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2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R Makes Dynamic Debut at Goodwood FoS, Shmee150 Buys One

2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed 15 photos
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R at 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed
AMG green hell magno. How cool does that sound, right? Still, the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R is more than just some fancy paintwork. It is, in fact, the best Mercedes-AMG has to offer at the present moment.
The #BeastOfTheGreenHell was entitled to drop by the Goodwood Festival of Speed and, as fate would have it, it looked great going up that hill. On the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hillclimb, the brand new Mercedes-AMG GT R cried havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

Behind the AMG Panamericana grille that harks back to the W194 of 1952 lurks a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that will also find its way under the hood of the 2018 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. In this application, however, we’re dealing with 585 PS (577 HP) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) between 1,900 and 5,500 rpm.

After starting off the line like a stabbed rat (0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds), the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R kicked the tail out in the very first corner of the infamous hill climb, then the driver proceeded to the finish line in full attack mode. When all is said and done, the run was a fitting debut for the most badass weapon in the Mercedes-AMG arsenal. Shmee150, also known as that dude with the cool cars on YouTube, agrees.

On Sunday, the YouTube personality admitted that he’d bought the #BeastOfTheGreenHell, as follows: “I’ve had a soft spot for the Mercedes-AMG GT since it was launched two years ago and in fact I came very close to buying a GT S on two occasions but it wasn't quite there for me. The GT R adds a little more to what was already a great car and brings it completely up to a vehicle I'd like to enjoy for continental trips and adventures.”

The peeps at Mercedes-AMG know that they've got a winner on their hands and, for what it’s worth, an exciting alternative to the Porsche 911 GT3. I mean, does the Zuffenhausen brawler have a nine-step traction control system that doesn't interfere with the ESP? Nope, it doesn’t. What it does have, though, is rear-wheel steering, a feature that inspired Mercedes-AMG to develop its own system for the GT R.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

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.
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