Mercedes-AMG GT Revealed in Germany

It has been an exciting night over at the AMG Affalterbach plant, where the all-new AMG GT has made its world debut. After teasing the thing like it's the automotive equivalent of the Second Coming, Mercedes finally came clean with the first photos of the beastly AMG GT. Let's start with the essentials.
Two models will be offered. The base Mercedes-AMG GT boasts with a 4-liter biturbo engine dubbed M178. The turbos are made by Borg Warner and operate at a maximum pressure of 2.3 bar, while Bosh piezo injection delivers up to seven injections per cycle. By the way, all eight cylinder barrels are made from Nanoslide, a Mercedes-developed material that reduces friction to improve combustion efficiency.

The powerplant churns out 462 ponies at 6,000 rpm and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque from 1,600 to 5,000 rpm. On the combined cycle, this mill will drink 9.3 liters (25.2 US mpg) of fuel per 100 km and emit 216 grams of CO2 per km. As for the kerb weight, the AMG GT tips the scale at 1,540 kilograms (3,395 pounds) and boasts with a power-to-weight ratio of 3.33 kilograms (7.3 lbs) per horsepower. 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) comes in 4 seconds and the speedometer's needle will go all the way to 304 km/h (188 mph). What about handling? Well, the name of the game here is weight distribution: 47 percent at the front and 53 percent at the rear. That means the new Mercedes-AMG GT is a tail happy bruiser.

The hotter Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S is equipped with the same powerplant, but in this application it produces 510 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque from 1,750 to 4,750 rpm, equating to a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) run of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 310 km/h (192 mph). With a kerb weight of 1,570 kilograms (3,451 lbs), 30 kilos (66 lbs) more than the AMG GT, that will translate to 3.08 kgs (6.8 lbs) per horsepower. As for the boring end of the deal, fuel economy on the NEDC combined cycle sits at 9.4 liters (25 US mpg) per 100 km. The uprated engine produces 3 grams of CO2 more than the less powerful mill of the AMG GT. Both engines are mated to an AMG-designed seven-speed Speedshift dual-clutch transmission mounted at the rear of the vehicle.

Don't think for a moment that the new Merecedes-AMG GT and GT S are direct replacements for the SLS AMG. That was the first ever vehicle entirely engineered by the AMG skunkworks, but it's very different from the AMG GT in terms of size and what's under the hood. The new model writes a whole new chapter for Mercedes-Benz and AMG, so let's start treating the German super coupe as an original, not an SLS AMG Coupe version 2.0. Internally knows as the C190, the Mercedes-AMG GT will be stripped of all its secrets next month, at the 2014 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris, France.

Tobias Moers, chief executive officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, notes: "The technological substance of the Mercedes-AMG GT underscores our high aspirations with regard to driving dynamics, agility and sportiness. Following the global success of the SLS AMG, the new GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG." So how do we classify this thing? Is it a thoroughbred sports car or a grand tourer with supercar credentials? Well, we'd say it's a little bit of both. So what about the styling? As it happens, AMG's land missile may turn out to be the next success story for the bigwigs in Affalterbach not for its out and out performance, but because of its exquisite exterior design and striking cabin layout.

The entire body shell is all aluminum and weighs a featherweight 231 kilograms. That well-crafted profile, the wide wheel arches and road-hugging lower bodywork, together with the aggressive headlight design and elegantly thin tail lights make the Mercedes-AMG GT an indelible car. But never compare the thing with the Porsche 911 because the AMG GT is a strict two-seat coupe. While the folks over at Mercedes-AMG aggressively target the 911 as the model's main competitor, we think that the Jaguar F-Type Coupe is actually the proper rival. The uncompromising exterior lines are carried over by the cabin design.

A dominant aspect in the cockpit of the AMG GT is an aviation design theme Mercedes-Benz also applied to the SLS, SL and the new C-Class. The dashboard places an extreme emphasis on width, creating an impression of a powerful wing. Four central spotlight-style air vents are featured on the dashboard, along with individual vents at the left and right ends of the cockpit. The dominant centre console sports a shape reminiscent of a NACA air intake. Another clever design feature comes in the form of the controls on the AMG Drive Unit, which are arranged in a V layout, just like the eight cylinders of a V8 engine.

Although prices haven't been revealed today, we expect the entry-level Mercedes-AMG GT to hold a starting price of €100,000 in Germany, equating to $130,000 or £80,265 at current exchange rates. With all the major stuff covered and the event still underway, we'll let you enjoy the photos below. We'll update this story with official pics, videos and a press release as soon as the event concludes. PS: yes, the yellow AMG GT S pictured was driven by the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team's own Nico Rosberg.

UPDATE: like we've promised, we've added the press release, launch video and first official photos.