Mercedes-AMG GT R has much cred
Motorsport-influenced additions and storming V8 change this sport tourer to a track beast
The 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R has the Porche 911 Turbo locked in its sights with Mercedes-AMG doing a lot to make it a credible competition to the icon.
Just think of it as nine degrees of trouble.
Nine simple clicks of the yellow stability-control knob on the dash of the new Mercedes-AMG GT R — the crazy performance version of Merc’s two-seat sports car — will tell you immediately how adept you are at controlling a car. The knob allows you to incrementally go from full stability control to none at all.
If you do put it into the red indicator lights, you’d better be a very good driver indeed, because with 577 horsepower coming from its twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8, there is serious potential for disaster. But there’s also a very real likelihood for some huge fun on a racetrack, such as here at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. It’s a high-speed, varying elevation roller-coaster of a circuit and it’s the perfect venue to introduce the GT R. And what an introduction it is.
When the GT S version was first introduced a couple of years ago, it was obvious that Mercedes had one main target in mind: the Porsche 911. Similar dimensions, a rear-weight bias and just over 500 hp put it right on track with the 911 R. Then came the 456-hp GT, going head to head with the 911 Carrera GTS. Now AMG has the mighty 911 Turbo in its sights with this GT R.
Mercedes-AMG did a lot to the GT to make it a credible competitor, and not just with that motor (though the 577 hp at 6,250 rpm and 516 poundfeet of torque at just 1,900 rpm is a really good start). Much of the change has filtered down from its experience in motorsport. First off, it lightened the aluminum chassis by 15 kilograms — now down to 1,630 kg — with extensive use of carbon fibre and magnesium.
Even the driveshaft, made of carbon fibre, is just four kg, an amazing achievement considering it has the strength to handle all that torque. — MERCEDES The torque tube surrounding it and which connects the engine to the seven-speed automatic transaxle is now a single unit made of carbon fibre that weighs just 13.9 kg. It even uses a lithium-ion starter battery that’s about half the weight of a conventional lead-acid type.
The carbon-fibre additions don’t just save weight, they also increase the structural rigidity of the chassis for better handling.
There are also serious changes to the aerodynamics. The “active aerodynamics profile”— a flat swath of carbon fibre under the front end — actually moves, depending on the speed or driving mode, and can decrease the front lift by up to 40 kg. It also changes air flow to the rear splitter, which decreases lift there, too. Active louvres in the front and a large, fixed wing on the back also improve air flow, increasing traction while decreasing drag.
All of this technology culminates into what’s sitting in front of me in the pit lane of the Autodromo, in an outrageous hue of what Mercedes calls “AMG Green Hell Mango.” It’s in homage to an independent run of the GT R around the famed Nurburgring (aka The Green Hell) in just seven minutes, 10.9 seconds, a new record for street-legal cars (over to you, Porsche ...). But there will be no records set today with me behind the wheel; I’ll leave those future attempts to Bernd Schneider, the five-time Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters champion and our lead driver.
What I discover in countless runs around this wild circuit is a powerful, pointed, capable racing machine. Sure, it’s a little tail happy (much like the 911), as found when playing with that little yellow knob. The immense torque that comes on early makes it a chore to keep the rear tires in check, but once they do find their purchase the car pushes you into the seat with the glorious roar of that 4.0-L engine.
The seven-speed auto gearbox is pretty good, too. No, it’s actually perfect, at least when going around the track. It seems to anticipate corners on its own, downshifting at just the right time, then upshifting at the ideal rpm as you hammer the throttle.
A few changes to the suspension have also helped the GT R find more traction and control. A coil-over suspension in front and continuously active damping all around settle the car in high-g turns, while an electronic locking differential helps traction at the rear. Active rear steering, a first for Mercedes and AMG, makes cornering even sharper.
As Schneider pushes us faster and faster around these sweeping, highspeed corners, it becomes apparent how much stick the car has to the track. Turn-in is sharp and accurate, with little to no understeer, even on tight hairpins. The huge carbonceramic disc brakes pull the car to a stop and a driver out of his seat (thanks for the special yellow seatbelts, AMG).
Overall, it’s a very balanced racing machine that just happens to be street legal. In one word, thrilling.
The obvious question: How does it compare with the 911 Turbo? Honestly, it comes down to preferences and increments. It would be impossible to judge without a side-by-side drive, but suffice it to say, Porsche needs to bring its A-game when it’s time for a full 911 redesign. This GT R is, without doubt, one of the best track cars I have ever had the pleasure to pilot at speed.
It’s not perfect, of course. Accommodations are tight and getting out requires the long-limbed to move the seat back all the way first; at least it’s done manually with a locking lever instead of an agonizingly slow electric motor. (These seats are only available in Europe; we’ll be getting fully adjustable seats like those in the GT S.) And around town, the gearbox isn’t as smooth as you might like, with subtle bumps as it downshifts.
But who cares? This is not a grand touring car. Hell, no. This is a car for people who grab life by the little yellow knob.
The Mercedes-AMG GT R will be available in Canada next summer. There’s no word on pricing yet, but expect it to be north of the $200,000 mark.