One of the most important cars to be revealed in 2014 is without a doubt the new Mercedes sports car which replaces the SLS. Known in the auto world as the Mercedes AMG GT, or the SLC, this new Merc is a big deal because like the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe, it is a direct rival for the Porsche 911.

Car makers have been trying for years to come up with something as good as the Porsche 911, but to no avail. The reason for this is that Porsche has been honing the 911 for the past fifty years. Each generation addresses the issues of the last, and brings something new to the table. Other cars in this class are just rookies who think they can take on and beat the master in its own game.

With the new AMG GT sports car, though, Mercedes believes they’ve cracked it. Unlike the SLS which was all about excess, the GT will be light, agile, and responsive. To build completely by AMG, the car is said to launch with a 400 horsepower V8 engine, and looks to die for. A Mercedes official said a while ago the AMG GT will be the prettiest car they’ve ever made.

So let’s hope it’s better than these fairly realistic renderings we got here by guys from the Quattroporte magazine. It is a nice-looking car, what they’ve come up with here, but not as beautiful as Mercedes says the real car is. And while it is better-looking than the 911, it doesn’t have a hope against the F-Type Coupe, which is heart-meltingly pretty.