2019 Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster Photos, engines & full specs

Mercedes-AMG made the GT R Roadster in just 750 units and offered the performance of a racing car combined with the luxury of a grand tourer that could be driven with its top down.

The German sportscar manufacturer introduced the first generation of the GT Coupe in 2014 and refreshed it in 2017. At the same time with the facelifted model, it also unveiled the GT R Coupe and the GT C Roadster. Strangely, it took them another two years until someone from their HQ realized they could mate the race-oriented underpinnings of the R with the open-top of the C Roadster. As a result, in 2019, Mercedes-AMG released the limited-production GT R Roadster. Even if chopping the roof added about 80 kilos (176 lbs.) to the weight of its coupe sibling, performance was still there thanks to the potent twin-turbo V8 under the hood.

When Mercedes-AMG developed the R version of the GT, it had to make it wider to accommodate the improved suspension elements that helped the car withstand higher cornering speeds. As a result, the GT R Roadster was also wider than its GT C open-top sibling. Its front fascia sported the specific Panamericana grille with chromed vertical slats that adorned it. In addition, the lower bumper featured an A-shaped lower air intake in the apron and was flanked by a set of functional side scoops. The enhanced headlights sported LED daytime running lights that looked like arrows pointing toward the three-pointed star badge from the grille.

From its profile, there were a few elements that immediately caught attention. Behind the front wheel wells, the automaker added extracting vents with piano-black trims and chromed V8 Biturbo badges. Versions fitted with the optional carbon-ceramic rotors sported yellow brake calipers that peaked behind the multi-spoke alloy wheels (19" up front and 20" out back). Customers could also opt for a roll-cage, which improved the roadster's stiffness and added a race-car feel. At the back, on the trunk lid, Mercedes-AMG added a functional, adjustable carbon fiber wing that improved downforce. For the rear fascia, the car manufacturer opted for a center-mounted twin exhaust integrated into the diffuser, placed underneath the bumper.

But customers needed to be treated well by the car's interior. As a result, Mercedes-AMG created a luxurious interior fitted with a pair of high-bolstered seats separated by a wide center console that housed the controls for the MBUX infotainment system and the gear selector. On the center stack, the car manufacturer placed four vents, and above them was the multimedia unit screen. The driver fronted a flat-bottom steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara and a pair of paddle shifters behind it. On the digital dashboard, the automaker displayed the speedometer inside the tachometer and was flanked by other information provided by the car's onboard computer on additional screens.

Sharing its underpinnings with the AMG GT R meant that the car was powered by a V8 engine, helped by a pair of turbochargers placed between the cylinder banks, in a Hot-V configuration. The powerplant was paired with a seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox that sent the power to the rear wheels. Like its coupe sibling, the R Roadster featured adaptive suspension and four-wheel steering, drastically improving the car's ride and handling.