A speedy chariot fit for royalty
After driving the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C for a week, I now truly know how Cinderella felt when the clock struck 12.
Like Cinderella, my life has been spent among the masses, only buying cars that my wages would allow.
One day I got an email, asking if I would be interested in driving an AMG GT C.
I searched online and discovered the GT can be ordered as either a coupe or a traditional soft-top roadster. In the coupe, one could order it as a GT C or an even more powerful GT R. The roadster, in Canada at least, comes only in one trim, the GT C, which I drove.
You might have noticed the vehicle is called a MercedesAMG, not Benz. It is part of a strategy to differentiate the AMG performance division from the rest of the Benz range. The GT model is exclusive to AMG, which designed the car in-house.
The base coupe starts at $163,000, the roadster list price is $178,000 — a princely sum, to be sure.
Under that suit of shining armour beats a handmade twinturbo 4.0-litre V-8 producing 550 horsepower and 502 footpounds of torque. It will get you around the kingdom in a hurry — just 3.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h.
A driver can choose the level of thrills with drive modes that range from Individual to Comfort, Sport, Sport-plus or even a Race setting.
Choose the Sport or higher settings and you will get an auditory reward in the form of a more free-breathing exhaust that growls, barks and spits as appropriate.
Open the hood and you will find the signature of the engineer who painstakingly assembled your engine — a classy touch in an age of mass production.
Surprisingly, it won’t cost a king’s ransom for fuel (if driven lightly) with consumption figures at 15.5 litres per 100 km in the city and 11.7 on the highway.
All bets are off should you throw caution to the wind and try to explore the car’s 317-km/h top speed. This is a car that begs for a closed track with a straight stretch long enough for the GT C to fully stretch its legs.
Somebody at Mercedes-Benz Canada decided that journalists are a sporty bunch, so they equipped this particular GT C with the Track Package. The package includes a retuned chassis, electromagnetic fluid shocks and a more aggressive engine profile.
I suspect the suspension changes would be welcomed by a race-car driver on a smooth track, but for everyday uneven roads, the GT C merely jolts and jerks unnecessarily.
Handling is enhanced by a rear-axle steering system. Turn at speeds under 100 km/h and the rear wheels turn to a maximum of 1.5 degrees in the opposite direction as the fronts. Above that speed, they all turn in the same direction.
The icing on the cake is a staggered set of Continental SportContact 6 tires — 265/35 ZR 19 XLs on the front and 305/30 ZR 20s in the back. These are summer-only ultra-high-performance tires (the soft compound means they pick up every little piece of road debris).
The only transmission available is a seven-speed double-clutch automatic. What is notable is a carbon-fibre driveshaft and a rear-mounted transaxle. The minuscule gear shift lever is not my favourite and, for a smaller person, the location to the back of the centre console, is certainly not ergonomic.
Steering-wheel paddle shifters flank a suede-lined, flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Close the hood and step back for a moment to admire the GT C. Sitting at 4,551 millimetres long and 1,923 mm wide, the GT C is just a little longer but 155 mm wider than a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. But it is a car that projects presence — it is not a car for wallflowers. Children stop and stare. Adults smile and give you a thumbs-up, and young men gaze enviously.
It also helps that its price will ensure you exclusivity, a guarantee that you will rarely, if ever, see another in the city.
Step over the wide sill and slip into seats that cosset your body, providing excellent lateral support. Seat and thigh bolsters are both adjustable.
One nice touch is the inclusion of an “air scarf” on the upper portion of the seats. This feature produces a stream of warm air to the back of the neck. This allows for comfortable top-down driving during the spring and fall (and winter, if you are brave enough).
The instrumentation is comprehensive. Along with the usual infotainment and navigation screens, an enthusiast can call up a screen that conveys performance data.
The power top is easy to use and the cabin doesn’t suffer from drafts when the top is down. The trunk can hold 350 litres, so it would be best to travel light.
I had a blast driving the GT C, but, like Cinderella, midnight came way too early. In my case the GT C turned into a Smart car. I guess it’s back to scrubbing pots and mopping floors until Prince Charming comes calling.
THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Luxury/performance two-door, two-seater convertible, front engine, rear-wheel drive Engine: Twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8, 550 hp at 5,750 r.p.m., 502 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,900 to 5,750 r.p.m. Transmission: Seven-speed double clutch automatic Dimensions (mm): Length, 4,550; width, 2,070; height, 1,260; wheelbase, 2,630 Curb weight (kg): 1,735 Price (base/as tested): $178,000/ $187,790 (includes $100 AC tax) Options: Metallic paint $890, saddle brown Nappa leather $1,800, Distronic plus $1,200, AMG track package $3,300, AMG interior carbon fibre trim $2,500 Tires: 265/35 ZR 19 XL front, 305/30 ZR 20 XL rear on alloy wheels Fuel type: Premium Fuel economy (L/100km): 15.5 city/ 11.7 highway Warranty: Four years/80,000 km new car