Finally after months of unrelenting teasers and previews, tonight Mercedes-Benz and their in-house tuner and performance arm AMG revealed the new Mercedes AMG GT sports car. The gorgeous coupe replaces the SLS as Merc’s new range-topping halo model, and in many ways it is the first proper sports car they’ve ever made.
Not that Mercedes hasn’t built sports cars before, but the AMG GT is a purpose-built, lightweight (sort of), rear-wheel-drive car in the same class as a Porsche 911. For the first time since, well, ever, AMG has focused more on the dynamics and handling than outright performance. It is made largely from aluminum and benefits from suspension, steering and electronics tuned for agility and precise handling.
Make no mistake, Mercedes AMG GT is still pretty damn quick, what with a brand-new 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 engine developing 510 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque. It takes the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of over 310 km/h. There is also a low-fat version with 462 horsepower. Both come with a transaxle seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
The key thing about the new engine is that it delivers pretty much the same performance as the outgoing M156 5.5 liter biturbo V8, but it is significantly more fuel efficient. Those who have tried it in prototype mode say it is not as responsive as the old engine and doesn’t make quite the same sound, but these are small prices to pay considering the upsides.
As for the looks, Mercedes AMG GT lives up to the claims the company’s official had made prior to the reveal about it being one of the most beautiful cars they’ve ever made. It is compact, slim, sexy, and very easy on the eyes. It is really hard to fault the looks of the AMG GT, especially in silver. It kind of resembles an F-Type that’s been working out for while!
All things considered, it looks like Mercedes has hit another home run with the new AMG GT. What we want to know now is how the GT fares against the sports car segment’s undisputed ruler, the Porsche 911.
