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Here is Mercedes-AMG's Most Powerful V8 Ever - the Heart of the GT Black Series

For those out there that think that the Mercedes-AMG GT, GT S, or GTR are just not fast enough, the German manufacturer recently released the GT Black Series, a track-oriented monster that can complete a lap on the Nordschleife in less than seven minutes.
2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series 7 photos
Photo: Daimler AG
Mecedes-AMG GT Black SeriesMecedes-AMG GT Black SeriesMecedes-AMG GT Black SeriesMecedes-AMG GT Black SeriesMecedes-AMG GT Black SeriesMecedes-AMG GT Black Series
The second sports car in the Mercedes-AMG lineup was revealed in 2014, and aiding its development was none other than six-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.

The successor for the brilliant SLS AMG brings glimpses of race technologies to a fully road-legal performance car using a rear-drive, front-mid-engine setup.

High-performance versions have been released in the past, from the twin-turbocharged 503 hp (375 kW; 510 PS) GT S to the GT3 racecar that spits out 550 hp (410 kW; 560 PS) from a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8.

But the Affalterbach designers and engineers were not satisfied with those figures so they made every effort to impress and created the ultimate GT variant. Here is where we meet the latest and most powerful member of the lineup, the GT Black Series.

Mecedes\-AMG GT Black Series
The car took years of motorsport development expertise and technologies and applies it to a road-legal, track-orientated supercar.

A close inspection of the bodywork will reveal many similarities to the AMG GT3 and AMG GT4, as most sophisticated aerodynamical features were borrowed from its racecar siblings.

Among them we find the stunning carbon-fiber hood that features two large air vents and covers the most powerful AMG V8 series engine of all time.

It is based on the M178 AMG 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine with dry-sump lubrication that powers all other AMG GT models except for the GT3 racecar, but due to its numerous modifications t has been given the new internal code M178 LS2.

Mecedes\-AMG GT Black Series
It was chosen because a V8 gives designers plenty of room to play with the crank arrangement on the crankshaft, which drastically influences the characteristics and performance of the engine.

Traditional V8s use a cross pane layout where the crankpins of the four pairs of cylinders are at 90-degree angles to each other, but AMG has used the flat crankshaft setup this time, where all crankpins are on the same plane, with a 180-degree offset that offers smoothness and high torque at low rotational speeds.

The firing order of the new crankshaft is 1-8-2-7 4-5-3-6, which creates uniformly oscillating gas columns in the exhaust manifold. This increases performance and allows a more agile throttle response.

Like we see in the ‘standard’ AMG GTs, the twin-scroll exhaust turbochargers are mounted with anti-friction bearings, which further increases throttle response, but in the Black Series they feature a larger compressor wheel, allowing them to deliver a massive total of 1100 kg (2425 lbs.) of air per hour. The charge-air temperature is kept at optimal levels by the enlarged intercoolers.

Mecedes\-AMG GT Black Series
Photo: Daimler AG
Thanks to these modifications, the M178 LS2 V8 produces a massive 730 hp (537 kW) at 6700-6900 rpm and delivers a maximum torque of 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) between 2000 and 6000 rpm.

This fires the AMG GT Black Series from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 3.2 seconds, and to 200 kph (125 mph) in under 9 seconds, being capable of achieving a top speed of 325 kph (202 mph).

The immense power is transmitted to the rear wheels with the use of a modified AMG SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch transmission. It has been adapted to handle the increased torque and shift times, and overall gearbox response has been improved.

The torque tube that connects the engine to the transmission has also been upgraded to a carbon-fiber version that is around 40% lighter than its aluminum counterpart, which is featured as standard on AMG GTs.

The result is the most powerful, aerodynamically efficient, and best-handling AMG ever created. A lap-record-killing beast that takes the most advanced technologies from its proven racecar counterparts and puts them on one of the most aggressive high-performance road cars out there.
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About the author: Vlad Radu
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Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times.
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