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2017 Mercedes-AMG GT-R Officially Confirmed, Spotted Testing on the Ring

It was never really a secret, but it's still nice to hear it straight from the horse's mouth (sorry Mr. Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG): the splendid Mercedes-AMG GT is going to get a more powerful version by the end of this year.
2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
Currently topping out at the 510 hp offered by the Mercedes-AMG GT S version, the new three-point star sports car has always felt like it could offer even more. And we're not just talking about power here, but also precision. And if there were ever two things you could never have too much of, they must be power and precision.

Regarding the former, we've always been expecting something in the vicinity of 600 hp, and now Tobias Moers pretty much confirmed that while speaking to British media outlet Top Gear. He noted that the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine is currently very "unstressed," something that was largely apparent from the start based on the ease with which tuners were able to squeeze 600 hp or more out of it with just an ECU upgrade.

According to Mr. Moers, the AMG GT R is going to be the first model to make use of the extra power available from the turbocharged unit, but others will follow. And by "others," we all know he means the Mercedes-AMG E63, which is expected to have at least 600 hp as well. But the GT R will be the first to come out, which means we should see it no later than this fall.

As for precision, the GT R won't just be a more powerful GT S but it will also hide a host of aerodynamic and chassis upgrades. Expect better, sportier suspension system, a wider body, a rear wing and, generally speaking, the kind of stuff that makes a car look at home on a track. And if Mr. Moers is to be believed, it won't just look like it: he says the AMG GT R is going to be faster around a circuit than the SLS Black Series.

It's hard to tell whether he's right or not from this short footage of the car spied testing on the 'Ring, but it's nice to watch it nevertheless. And even if it doesn't turn out to be that great of a car (even though we think it will), do you really care when it sounds like this?

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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