Bernd Schneider is a Bathurst 12 Hour winner and Mercedes AMG brand ambassador. Recently he was in Bathurst for an AMG drive day. Once the snow had melted, this is what happened when he was given the keys to an AMG GT S and sent out on an empty Mount Panorama circuit.
Mercedes-AMG will launch its new GT3 racecar at the Geneva Motor Show (5–15 March). Based on the AMG GT road car, the new customer GT3 machine will replace the successful SLS AMG GT3. The new AMG GT3 will be ready for competition in 2016.
For now we’ve got the image above and a couple of sketches for you to admire.
Harris at the wheel of the of the new AMG GT on an empty Laguna Seca. Hell yeah!
Filmed back at the car’s original launch and recently posted to his new (and free) YouTube channel we get some technical insight into the car’s construction. We’re presented with the theory on why this car should be good and then…
We get the practice. And, in a nutshell, that’s what makes Chris Harris so good at his job. He takes the time to explain things before putting them in action.
He’s certainly been more animated in other reviews, but if you want to find out if the AMG GT is better than a 911 without having access to either then this is probably as close as you’re going to get.
After a long build up the Mercedes-AMG GT is here. Mercedes is talking itself up with this car and AMG has lofty ambitions for its latest model. Just look at the first sentence from the press release below:
The first Mercedes was a racing car, 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, top-class sports car segment for the company.
To help achieve its aims the AMG GT features a curvaceous coupé body with most of the curves in all the right places. It’s a classic two-seat sportscar look, with a long bonnet and the cabin pushed back towards the rear wheels. It does look pretty good from most angles, although we do think this car would look more impressive before our eyes than it does on a computer screen.
Powering the AMG GT is a 4.0 litre V8 biturbo engine. The new M178 V8 is provided in two states of tune, for the entry level GT model there’s 340kW/600Nm on tap, while the GT S gets a modest boost to 375kW/650Nm.
Perhaps inspired a little by the innovative turbo configuration from the F1 W05 the M178 V8 features what’s been labelled as “hot inside V†whereby the turbos are mounted inside the V layout, rather than outside the engine. The use of a dry sump also means the engine can be mounted lower, helping to provide a lower centre of gravity for better handling.
In true AMG tradition, this V8, even with turbos, sounds as raucous and thunderous as the company’s previous normally aspirated offerings. Thankfully!
Motorsport-inspired double wishbone suspension has been used for superior road holding, cornering and feedback, well, according to Mercedes anyway. A 47:53 front to rear weight distribution should also give the GT a classic sportscar feel, with that extra weight at the rear to keep the driving wheels better planted to the road.
The GT has a kerbweight of 1540kg and sees off 100km/h in 4.0 seconds, while the more powerful GT S weighs 1570kg but is quicker to triple figures with a sprint time of 3.8 seconds. Both models have had their top speeds electronically capped, 304km/h for the GT and 310km/h for the GT S.
Meaningful buzzwords like forged alloy wheels, carbon ceramic brakes, 7-speed dual clutch transmission, rear-axle locking differential and more can be found lurking in the detailed press guff below, along with a few videos and enough photos—in new 2560px mega sizing—for you to form a judgement on the AMG GT that we’d love you to share with us.
Mercedes-Benz is talking a big game for its new AMG GT, which is due for an official reveal next month. But as we’ve become accustomed these days images have a way of leaking out and spreading around the interwebz.
It’s not totally clear if these two AMG GT images are genuine, but based on a previous teaser from Mercedes they look pretty damn close.
The images are watermarked by the Italian website Quattroruote and that’s exactly where we followed our nose. Alas, aside from a couple of pics on the Porsche-based Rennteam forum we could find any extra info.
A few weeks back Mercedes-Benz confirmed details of the new M178 4.0 litre V8 biturbo which will power the AMG GT. It boasts 375kW (510hp) at 6250rpm and 650Nm of peak torque is available between 1750–4750rpm.
Perhaps inspired a little by the innovative turbo configuration from the F1 W05 the M178 V8 features what’s been labelled as “hot inside V” whereby the turbos are mounted inside the V layout, rather than outside the engine.
You can read more about that below. There’s also a new video from Mercedes talking up the AMG GT, which was published yesterday.
[Source: Quattroruote via Rennteam | Thanks to Wayne for the tip]
Regardless of what the new owners will have in store for the Nürburgring when they takeover next year it’s clear the industry pool is still in full swing.
Here’s four videos thanks to Dale from Bridge to Gantry which show a Mercedes AMG GT, an Audi R8 of some description (possibly turbocharged), a Jaguar XE Saloon and a VW Golf R Wagon being put through their paces.
What a lovely way to spend an afternoon!
Mercedes has released this teaser image of the new AMG GT. We’ve lightened it up a little to give you a better idea of what we’re dealing with.
The AMG GT has been labelled a rival to the Porsche 911 and will be a front-engined V8 brute. It’s not due for an official reveal until much later in the year, so get ready for more details to be slowly drip fed.
Also released is a brief video, which you can see below. Like the photo, the clip is light on details and makes a bunch of motherhood statements. We like this one:
When conquering a twisty road is what matters most
You can stay up to date with the tease from Mercedes at the AMG GT web portal.
This rather nice looking rendering has been created by Autocar and accompanies its story on the Mercedes-Benz GT AMG.
So what is this GT AMG thingy, then? Think of it as a sub-SLS sportscar which has been created to target what seems to be the default industry benchmark, the Porsche 911. It’s due to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October, with Euro sales to commence about a year from now.
Powered by a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine (M177) producing 500hp, give or take, depending on the tune, it will be rear-wheel drive only and coupled to a 7-speed double clutch transmission. The two-seater, codenamed C190, will be wrapped in an aluminium body and is expected to weigh 1480kg.
The GT will be similar in size to the SLS, but will feature conventional doors and a more accessible opening rear hatch.
Production for the SLS is about to end and the GT will partly bridge the gap until the next-gen SLS arrives in coming years. Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes-Benz says the GT will have a more modern appearance than the SLS and will cast a new visual language for other models to follow.
“It makes the SLS look dated,â€Â Wagener claimed.
[Source: Autocar]