After a couple of interesting teasers, the third and most hardcore member of the AMG GT family is finally here, and it’s every bit as alluring and aggressive as Mercedes has hinted it would be. Featuring more power and less fat, the Mercedes-AMG GT R is ready to charm everyone with its sleek curves and jaw dropping performances, but let’s focus on the details now…
First, we should mention that the AMG GT R is 90 kg or 199 lbs than the Mercedes-AMG GT S, which means it weights only 1,554 kg or 3,428 lbs. When you add the upgraded 4.0L biturbo V8 engine to the picture, which produces 585 PS and 700 Nm of torque, you just know we’re talking about a real deal here.
This flagship model also comes with a tweaked version of the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, which delivers faster shifts, taking this supercar from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in a mere 3.6 seconds, and to a heart-stopping top speed of 318 km/h or 198 mph. This means it’s faster and quicker off the line than the GT S and this is just the start.
The Mercedes-AMG engineers also worked a lot of this car’s handling and stance, to make sure you’ll break all your personal records when you’re driving this beauty on a track. That’s why the AMG GT R features a more aggressive stance, and a sleek body kit inspired by the AMG GT3 race car, with a large rear wing, a double rear diffuser, big air intakes and a vertical slatted grille.
The new super light 10-spoke 20 inch forged wheels, wrapped in high performance tires from Michelin, also contribute to a unique driving experience, while a new active aero profile in the underbody improves the airflow considerably. After all these upgrades, the AMG GT R corners perfectly at high speeds and offers better directional stability when you compare it to the AMG GT S.
The Mercedes-AMG GT R might be a road-going sports car, but its racing genes can be easily felt, especially when you look at its adaptive suspension setup, that has been finely tuned for the track, with three different modes that would help you in any occasion.
Another interesting surprise prepared by the engineers from Mercedes-AMG is the car’s Active Rear-Wheel Steering system, which turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the ones up front at speeds of up to 100 km/h and then back in the same direction if the driver pushes the throttle.
Oh, and there’s also a new 9-way traction control system through which the lucky drivers of this beauty can make minor adjustments on the go.
The Mercedes-AMG GT R is equally impressive inside the cockpit, featuring manually adjustable AMG sports bucket seats, covered in fine nappa leather, with contrasting yellow stitching and yellow seat belts, a gloss black trim and the AMG Interior Night package as well.
Last but not least, we should also talk about this supercar’s heart-stopping exhaust system. Specially developed for the AMG GT R, this exhaust sounds absolutely fabulous even when you’re just listening to it from the video below. Mercedes says this sportscar delivers a genuine race car sound, but we honestly think it’s a lot better than that.
The Mercedes-AMG GT R will go on sale on November 2016, with the first deliveries expected to be in March 2017.
