Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien / edited by autoevolution
The Mercedes-AMG GT is a rather curious thing. Its name refers to grand tourer, a type of vehicle that differs from bonafide sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 by means of more comfort and luxuries. The GT is actually a sports car, albeit that’s going to change with the second generation.
For starters, it has already been spied packing two additional seats. Pretty uncomfortable seats given the low roofline and tight legroom, but it does have rear seats. If you are into geekier things like I am, then you’re probably disappointed by the switch to the MSA platform as well.
The Modular Sports Architecture isn’t compatible with the dual-clutch transaxle of the first generation, but rather a nine-speed automatic that joins the powerplant up front. Speaking of which, the dry-sump M178 twin-turbo V8 has been discontinued in favor of the wet-sump M177 lump.
V8-engined GTs will come in three flavors, beginning with the 55 4MATIC+ and 63 4MATIC+. As implied, both feature all-wheel drive rather than the original’s rear-wheel-drive layout. There’s a case to be made for a plug-in V8 powertrain with 800-ish ponies on tap, although the plug-in stuff is certain to add a lot of unwanted weight.
Although unconfirmed, the 53 4MATIC+ is expected with a straight-six engine. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself considering that SLs from the good ol’ days had straight-six engines, including the fabulous 300 SL gull-winged coupe and its roadster sibling. On the other hand, the sixer in question isn’t a true AMG engine because it’s not built according to AMG’s “one man, one engine” principle.
The biggest downer, however, is that a four-cylinder engine may be in the offing. The circular exhaust finishers of this blue-painted GT are shared with the SL 43, the only current-generation SL with four cylinders. It’s also the only current-generation SL to feature rear-wheel drive.
Spied testing near the Arctic Circle, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT prototype likely packs the M139 four-cylinder mill of the SL 43. A mild-hybrid turbo with a displacement of 2.0 liters, the M139 develops 375 horsepower (381 ps) at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 354 pound-feet (480 Nm) of torque at 2,250 to 4,500 revolutions per minute.
Mercedes-AMG promises 4.9 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) and a top end of 275 kilometers per hour (171 miles per hour), which is pretty good even by modern sports car standards. On the other hand, the next-generation GT is a grand tourer. A grand tourer with four cylinders is – dare I say it – pointless.
My biggest gripe with the GT 43, or whatever it will be called, is the way the M139 sounds. Although I daily a four-cylinder car myself, four cylinders in a Mercedes-AMG GT is something I’m not prepared to accept yet.
The Modular Sports Architecture isn’t compatible with the dual-clutch transaxle of the first generation, but rather a nine-speed automatic that joins the powerplant up front. Speaking of which, the dry-sump M178 twin-turbo V8 has been discontinued in favor of the wet-sump M177 lump.
V8-engined GTs will come in three flavors, beginning with the 55 4MATIC+ and 63 4MATIC+. As implied, both feature all-wheel drive rather than the original’s rear-wheel-drive layout. There’s a case to be made for a plug-in V8 powertrain with 800-ish ponies on tap, although the plug-in stuff is certain to add a lot of unwanted weight.
Although unconfirmed, the 53 4MATIC+ is expected with a straight-six engine. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself considering that SLs from the good ol’ days had straight-six engines, including the fabulous 300 SL gull-winged coupe and its roadster sibling. On the other hand, the sixer in question isn’t a true AMG engine because it’s not built according to AMG’s “one man, one engine” principle.
The biggest downer, however, is that a four-cylinder engine may be in the offing. The circular exhaust finishers of this blue-painted GT are shared with the SL 43, the only current-generation SL with four cylinders. It’s also the only current-generation SL to feature rear-wheel drive.
Spied testing near the Arctic Circle, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT prototype likely packs the M139 four-cylinder mill of the SL 43. A mild-hybrid turbo with a displacement of 2.0 liters, the M139 develops 375 horsepower (381 ps) at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 354 pound-feet (480 Nm) of torque at 2,250 to 4,500 revolutions per minute.
Mercedes-AMG promises 4.9 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) and a top end of 275 kilometers per hour (171 miles per hour), which is pretty good even by modern sports car standards. On the other hand, the next-generation GT is a grand tourer. A grand tourer with four cylinders is – dare I say it – pointless.
My biggest gripe with the GT 43, or whatever it will be called, is the way the M139 sounds. Although I daily a four-cylinder car myself, four cylinders in a Mercedes-AMG GT is something I’m not prepared to accept yet.
Google News