PLUS We hit track in extreme AMG GT R
First ride aboard Mercedes’ new 576bhp 911 GT3 RS rival
THE AMG GT R is crammed with racing technology. In fact, Mercedes-amg promises that it has never packed so much motorsport expertise into a car before.
To see exactly what the engineers from Affalterbach have come up with, we’ve travelled to Germany’s legendary Nürburgring to sample AMG’S wildest sports car from the passenger seat. Our driver for the day is Thomas Jäger, who’s spent a lot of time at the circuit developing this car, and whose CV is littered with 24-hour and endurance race wins. As qualifications for creating AMG’S most hardcore offering go, his are pretty convincing.
Visually, the newcomer is quite distinct from its Mercedes-amg GT S cousin, thanks to aerodynamic revisions and the need to cover a wider track. The front wings are made from carbon fibre, while the rears are
aluminium. There’s 15kg less weight overall, Dr Frank Emhardt, senior manager vehicle development AMG GT model range, tells us. Inevitably, some of the added go-faster tech does increase weight, but it’s offset by the advantages it brings. Specifically we mean the active rear-wheel steering, which benefits both stability and agility.
You can certainly feel it working, as Jäger is able to exploit the keener turn-in and massive high-speed stability. Traction is huge and the accelerative force eyewidening, as is the braking. The GT R rides convincingly on the Nürburgring’s tortured tarmac, although even Jäger concedes that the stiffer suspension settings can be a little disruptive in this situation.
Performance is further aided by active aerodynamics under the front bumper. The 2kg of weight added to the car’s mass is offset by greater aerodynamic balance and the 40kg of downforce it brings. As with the coil-over springs, the rear wing can be adjusted manually to suit a given circuit. The 4.0-litre biturbo engine’s output is up to 576bhp, thanks to revised turbos.
A freer-breathing exhaust helps reduce back pressure and, in conjunction with the loss of sound deadening, adds to the V8’s already charismatic wail. Even from the passenger seat the GT R’s clearer intent is obvious, taking AMG’S sports car to another level yet still retaining its core attributes.