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US-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster Spy Photos Confirm Mercedes GT Master Plan

About one month ago, we showed you the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototype for the first time. The open-top Affalterbach machine is now back, with a US-spec test vehicle having been caught in Germany.
2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster Prototype 12 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
US-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototypeUS-Spec 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster prototype2016-2017 Mercedes-Benz product plan leaked
While we're now familiar with the Mercedes-AMG GT trading off its rear hatch for a canvas top, we can assure you the fabric roof of the vehicle won't make you cry over spilt metal - for one thing, the soft top of the SLS AMG Roadster was one of the best on the market, in terms of both thermal and aural insulation.

Speaking of the GT's forebearers, the upcoming release of the Roadster (more on that at the bottom of the page), along with the derivatives this will borrow from the Coupe, only comes to confirm Mercedes' GT master plan, as we mentioned in the title.

It all started back in the 1990s, when the German automaker joined forces with McLaren to deliver the bewildering Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. While the Brits were targeting for stratospheric performance, uber-limited production numbers and nothing else, the Germans had other plans.

Those plans started becoming visible with the no-Mclaren SLS AMG that followed. This moved from hypercar territory to Gran Touring land, a battleground more in tune with Merc's ways.

With the GT continuing that transition, Mercedes-AMG can finally do what Germans do best, namely come up with a never-ending range that offers something for every taste. And if we look at how Porsche has been squeezing every possible derivative out of the Neunelfer platform for decades now, it's difficult to disagree with Mercedes.

When it comes to the Roadster's various versions, a recently-leaked slideshow that claims to be part of an internal presentation shows a GT C Roadster is coming in the first half of 2017, while a GT C Coupe is planned for the second half of next year - you'll find the slide in the gallery.

In our book, while the Roadster will debut as a 2018 model year, the C means that the fixed-roof GT will get its mid-cycle revamp next year, with the C standing for the standard model, which will join the GT S and the GT R. Will the GT Roadster also get the all-out R badge? That's exactly the kind of question Mercedes-AMG likes to use to keep us on our toes.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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