2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R revealed

As if the existing Mercedes-AMG GT S isn’t fast enough, the German marque debuts a powerful 2-door sports coupe – the AMG GT R. It’s lightweight and carries multiple exterior, interior, and performance upgrades that fans will surely love.

The AMG GT R has an exclusive Green Hell Magno paintwork in matte finish, named after the “Green Hell” of the Nurburgring racetrack where it spent most of the time during its development stage. Its fascia is fitted with redesigned forward-inclined grille and air vents that allow increased ventilation under its hood. It has a shark nose design; making it appear to sit lower on the road.

Although its character lines and sculpted hood remains the same, the AMG GT R has wider front and rear fender flares – increased track width for higher cornering speeds and optimum grip. The front and rear rims are 19 and 20 inches, respectively, with yellow brake calipers. The rear, on the other hand, has a large rear airfoil for enhanced aerodynamic efficiency. It also equipped with double diffuser cladding.

The interior of the AMG GT R has a sporty design that comes standard with Nappa leather and ‘DINAMICA’ microfiber clothed AMG Performance Seats, which gives sufficient lateral support for extreme road maneuvers. 

However, what’s new is the AMG Interior Night package. With this, the shift paddles, steering wheel bezel, door sills, and trunk cross member are all in high-gloss black. Although, customers can opt for a matte black carbon fiber trim.

Right at the heart of the AMG GT R is the handcrafted AMG 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine that puts out 577 hp and 700 Nm of torque.

The improved performance of the new AMG GT R is due to the essential reduction of its overall weight. The front fenders, roof, and torque tube between the engine and transmission are all made of super light carbon fiber.

Additionally, various aluminum alloys are used for the chassis and body. This, plus the steel for the trunk lid and magnesium for the front deck greatly reduced the weight, which also improved its agility by reducing the inertia in front of the front axle.

Moreover, the all-new lightweight active aerodynamics profile in the underbody reduces front-axle lift by 88.2 lbs at 250 km/h. This special engineering push the car more onto the road through a process called the Venturi effect.

The new AMG GT-R is also equipped with an active rear wheel steering – first time to be used on a Mercedes-AMG model. The rear wheels are electronically controlled, independent to the steering wheel, which has a maximum angle of 1.5 degrees. At 100 km/h, when the front wheels steers to the right, the rear points to otherwise thus, virtually shortening the wheelbase. This gives more agility to the car. However, beyond that speed, the rear wheels will turn the same way to improve stability, which is essential for high speeds.

Lastly, the vehicle is equipped with the AMG TRACTION CONTROL, which isolates the grip on the driven wheels (rear) but does not affect the stabilization. This is programmed electronically and controlled by a rotary switch in the center console.

The heightened performance and engine power of the new Mercedes-AMG GT R is something that fans of the German brand is waiting for. A production sports car that is developed for the race track without forgetting about its luscious appeal. Locally, only the AMG GT S is available but we’ll be keep an eye for the arrival of this beauty in the local showrooms.

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