“Wait, what? Could it really be? Have those jammy sods at crankandpiston got themselves a long term Mercedes-AMG GT S?”
| Engine | Power | Torque | 0-100kph | Top speed | Weight | Basic price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V8, twin-turbo, 3982cc | 503bhp @ 6250rpm | 479lb ft @ 1750-4750rpm | 3.8sec | 310kph | 1570kg | $172,000 |
| Driver's Log | |
|---|---|
| Date acquired: | May2016 |
| Total kilometres: | 7515 |
| Kilometres this month: | 1103 |
| Costs this month: | $0 |
| L/100km this month: | 7.5 |
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“BRAWWWRROOOOMMMmmmmmmmmm”
There are certain thoughts that go through one’s head when the biturbo V8 of a Mercedes-AMG GT S fires into life. The first is a guttural sound – half laugh, half manly tears – that can’t be put to paper in discernible English. The second is an almost haunting feeling of trepidation, given that your right foot will soon control the destiny of 503bhp, 479lb ft of torque and a ruinously expensive front splitter. Once you’ve wrapped your noggin around this, you’re also left wondering what effect said power will have on a rear axle designed to get a bit snappy under vigorous acceleration. A rear axle which, by the by, you’re currently sitting on.
It won’t take too many beats thereafter until your mind, already reeling in ever more terrifying directions, begins to really process the enormity of your situation: save the new 577bhp, über mental GT R, this is the fastest, most powerful and most maniacal brute currently gracing AMG’s line-up, and could propel you from zero to over and above 300kph without breaking a sweat. And that doesn’t even begin to describe the torture this Nürburgring-honed track weapon could inflict on your kidneys and spleen through the corners.
All of this before those light-alloyed front wheels have even been turned in anger. And guess what? We have three months of such thinking ahead of us.
Yes, the mad fools at Mercedes not only agreed to a long-term test of their Porsche 911 rival, but actually suggested the idea to begin with. It’s difficult to keep a cool, collected expression under such circumstances – on hearing the news, our man AJ actually uttered the phrase “booyah” – especially when you consider what’s up for grabs. The price for one thing: at $172K a pop, the GT S slots itself firmly amongst the McLaren 570S, Audi R8 V10 and Porsche 911 for performance-focused sports car honours. But more on that next month…
Then there’s the performance at our now daily disposal. That 4-litre twin-turbo V8 for instance reduces 100kph to a fine goose liver pate in just 3.8 seconds, easily enough to leave one’s driver’s licence comfortably on the guillotine. But as we’ve discovered previously at crankandpiston.com (full story HERE), the GT S is about so much more than straight-line grunt.
The V8 for instance is mounted underneath the dashboard for near-perfect weight distribution, the turbochargers having been mounted internally within ‘the V’ rather than externally to allow greater response from both turbochargers, but also lower exhaust emissions. The centre of gravity is consequently much lower, the engine package itself much lighter, and power delivery – on straight bursts or otherwise – considerably more responsive. Under that Snow White skin lies revised double wishbone suspension for more precise steering and refined cornering stability, plus a 231kg aluminium space frame for improved structural rigidity, and performance tyres for ‘track levels’ of grip. The lightweight alloy wheels – 19in at the front, 20in at the rear – are clad with performance rubber, and the brakes are sizeable 390mm ventilated front discs, meaning stopping power is only improved if you plough into a tree.
So yeah, weekend performance – for all Mercedes CEOs currently having heart palpitations – is an easy tick in the box. As should, theoretically, be day-to-day comfort. Okay, that low slung roofline and two-seater setup might make entry and exit difficult on a daily basis, but supple damping for one of the five-way driving settings, Mercedes’ well established infotainment and Bluetooth system, and AMG Sport seats simultaneously designed to hold and cosset the driver should (hopefully) have that covered too.
Well, once that biturbo V8 stops plays mind tricks on us on start-up…
- Technical specifications available on page 2
