The rear-wheel-drive performance coupé shares elements of its body structure with its predecessor and is the first Mercedes-AMG model to use a newly developed twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine.
“With the new GT, we are positioning Mercedes-AMG even more aggressively than to date,” said the CEO of AMG, Tobias Moers.
Buyers will be able to choose between a standard GT and a more powerful GT S, although only the GT S is planned for delivery initially. The two are set apart visually by different bumpers, tailpipes and wheels.
It provides the standard GT with 456bhp at 6000rpm. With added boost pressure and other internal tweaks for the GT S, the 90deg V8’s outputs rise to 503bhp at 6250rpm.
Like the SLS, the new coupé is based around a lightweight aluminium body structure, which is claimed to weigh 231kg. In a bid to shed weight and reduce its centre of gravity, the new car eschews the heavy gullwing-style doors of the SLS in favour of regular front-hinged doors.
In standard GT guise, it tips the scales at 1540kg and the GT S comes in at 1570kg. This gives them respective power-to-weight ratios of 296bhp per tonne and 320bhp per tonne.
Channelling the GT’s reserves to the rear wheels is a revised version of the Getrag-engineered seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox used on the SLS. Mounted at the rear in a transaxle layout and offering both manual and automatic shifting, it helps to provide the new car with a 47 per cent front and 53 per cent rear weight distribution.
Both models receive a standard locking differential. But whereas the GT receives a mechanical unit, the GT S is fitted with an electronic function that is claimed to provide greater sensitivity by varying the locking effect in acceleration and overrun.
Official performance figures give the GT a 0-100kph time of 4.0sec and a top speed of 304kph. The GT S is claimed to possess slightly sharper performance, with a 0-100kph of 3.8sec and a maximum speed of 310kph.
A bespoke double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension fashioned largely from aluminium underpins the new coupé. Allied to electro-mechanical steering whose assistance alters with speed and lateral acceleration, as well as three-stage stability control, it is claimed to give the GT more neutral on-the-limit behaviour than the SLS.
Alongside standard road tyres, the new car can be ordered with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres as part of an AMG Dynamic Plus pack.
Helping to rein in the GT’s colossal performance are standard 360mm front and rear ventilated and cross-drilled steel disc brakes. They are increased to 390mm at the front on the GT S. As an option, buyers can specify the new car with carbon-ceramic discs that measure 402mm at the front and 360mm at the rear, bringing further savings in unsprung weight and performance gains.
The styling of the GT retains the exaggerated proportions of the SLS, albeit with more contemporary detailing. As well as receiving front-hinged doors in preference to the SLS’s gullwing arrangement, the new Mercedes-AMG model adopts a liftback-style tailgate in place of a conventional bootlid.
As part of efforts to provide the new car with greater handling prowess than its predecessor, the GT also boasts slightly smaller dimensions than the SLS. Exact figures have yet to be revealed, although Mercedes-AMG officials have confirmed that the new car has a shorter wheelbase and more compact overhangs than its predecessor.
Among the aerodynamic developments is an active rear spoiler. It deploys from the rear of the tailgate at speed to increase the car’s downforce.
The new Mercedes-AMG GT is launching into a very crowded segment. A couple of years ago, Lamborghini revealed that the market for what it calls “super-sports cars” had taken a huge hammering during the global credit crunch.
Sales at the tail end of the boom in this market had bulged globally to about 35,000 vehicles annually. After the crunch, this niche shrank back to just 25,000 units, and although it will have risen somewhat over the past 24 months, this is still a very hard-fought niche.
It is, of course, a potentially highly profitable segment, as Porsche’s 911 Turbo proves, with its industry-leading cash profit per unit. Car makers are clearly aware of this and there are plenty of new products in the super-sports car market.
Lamborghini has just refreshed its range and McLaren’s upcoming P13 family will be aimed at this market when it arrives in September 2015. A batch of new Aston Martins are also planned over the next few years (ironically, sharing much of the AMG GT’s powertrain and electrical tech). Ferrari, the strongest player after Porsche’s range-topping 911, is committed to regularly replacing its models to stay at the cutting edge. An all-new Audi R8 is expected next year, too.
But the AMG GT is not just about pure sales performance. The company has been on a mission for the past few years to reduce the average age of Mercedes buyers. The AMG GT is a big part of Merc shaking off its ‘old man’ image.
Indeed, the CLA baby saloon has led the way, with buyers around 10 years younger than the company average, and ‘conquest sales’ are said to be running as high as 80 per cent for the CLA in the US.
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