Four-banger heart

The Mercedes-AMG GT 43’s fourcylinder engine borrows turbo tech straight out of Formula One

MEET THE MERCEDES-AMG GT 43, THE NEW ENTRYlevel variant in the GT lineup. It drops the stonking V8 and gains AMG’s M139 turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the A 45 hot hatch. And although it’s ‘only’ a 2-litre mill, the numbers are quite impressive — 415bhp and 500Nm. Top whack? That’s 280kmph. The engine also gains F1-derived electric exhaust gas turbo tech and a 48V electric motor driving the turbo shaft. Together, the system can build boost pressure before the exhaust gases spin the compressor wheel, reducing lag at all engine speeds.

The engine is hooked to a 9-speed automatic gearbox, which uses a wet clutch rather than a torque converter for more direct throttle response and quicker shifts. The GT 43 also drops all-wheel-drive — it’s rear-wheel-drive only — and it can sprint from 0 to 100kmph in 4.6 seconds. While AMG hasn’t revealed its official weight figure yet, the more compact engine and the switch to two-wheel-drive will undoubtedly trim a few kilos from the AMG GT 63’s 1970kg kerb weight. For comparison, an SL 63 loses around 230kg in 43 spec.

Optional extras on the GT 43 include adaptive dampers, rear axle steering and an electronically-controlled locking differential. It rides on 19-inch alloys as standard, with sizes up to 21-inches available. On the braking front, it gets massive 390mm discs up front and 360mm discs at the rear. On the inside, the GT 43 gets all-black upholstery, a 12.3-inch cluster and an 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. While there’s no word on its India launch yet, given the chance how would you spec yours? I’ll have mine in Brilliant Blue please.