The new Mercedes-AMG GT
The first Mercedes was a racing car and its most recent successor carries this heritage forward. With the new Mercedes-AMG GT, the Mercedes-AMG sports car brand is moving into a new sports car segment. The GT is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG. Its front mid-engine design with a rear transaxle and use of intelligent aluminum lightweight construction form the basis for a highly dynamic driving experience. Its newly developed AMG 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine underscores the hallmark of AMG driving performance. The first sports car engine from AMG with internally mounted turbochargers and dry sump lubrication is configured in two output ratings: as a GT with 456 hp and as a GT S with 503 hp. The new GT combines driving dynamics and first-class racetrack performance with superb everyday practicality and efficiency that sets new standards in the segment.
It has everything you would expect from an authentic Mercedes-AMG sports car – from the characteristic styling, thoroughbred motorsport technology to the optimum weight distribution. The drive system tailored to consistently delivering driving dynamics perfectly complements this set-up. The centerpiece of the Mercedes-AMG GT is the new 4.0-liter V8 biturbo, which responds instantly with extreme power at low revs and delivers outstanding performance. Top figures such as 3.7 seconds from 0-60 mph (preliminary) and a top speed of 193 mph, combined with the outstanding driving dynamics will undoubtedly translate into extremely fast laps on the racetrack.
At the same time, this two-seater is a comfortable and reliable companion for everyday motoring thanks to its practical decklid, easily accessible luggage compartment, and high level of comfort on long journeys. It also features an extensive list of Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive assistance systems which ensure the high level of safety expected from Mercedes-AMG.
“With the new Mercedes-AMG GT, we are venturing out into a challenging sports car segment with its top-class competitive field. This is an incentive and motivation for us at the same time to prove to sports car enthusiasts around the world the kind of performance that AMG is capable of”, says Prof Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.
“With the new GT we are positioning Mercedes-AMG even more aggressively than to date as a dynamic sports car brand”, says Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. “With its technological substance, the Mercedes-AMG GT fulfils our high aspirations with regard to driving dynamics, agility and sportiness. The new GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG. The car is manufactured according to the motto ‘Handcrafted By Racers’ – which perfectly encapsulates our heritage and our spirit.”
Exterior design: sporty emotion and sensual purity
“The new Mercedes-AMG GT is a sports car in its purist form”, says Gorden Wagener, Vice President Design Daimler AG. “Breathtaking proportions, powerfully sculpted surfaces and flowing lines turn the new AMG into a contemporary sports car which embodies the spirit of the glorious Mercedes sports cars. The GT is a consummate combination of beauty and intelligence.”
The new Mercedes-AMG GT embodies pure sportiness and emotion. The two-seater is characterized by hallmark rear-wheel-drive proportions. The V8 biturbo front mid-engine ensures optimum weight distribution, which forms the basis for superb driving dynamics. The long hood with its pronounced powerdomes, the greenhouse which has been moved far back, the large wheels and broad tail end make up the distinctive looks. Additionally, the large deck lid conceals a practical luggage compartment.
Interior: sensuality, emotion and perfection
The interior design also embodies maximum emotion and sensual purity. Radically low, sporty proportions create a unique sense of spaciousness. Clearly drawn components and their authentic materials underscore the dynamic character and create instant excitement: Anyone opening the door discovers an exciting interplay between the deep, sloping dashboard and a dominant, arched high center console; a design which evokes emotions and impresses with its perfection.
The central “aviation design” theme, which is the hallmark of Mercedes-Benz sports cars, has been restyled. The extreme emphasis on the width of the dashboard, which creates an impression of a powerful wing dominates the cockpit of the GT. Four central spotlight-style vents and the individual vents at each end of the dashboard reinforce this impression. The combination of high beltlines, concave-shaped door paneling, low seating position and a dramatic center console design, makes the GT feel like you are slipping into the cockpit of fighter jet.
The dominant center console with features lifted straight from motor racing by virtue of its styling that is reminiscent of a NACA air intake. Its surfaces are available with numerous trim options providing the customer ultimate stylistic choice of silver chrome, matte carbon fiber, high-gloss carbon fiber, black diamond and matte silver fiberglass. Positioned centrally, the free-standing display is easly and quickly seen while driving for minmimal distraction while providing modern stylistic flair. Attention to detail is also echoed in the AMG DRIVE UNIT controls: they are arranged like eight cylinders in a V layout, emphasising the powerful and high-tech impression made by the center console.
Outstanding precision and a superior quality feel thanks to the finest materials with superb workmanship are also apparent on the sports seats, the performance steering wheel and the instrument cluster. The most important control for sports car fans is located in the AMG DRIVE UNIT on the left-hand side: the button for starting the engine, which is aptly labelled “Engine Start Stop” and illuminates in red.
The newly developed AMG 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine
The new high-performance engine springs to life at the push of a button. The 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine was developed specifically for the GT. The innovative eight-cylinder engine boasts outstanding power delivery, performance figures on a par with motor racing, lightweight construction as well as high efficiency and environmental compatibility. It boasts the brand’s hallmark emotive V8 engine sound, along with an immediate response and high pulling power.
The new AMG V8 engine has two turbochargers which are not mounted on the outside of the cylinder banks but rather inside the V configuration – experts call it a “hot inside V”. The benefits are a compact engine design, an optimum response from the turbochargers and low exhaust gas emissions thanks to optimum air flow for the close-coupled catalytic converters. The dry sump lubrication also ensures the oil supply even with high lateral forces and allows the engine to be installed lower, thus moving the center of gravity closer to the road and forming the basis for high lateral acceleration. The new Mercedes- AMG V8 biturbo engine is the world’s first sports car engine with ‘hot inside V’ and dry sump lubrication.
For more information see www.mercedes-benz.com