While Mercedes-AMG is testing a more hardcore version of the GT R and Lewis Hamilton is daydreaming about an LH Series limited edition, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R made its long-due debut in North America at the 2016 Monterey Car Week.
Colloquially known as “The Beast of the Green Hell,” the GT R is very different from the GT and GT S. The bewitching paint job, for example, is dubbed Green Hell Magno. The front fascia, on the other hand, is mostly "go" rather than "show." Other than the W194-inspired front grille, the large outer air intakes, wide splitter, and Air Curtains openings are there to increase performance.
The GT R also happens to be 1.81 inches (46 millimeters) wider at the front than the GT S, chiefly to make room for the wider track and the larger tires. Concerning the wheels, the GT R boasts 19-inch fronts and 20-inch rears. The massive brake calipers come in AMG-specific goldish yellow.
At the rear, the emphasis of the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R’s exterior design is focused on downforce. Things like the double diffuser, the air outlet incorporated between the tail lamps, and the large rear wing are the name of the game. Taken together, all the fancy aero stuff amounts to 341.7 pounds (155 kilograms) of downforce, thus improving the grip, stability, and drivability of the Mercedes-AMG GT R at obscenely high speeds.
As expected, the belly of the beast is a twin-turbocharged V8 developed by the mad scientists in Affalterbach, Germany. The AMG skunkworks has squeezed 577 horsepower (585 PS) at 6,250 rpm and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm) between 1,900 and 5,500 rpm. All that fury is transmitted to the rear wheels via an AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
This c-c-combo breaker is good for an acceleration to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 197 mph (318 km/h) in European specification. For the U.S. model, 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) happens in 3.5 seconds, while maximum velocity remains put at 197 miles per hour.
Expect the U.S.-spec Mercedes-AMG GT R to go on sale in November 2016, with deliveries slated to commence no sooner than March 2017.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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