Yes it is a big deal. Well I suppose every new car launch is, for every carmaker. But for Mercedes-AMG the new GT is significant for several reasons. It's the car that will likely propel the company into a different league. One that allows AMG to move partly out of the shadow of Mercedes-Benz, and really establish itself as a credible, stand-alone sportscar brand. And not just the performance division of the Stuttgart based premium carmaker.
But this is somewhat in the realm of conjecture because like me - many outsiders haven't driven the GT yet.
The car was launched with much fanfare and fireworks tonight in Affalterbach - at the AMG headquarters. It was driven in by Mercedes Formula One driver Nico Rosberg, who by the way told me when I asked him - that they haven't even let him drive the car extensively as yet! He also said he misses the Indian GP on the annual F1 calendar, but let's stick to the GT now shall we?
The car is aimed squarely at the iconic sports cars that come from the house of Porsche - the other Stuttgart resident! Yes this is a sports car and not a super-sports car like the SLS AMG the co says.
So it's very clear - this is not a replacement for the gull-winged SLS! In fact AMG boss Tobias Moers told me that it might still work on a successor to the SLS in the future - gull-wings and all! The GT though is a different animal. And yet it borrows from the SLS - in fact the layout of that car is transferred on to the GT as well. It has the 47:53 weight distribution for one. It also has the carbon fibre torque tube like the SLS did.
But unlike the SLS which wanted to be an extreme car, the GT project has been an endeavour to make a car that offers comfort and performance - without severely compromising on either. AMG claims a world-first transaxle with dynamic engine and gearbox mounts. There are four mounting points which connect the engine and transmission to the body shell. And since a comfort-oriented ride needs soft mounts, whole good handling requires stiff mounts, the mounts used in the GT are selectively regulated. And the reaction time is a thousandth of a second! This allows the car to be able to respond to the surface and driving needs, so that the character is both sporty and comfortable. 93% of the body is made of aluminum by the way,
The car will be available as the GT and the GT-S. That basically means it's 4 litre V8 has been tuned to offer 462 bhp or 510 bhp. You have the choice of hydraulic or electronically controlled dampers, the standard or performance aerodynamics package, and auto or manual rear diff, and plenty more choices too. The car's interior follows a new organic and 'sensual' form - new from Mercedes, and one we will likely see expressions of in future sporty models too.
This is definitely a car I cannot wait to drive. Of course the reasons one wants to drive a sports car - any sports car - are reasons enough for me to want to drive the GT. But it also goes to the direction and definition the grand is trying to set course for that intrigues me. If the package is good enough to take on the 911 then there is indeed a lot to be said about what we may expect from AMG in the future.
