Presented in 2014 at the Paris Motor Show, the GT is an AMG-developed sports car that relies on a twin-turbo V8 with dry-sump lubrication across all trim levels. The mad professors in Affalterbach will pull the plug on the track-focused R on December 29th, according to an internal e-mail, and as it happens, “existing orders will not be converted to MY 2022."
The document in question also reveals that Mercedes-AMG will focus on the Black Series and Stealth Edition, which are described as “highly anticipated.” I fail to understand what’s special about a generic-looking styling package, but the Black Series truly is special thanks to a flat-plane crankshaft V8.
As opposed to the 4.0-liter M178 of the GT, GT C, and GT R, the 4.0-liter LS2 in the range-topping model develops 730 PS (720 horsepower) and 800 Nm (590 pound-feet) of torque from 2,000 to 6,000 rpm. In addition to the incredible performance hiding under the hood, the GT Black Series is the fastest production car on the Nurburgring with a lap time of 6:43.
According to Allcarnews, the three-pointed star is currently developing the next-generation GT on the Modular Sportscar Architecture. Expected to launch in the first half of 2022 exclusively as a hardtop coupe, the all-new model will be preceded by the SL-Class with a soft top in 2021. Codenamed R232, the next generation will be underpinned by the MSA as well.
Because it’s derived from the MRA2 (Modular Rear-wheel-drive Architecture), the SL-Class is probably going to borrow the plug-in hybrid drivetrain from the upcoming GT 73 EQ Power+ Hybrid. The family-sized land missile is expected with 816 PS (805 horsepower) and an all-electric driving mode.
The SL-Class is also going to be a little softer than the current generation in one important way. More to the point, the three-pointed star is switching back to a 2+2 seating layout because the grand touring-oriented R232 serves as an indirect replacement for the S-Class Cabriolet.
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. Full profile
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