A genuine Mercedes-AMG opponent to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS has been bound to happen, however the GT R takes the battle to its course equal, and not simply around a circuit. A much more proficient and connecting with street auto because of its race-inferred advancements, its AMG’s most convincing, exciting and useable sports car yet.
Mercedes-AMG’s new GT R may be a track-focussed, Nurburgring-bedeviling beast, yet the broad changes for more prominent speed and engagement make a far and away superior street auto.
Racing improves the breed, so they say, so it must rile the people at AMG that its success in GT3 racing hasn’t translated into huge sales of its road-going AMG GT S sports car. The GT R is a riposte to that, bringing some of the brand’s hard-fought track expertise to the road – taking the fight to rivals like Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS.
In light of the GT S, the GT R takes after the attempted and tried recipe of go-speedier, drive harder. Thus, it’s lost some weight, included some power, expanded its grasp and honed up its responses. The weight’s been lost through an all-embracing diet, with new forged wheels, carbon fibre structural parts, less sound deadening, a lithium ion battery, and lightweight seats.
The overall loss stands at around 15kg. It might not sound like much, but factor in all the other stuff AMG has put in and it’s quite an achievement. The go-faster equipment includes active aerodynamics to help suck the car to the road at high speed, those lighter, bigger wheels are shod with wider tyres and there’s some trick rear-wheel steering, which improves turn-in response and high-speed stability. A wider track front and rear helps here, too, as does a traction control system that offers a choice of nine settings – just like AMG’s GT3 race car.
Troubling that traction control system is a 577bhp version of AMG’s now familiar 4.0-litre biturbo engine held in position by dynamic engine mounts. Power grows to thanks to a pair of revised turbos, nestling at the top of the 4.0-litre V8 engine, while the entire induction system has been revised to improve both output and response. That’s not quite the headline 604bhp found in the new E63 S, but AMG boss Tobias Moers says the twin-scroll turbos and the greater intercooling in that car are too heavy for the GT R.
The result of all those changes is a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds and a 198mph top speed – making the GT R the hardest charging AMG GT yet. The engine fires with the sort of evocative grumble and roar of the best V8s, driving the rear wheels via AMG’s quick-shifting seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
The result of all those changes is a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds and a 198mph top speed – making the GT R the hardest charging AMG GT yet. The engine fires with the sort of evocative grumble and roar of the best V8s, driving the rear wheels via AMG’s quick-shifting seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
There’s the usual choice of drive modes from Comfort through to Race, the selection of which is done relatively simply via the toggle dial on the large V-shaped centre console – the rest of which is something of an ergonomic disaster.
Press the start button on the transmission and the 456bhp 4.0-litre V8 (503bhp in the GT-S) comes to life. The clamor is addictive and truly makes its mark over 3,000rpm – particularly with the games deplete enacted.
With 600Nm of torque (650 in the GT-S) accessible as low as 1,600rpm, the AMG-GT feels quickly responsive, yet cruise control doesn’t touch base until 6,000rpm – so there’s execution on offer all through the rev run.
A superior V8-engined sports auto with a close to six-figure sticker price is never going to be shoddy to run, yet the GT gives you the picture, sound and excites of the active SLS show for significantly less cash.
The GT and GT-S adaptations emanate 216g/km and 219g/km of CO2 individually and these figures mean assessment expenses will be like the 209g/km Jaguar F-Pace R Roadster. As a sign of the effectiveness picks up Mercedes has made, the active SLS transmitted 308g/km. Mileage for the GT is 30.4mpg, while the GT S is basically the same at 30.1mpg.”
