Mercedes-AMG GT R teased

The hotly anticipated Mercedes-AMG GT R has been officially teased ahead of its world debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this June. The offical teaser comes after images of the GTR were leaked online.

When it eventually goes on sale internationally, the new two-seater is expected to be a key rival to Mercedes' Stuttgart neighbour Porsche and its highly rated 911 GT3 RS. It'll be built on the same assembly line as the GT and GT S at the carmaker's Sindelfingen factory in Germany.

Four dimly lit photos reveal that the new model's design will be an evolution of the already muscular exterior of the regular GT. Images of the test mules seen internationally indicate that the car will receive a number of functional aerodynamic upgrades aimed at improving airflow to and from the engine bay, as well as increasing the downforce acting on the front and rear axles for improved stability and cornering speeds.

The car will also be lighter than its less powerful siblings with the car expected to make use of carbonfibre components in areas such as the bonnet, rear wing and boot lid.

 Although the GT R is yet to undergo certification at the hands of the German Transport Authority, AMG insiders hint that the weight of the car has dropped by almost 60kg, suggesting it will hit the scales at around 1,520kg in production trim.

By comparison, the smaller but less powerful 911 GT3 RS has a kerb weight of 1,420kg.

The weight-saving touches will continue inside, with the GT R to receive a lightly reworked version of the standard GT S’ dashboard and manually operated seats, among other changes.

Mercedes-AMG’s latest model will be powered by a more heavily tuned version of the GT and GT S’ twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine. New performance-enhancing features will include a revised inlet manifold, extra boost pressure and a more free-flowing titanium exhaust system. This is expected to boost output to around 580hp.

Mercedes will follow-up the hardcore AMG GT R with an even more powerful version under the company’s Black Series sometime next year and a roadster body style sometime in 2018 to complete the five model line-up.