Mercedes-Benz and its AMG performance division has finally revealed – in full this time – their new, very green, and quite annoyed (in a fun way) Mercedes-AMG GT R. Apart from the loutish branding, it’s actually their most technically advanced car in addition to also being the fastest.
AMG had put a lot of engineering behind their original GT and, with that as a base, added even more technical know-how into their GT3 racer which won the Nurburgring 24 hour. The new GT R here is, as they claim, a road-going version of that racer.
Prospective customers will be glad to know that Mercedes-AMG will not be limiting the range-topping GT R’s production and will be produced in volume like other variants of the GT with deliveries due to start in November at a price that isn't disclosed yet but a significant premium over the GT S.
Under the bonnet, the GT R is powered by the same 4.0-litre V8 engine but receives a new pair of turbochargers, new compression ratios, and an engine remap to increase power to 430kW and 700Nm (an increase of 55kW and 50Nm, if you were curious).
As is the norm with these more focused versions of already formidable sports cars, the AMG GT R has undergone some lightening and now has a carbon fibre roof, a set of lightweight 20-inch forged aluminium wheels, and titanium exhaust system. There’s also less sound dampening material lined around the occupant cell.
There have also been minor tweaks to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, now with a longer first gear ratio and shorter final rive ratio. Century sprint time has now been reduced by 0.2 seconds (3.6 seconds) over the GT S.
In terms of aerodynamics, the GT R has a new carbon fibre rear wing and even an active diffuser located within the car’s underbody to reduce front axle lift at speed.
To sharpen handling even further, this is now the first car within the Mercedes-AMG stable to gain rear-wheel steering which turn in the opposite direction at speeds below 100km/h for quicker direction response while above that threshold, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts. In either case, the system only moves the wheels by 1.5 degrees.
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