Photo: Mercedes-AMG
198,850 euros excluding value-added tax. That how much the three-pointed star wants for the GT4, which is sizably more than the starting price of the Mercedes-AMG GT R on which it’s based (€139,000 excl. VAT). What you get in return, however, is a full-blown customer racecar.
To be showcased in the flesh at the 24 Hours of Spa this weekend, the GT4 comes as a result of more than 30,000 kilometers of track testing. During development, Mercedes-AMG put the GT4 through a 30-hour endurance test on the Lausitzring in Germany. Development is still ongoing, with the first GT4s scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2017.
“For us as a manufacturer, GT4 competition is a logical next step to extend our Customer Racing Program,” declared Tobias Moers, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG. “After the achievements in GT3 racing, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is opening another valuable platform for us to prove our competence as a globally successful sports car and performance brand.” Have a guess what lurks under the scooped hood.
Indeed, dear reader, it’s a tried-and-tested 4.0-liter biturbo V8 derived from the powerplant of the Mercedes-AMG GT R. On full song, the race-spec engine develops up to 510 PS (375 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft). In other words, it’s less powerful than the GT S and less torquey than the GT.
One further difference is the transmission. Compared to the slick-shifting dual-clutch AMG Speedshift DCT of the road-going GT family, the GT4 is equipped with a six-speed sequential gearbox with an adjustable differential and pneumatic operation. Tipping the scales at approximately 1,390 kilograms (3,064 pounds), the GT4 is fitted with massive competition brakes of the composite variety, measuring 390 mm up front and 355 mm at the rear.
Even with the 120-liter fuel tank full, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT4 can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in under four seconds, on to a top speed of more than 250 km/h (155 mph). From the beginning of 2018, expect to see the GT4 on the track in series as diverse as the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge, Blancpain GT Asia, VLN Endurance Championship, GT4 European Series, and Australian GT Trophy.
“For us as a manufacturer, GT4 competition is a logical next step to extend our Customer Racing Program,” declared Tobias Moers, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG. “After the achievements in GT3 racing, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is opening another valuable platform for us to prove our competence as a globally successful sports car and performance brand.” Have a guess what lurks under the scooped hood.
Indeed, dear reader, it’s a tried-and-tested 4.0-liter biturbo V8 derived from the powerplant of the Mercedes-AMG GT R. On full song, the race-spec engine develops up to 510 PS (375 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft). In other words, it’s less powerful than the GT S and less torquey than the GT.
One further difference is the transmission. Compared to the slick-shifting dual-clutch AMG Speedshift DCT of the road-going GT family, the GT4 is equipped with a six-speed sequential gearbox with an adjustable differential and pneumatic operation. Tipping the scales at approximately 1,390 kilograms (3,064 pounds), the GT4 is fitted with massive competition brakes of the composite variety, measuring 390 mm up front and 355 mm at the rear.
Even with the 120-liter fuel tank full, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT4 can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in under four seconds, on to a top speed of more than 250 km/h (155 mph). From the beginning of 2018, expect to see the GT4 on the track in series as diverse as the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge, Blancpain GT Asia, VLN Endurance Championship, GT4 European Series, and Australian GT Trophy.
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