Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
After its unveiling back in 2016, the Beast of the Green Hell - as it's been officially nicknamed by Mercedes-Benz – quickly became notorious for breaking track records around the world.
One of its most impressive feats of the Mercedes-AMG GT R is the Nurburgring RWD record, which was finally snatched by Porsche with its bonkers 911 GT 2 RS (992) late last year, so Mercedes-Benz might be longing for a rematch.
Either that or the peculiar GT R prototype our spies spotted on the Nurburgring recently is the road-going version of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 race car.
Sporting a larger spoiler lip and new aerodynamic canards on each side of the front intakes is a prime example of why this isn't your average Mercedes-AMG GT R sighting, with the added camouflage on the front end reinforcing that idea.
Round the back, there is no camo, but the rear wing seems to sport a more aggressive angle and has an extra Gurney flap covered in black tape.
We can't be sure, but the rear window could be made from plexiglass to lower the center of gravity. At least this is how a previous GT R prototype was specced when we saw it in 2017, and that is how the GT4 race car rolls as well.
By far the strangest detail about the prototype wearing Green Hell Magno paint is the license plate, which is blurred in our photo gallery for obvious reasons. As it happens, the car sports the same license plate as the original GT R press car, which was unveiled back in 2016 at Goodwood.
This means that this prototype is either based on that car or is simply wearing the same plates, which would be even weirder.
Either way, we do know for sure that it's not a prototype for the yet-to-come GT R Black Series since that version should arrive somewhere at the end of 2019 when the current GT lineup is to go out of production and be replaced by a new generation anyway.
The road-going GT4, which is what we think this prototype is will definitely weigh a bit less than the GT R and maybe sport a few more ponies under that giant hood.
A 20-30 kg (44-66 pounds) drop in weight and around 50 of extra horsepower should be expected, which together with the additional aero bits should bring the Nurburgring RWD record back in Affalterbach.
Either that or the peculiar GT R prototype our spies spotted on the Nurburgring recently is the road-going version of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 race car.
Sporting a larger spoiler lip and new aerodynamic canards on each side of the front intakes is a prime example of why this isn't your average Mercedes-AMG GT R sighting, with the added camouflage on the front end reinforcing that idea.
Round the back, there is no camo, but the rear wing seems to sport a more aggressive angle and has an extra Gurney flap covered in black tape.
We can't be sure, but the rear window could be made from plexiglass to lower the center of gravity. At least this is how a previous GT R prototype was specced when we saw it in 2017, and that is how the GT4 race car rolls as well.
By far the strangest detail about the prototype wearing Green Hell Magno paint is the license plate, which is blurred in our photo gallery for obvious reasons. As it happens, the car sports the same license plate as the original GT R press car, which was unveiled back in 2016 at Goodwood.
This means that this prototype is either based on that car or is simply wearing the same plates, which would be even weirder.
Either way, we do know for sure that it's not a prototype for the yet-to-come GT R Black Series since that version should arrive somewhere at the end of 2019 when the current GT lineup is to go out of production and be replaced by a new generation anyway.
The road-going GT4, which is what we think this prototype is will definitely weigh a bit less than the GT R and maybe sport a few more ponies under that giant hood.
A 20-30 kg (44-66 pounds) drop in weight and around 50 of extra horsepower should be expected, which together with the additional aero bits should bring the Nurburgring RWD record back in Affalterbach.
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