Whenever a company launches a new car, it usually tells us all about how it's better, faster, stronger than its predecessor. For something like a Peugeot 208, that's partly just hot air, but when Mercedes says it, it's usually true. The brand new AMG GT sportscar just set a new all-time track record for a Mercedes-Benz around the Top Gear test track with a time of 1 minute 17.50 seconds.
Right now, that makes it the 14th fastest car, which at first doesn't sound impressive… until you realize that it's actually faster than the Noble M600, Zonda F or Ferrari Enzo.
But we were more impressed with how much faster the AMG GT is than its predecessors. Remember, the 2-seater only has a 4-liter engine, not a 6.3-liter the the SLS has and certainly not a supercharged 626 hp monster like the SLR before that. But the baby Benz is 1.5 seconds faster than the SLS Black Series and 2.5 seconds faster than car built with McLaren.
The mill is Mercedes's first 4-liter twin-turbo V8 and it also went into the C63 sedan and estate, so you can have the same experience with more practicality. A track-focused transaxle gearbox, Porsche-like active engine mounts and a lightweight aluminum body all help the GT S claw its way around a track.
And remember, the AMG GT has been designed to be cheaper than the supercar-like SLS, so it compete directly with the Porsche 911 range. So where does the other Stuttgart brand stand in all of this? Well, their fastest car around the TG track is a 911 GT2, followed by the Carrera GT, both of which are really old. It kind of feels like Jeremy and the gang are giving Mercedes an unfair advantage.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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