Mercedes-AMG GT S Tuned to the Teeth Flunks the Start, Still Beats an Audi R8

Well, how about 218 extra horsepower? The new 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 engine that the new AMG models use has proven to be a hit ever since it was introduced on the GT more than a year ago, with monstrous amounts of power lying in reserve, waiting to be unleashed. Initial prospects revealed a simple ECU remapping could boost the power to 600 hp, which meant that further tinkering with the turbos or the exhaust could push that number even further.

Per4mance Industries wanted to see just how far it could go, so with a relative discreet intervention, it gave the Mercedes-AMG GT S those aditional 218 hp we were talking about earlier after upgrading the turbos and installing a new downpipe. All this newly gained power continued to make its way strictly towards those rear wheels, which means mastering the 728 hp GT isn't for the faint-hearted.

Per4mance Industries had to give the car a more menacing look since the standard version was lacking a bit in aggression. A carbon fiber body kit inspired by GT4 racers did the trick just fine, as did the matte gray wrapping and bright yellow stripes, mimicking those on the actual GT3 model.

Wrapping the air diffuser just below the exhaust proved to be a less fortunate decision, however, as the heat generated by those large twin tailpipes quickly melted the plastic fabric, which forced the team to remove those bits in a not so aesthetically pleasing manner.

But all is forgiven when you get to see the Per4mance Industries Mercedes-AMG GT S GT4 win a quarter-mile race against an Audi R8 even though it missed the start by a few seconds. We don't know for sure if that was just a cat playing with its food or the driver actually did flunk it that bad, but we didn't really care. We were too busy listening to that exhaust sound.