by an iconic car. An object of desire, the Mercedes AMG GT is set to challenge another legendary German sports car - the Porsche 911. So, it was only fair on our part to bring you a thorough Mercedes AMG GT Review to help you know it better.
It seems improbable that a legendary carmaker like Mercedes has never made a serious foray into the GT segment, dominated by another German icon. But it does so now with the new GT – a mind-blowing two-seater coupe more aligned to the AMG ethos than to Mercedes itself. The GT will now pitch Mercedes in commercial competition, and possibly on the racing circuit, with the class leader – the Porsche 911, as well as other GT sports cars like the Audi R8, Chevrolet Corvette, Jaguar F-Type and Nissan GT-R. Others, such as the Honda NSX, the Maserati Alfieri, and the Lexus LF-LC will arrive later to make the competition even hotter.
While the category of the normal coupe is facing a crisis, high-end sports cars, just below supercar territory, remain some of the most favoured cars of the rich. And when it comes to appeal, the Mercedes AMG GT simply has it – lots of it! A 4-litre V8 engine powers two variants of the car – the GT and GTS – and produces 462bhp and 510bhp that can propel these cars to over 300km/h. It’s enough to make anybody drool...
Considering the massive investment Mercedes made for this model, it would be reasonable to expect a roadster variant of this car in the future.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
It’s been designed almost from scratch. Beyond the gearbox-transmission, transaxle inherited from the SLS, this new GT is inspired by the volumes and proportions of the Mercedes-Benz sports cars of the past – but without resorting to too many retro stylistic elements. This stunning car looks elegant and brawny at the same time.
Every detail in the car’s design, as we felt during our Mercedes AMG GT Review, has been executed impeccably. Whichever way one looks at it, the GT is unmistakably a Mercedes – with the exception of the rear fender, which evokes the ‘broad shoulders’ of the 911.
In Affalterbach, headquarters of AMG – a 30-minute drive from the headquarters of Porsche in Zuffenhausen – the men behind the GT make no secret of their desire to win the endorsement of the fans of the Porsche 911, even if the numbers on the sales charts fall a bit short.
Managers at Mercedes estimate an order demand of 10,000 cars per year, but the production, they say, will be less than that. That’s for a couple of reasons. They don’t want to be forced to invest more in AMG’s production capacity (the engines are still assembled by hand, one-by-one, individually), and also to give the car a certain exclusivity – which is essential to succeed in this market segment.
As far as the performance and the dynamics of the car go, we only have the statements by AMG to go by for our Mercedes AMG GT Review. And, not surprisingly, those statements are absolutely flattering and enthusiastic. We will be able to drive it and make up our own minds in time for the next issue though.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
• All-new engine, 3,982cc direct injection V8 with two turbochargers placed inside the cylinder banks, and two power output levels: 462bhp (GT) and 510bhp (GTS).
• The transmission is a dual-clutch seven-speed transmission mounted at the rear, together with the limited slip differential (standard on the GTS), for better weight distribution (47:53).
• The shell is mostly made of aluminium, and it weighs 231kgs. The front module is made of magnesium, while the rear is made of steel.
• Maximum speed is 304km/h for the GT and 310km/h for the GTS. The acceleration from 0 to 100km/h is 4 and 3.8 seconds respectively. They weigh 1,540kgs (GT) and 1,570kgs (GT S).
• Among the options, there is the Dynamic plus AMG package, which consists of a series of changes to the sub-structure of the frame for track use.
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