Fresh eyes, focus, ambition at Affalterbach means more gloom for Zuffenhausen.
As the engineered division between Mercedes-Benz and their in-house tuning outfit AMG began to really crystallise with the first GT coupe in 2014, it seems the newly formed Mercedes-AMG had set out to upset one specific competitor: Porsche.
At a time when they had to share the path of vendetta with Jaguar, which resulted in the F-Type, AMG’s own effort took the matter of offering a mainstream compact GT very seriously, built around a new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that has gone on to become the company’s de facto high performance engine.
It’s clear now that the GT was the more accomplished car, both as a machine and an object, an accolade it wears with its sales numbers. Following its success and numerous permutations, Mercedes-AMG has moved on to its next bespoke product, the GT 4-Door, which was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.
Loosely related to the all-new CLS Class, the GT 4-Door is a high performance saloon that intends to offer the experience of the two-door GT but with the added practicality of a four-seater. This means the same V8 bi-turbo engine used with the possibility of a hybrid component adding even more thrust - around 600kW. The target? Porsche’s Panamera, obviously.
Now that they’ve fired a significant shot at the Porsche 911 and Panamera, Mercedes-AMG’s next target is aimed at the company’s volume sports car, the 718 Cayman and Boxster, according to Autocar. How this all-new model will turn out is anyone’s guess, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine a shrunken GT playing that part exceptionally well if executed right.
Mercedes-Benz’s previous attempt at upsetting the Boxster and Cayman was the SLK (later renamed SLC), though it was clearly lacking in the finesse and character that the mid-engine Boxster provided, losing out even to BMW’s Z4 roadster.
This new model, when it does make an appearance, will have a fresh market to compete against, one that’s rather different than when the SLC was in contention. In addition to the established 718 Cayman, AMG will have to compete with the a more evolved version of the Jaguar F-Type, an all-new BMW Z4, and the Alpina A110.
It’s quite likely that the AMG will be powered by a variation on Mercedes-Benz’s new 3.0-litre inline-6 turbocharged petrol, mated to an automatic transmission, making it a direct competitor to the equally six-cylindered Z4. Save for the rumoured Boxster Spyder shoving back in a naturally aspirated flat-six, the 718 range is set to remain a four-cylinder.
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