Roadster gets back on track
Merc tames GT’s ultra quick steering
AS we’ve been having French Riviera weather recently let’s test a very South of France type of car.
Actually, make that Monaco, because the new Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster has a price tag that makes it affordable only for the seriously wealthy.
When Mercedes launched its Porsche 911-rivalling coupe several years ago it was available in just two specifications: as the straight GT coupe with 469bhp and in S form with 515bhp.
If you want to beat Porsche at its own game then you need to cover more bases than that, so Merc has added an R version to rival the 911 GT3 – which has 576bhp and the looks to match – and a roadster because Porsche makes a soft top 911.
However, Mercedes loves to add complication, so there’s also a C model. This is currently only available in roadster form and sits between the S and the R and has 550bhp with more hardcore styling and equipment.
So, our test car’s full name is Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster and its basic price is £139,445 without options. The cheapest Roadster you can buy is the GT at a mere £110,160.
The C Roadster gets the R’s wider body and track, and also its rear-wheel-steering system. All GTs, whether coupe or roadster, are now fitted with the R’s sexy Panamericana front grille.
The Roadster looks absolutely stunning, just as good as the coupe. You get the choice of three colours for the triple-layer soft top
It can do 196mph, but will spend its life posing in Cannes
and a wide range of interior colours.
The roof itself raises or lowers in 11 seconds at up to 31mph.
To return to the Merc’s nuts and bolts, you get an aluminium chassis and body with a bit of steel and magnesium thrown in.
Powering it is a 4.0-litre twinturbo V8 engine driving through a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission that’s mounted in the rear of the car for better weight distribution. In C spec the car has a top speed of 196mph and does 0-62mph in 3.7sec. Both are meaningless figures for a car that will spend most of its life posing along the seafront at Cannes or crawling through London’s Mayfair.
When we tested the original GT two years ago we loved its styling and performance but weren’t too impressed with how it drove.
I, and a few other critics, thought that the steering was too quick. On narrow, bumpy British roads this made the GT very ‘darty’ and rather nerve-wracking to drive quickly.
I suspected at the time Mercedes was worried that if it made the car too easy to drive it would be criticised for not being a proper sports car and not being a match for the Porsche.
As a result, the GT ended up being too responsive.
Those comments have been listened to and all GTs, including the new Roadster, have revised steering that makes the car much more relaxing to drive. It’s still a big motor, especially in C spec, but at least it’s now easier to steer accurately.
The GT’s engine sounds absolutely fantastic, particularly with the roof down and, as you’d expect from its numbers, it has an abundance of performance. Roof up, there’s no wind noise, just a feeling of luxury and sophistication.
The only reason I’d consider a Porsche 911 convertible over this Merc is that the Porsche is quite a bit slimmer and therefore better suited to our roads.
Otherwise, the GT C Roadster’s performance, sound and stunning looks win it for me.