THE MERCEDES EXTENDED FAMILY
Mercedes takes a leaf out of the Porsche playbook
Mercedes-AMG’s fire-breathing GT R is about to land in Australia. And the hottest version of the company’s Coupe will soon also be joined by two new soft-top Roadster variants. So before year’s end the number of variations on the GT theme on offer in Australia will rise to six.
The GT is the second car designed in-house by Mercedes-AMG. It has a fabulous sounding twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 under its long nose, a rear-mounted seven-speed double-clutch transmission tucked in its tail and two seats. After that, it gets complicated …
When it was launched in 2015, the GT came only as a coupe, with a simple choice between basic and slightly more powerful S versions. Then the even more powerful C and R versions were launched, bringing with them other technical upgrades such as rear-wheel steering and special lightweight components. The new Roadster will arrive in basic and C levels, with power and tech levels equivalent to the Coupes.
Outsiders might find it confusing, but this kind of proliferation works for an outfit like Mercedes-AMG, with its knowledgeable followers. They understand the reasons why the $349,000 GT R costs so much more than the $259,000 GT Coupe.
“In my experience it’s all about being busy,” says Tobias Moers, the man who runs the
company. “Having a new variant, you can talk about it. And people step maybe up from a GT S to a GT C. It works quite well.”
Porsche are masters of this strategy. The number of variations of the 911 sports car it offers makes the GT line-up look simple. But Moers says the master plan for the two-seat Mercedes-AMG is to keep expanding its list.
Both companies are based near Stuttgart in the southwest of Germany and Moers admits he admires his neighbour’s work. “In the performance segment, especially in the sports car segment, you’re right, the guys at Zuffenhausen are doing quite well.”
So is Mercedes-AMG. “We are in the fourth year in a row running our production assembly line on full throttle,” Moers says. And they’re not churning out rubbish, either.
The new GT Roadster is a fine soft-top. There’s not a hint of the body shake often felt in less well-engineered convertible cars. The Zfolding fabric roof fits snug and tight, so it’s not too noisy inside even at higher speeds.
The electrically powered roof might hinder rear vision when it’s down, but with the top stowed the mighty V8 sound floods the cockpit.
There’s real bite to go with the bark, too, especially in the more powerful C Roadster. This is a car that accelerates hard and long and loud. Overtaking is ridiculously easy. Yet the big two-seater feels planted on the road and steers and stops with power and grace.
There’s not a lot to dislike. With all GT models the car’s width can be intimidating at times. Luggage space is tight, too. And not only because of the room required to stash the Roadster’s soft-top. The rear-mounted gearbox also eats into space, but it’s a small quibble.