AMG’s GT Black Series – all 720bhp of it
If most AMGs are 18-certificate thrillers, its Black Series cars are R-rated filth. Meet the GT Black Series, the exiting CEO’s parting shot.
GRIPS AS HARD AS IT GOES Adjustable aero, complete with guillotine rear wing and nearly flat underfloor, increases downforce versus a GT R Pro by a claimed 300 per cent at 156mph. ‘You feel it in the precision of the car in high-speed corners,’ says departing AMG boss Tobias Moers. New valves for the continuously variable dampers independently control compression and rebound, while Sport Plus mode adapts to track surfaces. Michelin Cup 2 R tyres have hard or soft compounds.
NO LIGHTWEIGHT
Carbonfibre bonnet, wings, tailgate and roof, reduced sound deadening, thinner glass front and rear– AMG has put in the hard yards when it comes to reducing weight. But wider tyres, a wild rear wing and carbon shear plates to increase body sti ness by 15 per cent overall (up to 70 per cent in some places) mean the final tally is just 35kg lighter than a GT R Pro. That puts it at 1600kg – 130kg chunkier than a 911 GT2 RS.
ALL HAIL AMG’S FIRST FLAT PLANE V8
AMG’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has never been so powerful – and it’s so di erent it gets its own engine code, M178 LS2. The biggest deal is the flat-plane crankshaft – as used by Ferrari and McLaren to chase response and revs, complete with a very di erent sound to your usual AMG. ‘It’s still an emotional sound, but special for the Black Series,’ says V8 project manager Sven Müller. ‘Next to a GT R Pro you absolutely hear the di erence.’
BANK ON 6MIN 45SEC
AT THE ’RING AMG engineers wouldn’t reveal a Nürburgring lap time, but when we suggested circa 6min 45sec to project manager Johannes Hettinger (911 GT2 RS territory) he replied: ‘Yes, you’re in the ballpark.’ 3.2sec 0-62mph, 0-124mph in less than 9sec and the 203mph top end are all confirmed. Get the Track Pack (rear rollcage, harnesses, all-important fire extinguisher) and some specialist insurance and have a crack at that time.
YOU’LL PAY MORE THAN SUPERCAR MONEY
The Black Series’ outputs are firmly in supercar territory: 720bhp and 590lb ft is 143bhp/74lb ft up on the GT R Pro. Thos numbers dictate the price of admission to a very serious £330k, but hurry – it’ll only be around for a year from this autumn. There’s no cap on production numbers, but at this price the A alterbach works is unlikely to be crashing out thousands of them.