Last weekend Mercedes and AMG unveiled the more powerful and more hard core GT R coupe, and now we know that the pair are working on a convertible to complement the GT coupe range.
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Arguably the GT R’s biggest engineering feat – active aerodynamics – is concealed from public view, in the underbody in front of the engine.
The 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R will go on sale in the US sometime in mid 2017.
I guess we’ll have to wait to find out sometime next year, as Mercedes says the GT R won’t be available until mid 2017. “Beast of the Green Hell”, it was developed on the Nurburgring. Prices for the vehicle haven’t been revealed yet, but expect it to command a hefty premium over the AMG GT S, which is priced at £110,510 (approximately Rs 1.07 crore). The unit produces 74 hp more than the GT S. Then the GT R’s peak torque is 516 lb-ft at 1,900-5,500 rpm. A beefed-up version of the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic from the GT S shuttles torque to the rear wheels, and nine traction-control settings-all reportedly derived from programming designed for the GT3 race version-permit drivers to plan ahead for how many pairs of spare undershorts to bring along.
The GT R’s chassis is also a study in weight saving. At the back, AMG added a double diffuser, and cut a hole between the taillights to vent heat from the exhaust. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 packs a whopping 577-hp – up from the regular AMG GT’s 503-hp – courtesy of faster-reacting turbos and a freer-breathing exhaust. This GT R (no hyphen) is the 575 horsepower top-rung super performance version of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The wheels themselves are new lightweight ten-spoke forged items and they will be shod, as standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres – 275/35 ZR 19 at the front and 325/30 ZR 20 at the rear. With this mechanism, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction as that of the front wheels up to a speed of 62mph. The electronically adjusted seats have been thrown out as well and have been replaced with manually adjustable seats.
At speeds of above 50mph, the louvres open and suck the auto down onto the road, reducing front end lift by 40kg at 155mph, while the rear wing can generate up to 155kg of downforce.
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In addition, a rear-wheel-steering system has been fitted to aid driving agility at low speeds and more handling precision at high speeds.
