The new Mercedes-AMG GT will arrive in our showrooms by the end of 2015. It is the second production model to be conceived, engineered and developed at Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance car division at Affalterbach in Germany. Internationally, the AMG GT has been launched in two guises – the standard GT and the more powerful GT S version – although it remains to be seen which version makes it to our shores.
This is also the first AMG model to use a newly developed twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine that will provide the standard GT with 456bhp and will be tuned to make 503bhp in the S version. Developed from scratch, the direct-injection 4.0-litre V8 features twin turbochargers mounted inside the cylinder banks, and the carmaker claims this has optimised throttle response and reduced emissions.
The styling of the GT retains the exaggerated proportions of the SLS, albeit with more contemporary detailing. The new model has ditched the SLS’s heavy gullwing doors for a lighter, front-hinged arrangement in the interest of lighweighting. And at the rear, the AMG GT adopts a liftback-style tailgate in place of a conventional boot lid, intended to improve the car’s everyday practicality by allowing easier access to the luggage compartment.
Channelling the GT’s power to the rear wheels is a revised version of the Getrag-engineered seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox used on the SLS. There are five driving modes on offer – Controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport Plus, Individual and on the GT S only, Race.
Official performance figures put the GT S' 0-100kph time at 3.8 seconds and top speed at 310kph.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
