This is the 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT, but they might as well have called it “The Porsche Killer.”
That’s what the GT is firmly aimed at: the Porsche 911. Not coincidentally, it’s about the size of Porsche’s famous 911.
It comes in 456 and 503 horsepower flavors. The higher rev count is in the GT S model, which spits out 479 lb-ft of torque, compared to the GT’s 443 lb-ft of torque.
It has an aluminum-intensive construction and seats two. Other highlights:
- Brand-new AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo engine
- The first Mercedes AMG sports car with internally mounted turbochargers: ‘hot inside V’
- 7-speed dual-clutch transmission
- Zero-to-60 in 3.7 seconds
- Top speed of 193 miles per hour
- AMG Dynamic Exhaust System with a variable vane that is controlled electronically
Mercedes designed the GT interior with an aviation theme in mind. The German automaker has described the dashboard as “wing-like” and as the four primary vents as “spotlight-style.”
Here’s how Mercedes describes the sports car’s interior: “The combination of high beltlines, concave-shaped door paneling, low seating position and a dramatic center console design, makes the GT feel like you are slipping into the cockpit of fighter jet.”
Yes, apparently the AMG GT is the closest you can get to piloting a fighter jet.
As for the exterior, the Wall Street Journal’s Dan Neil wasn’t a fan.
“This feels a little soft,” Neil opined. “I think that [Mercedes-Benz head of design] Gordon Wagner lost a little nerve here. Because this car does not have the surface tension, the surface dynamism that the other cars do. It does not have the converging lines along the fuselage that the other cars do.”
“As talented as Gordon Wagner is, I sense that there is a struggle at the top. They are not fully committed to his design, even now, even in a very high profile product like this,” Neil said.
Nonetheless, Neil said, “This looks likes it will probably be a pretty fun car to drive.”
The AMG GT S goes on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2015, with the AMG GT launching in 2016.
