The new August 2014 issue of CAR magazine has an exclusive ride in the new Mercedes AMG GT – the 2015 sports car which will rival the Porsche 911 in a way the larger, more expensive, softer SLS never could.
We won’t see the GT shorn of its swirling disguise until the LA motor show at the end of 2014, but our first ride gave us plenty of clues about what to expect.
How much will the Meredes AMG GT cost?
Exact prices are still to be determined, but the talk in Stuttgart is of a price around the €115,000 mark. That’s for the base GT, a 462bhp V8 monster which will finally bring more choice to those bored of 911s.
But, echoing Porsche’s strategy, you will also be able to choose a sharper S model – boosted to 510bhp, with the price tag swollen accordingly to closer to €130,000.
First impressions from the passenger seat
For the full review, read the new August 2014 issue of CAR magazine. But we can confirm here that the GT is shaping up to be a very exciting proposition indeed.
We’re driven by Tobias Moers, the boss of AMG since 2013 and before that the head of R&D. He lowers both windows before starting the engine with the car still being parked inside the prototype garage which makes for an excellent sound chamber. ‘Just so that you know why AMG is an eight-cylinder brand – and always will be.’
The 4.0-litre V8 jumps to life with a thundering growl which precedes that thudding and muttering idle speed jam session only a V8 can intone. The goose pimples inside my eardrums took days to recede, and the no-holds-barred ride that followed will forever rank high on my list of Great Passenger Seat Adventures.
It feels quick, certainly sub 4.0sec 0-62mph fast. And being rear-wheel drive, unlike its R8 and GT-R rivals, means the Mercedes AMG GT moves around with all the deft oversteering balance of a complete hooligan. Just check out the angle of dangle in these pictures.
Mercedes AMG GT: ride and handling
We have yet to drive the GT, but from the passenger seat, the ride feels a touch too busy. But there’s not much to nitpick about the ride, as Moers coaxes and slides the GT around a track for CAR’s photographer’s benefit. It feels balanced, playful, extremely precise.
For the full eight-page feature, check out the August 2014 issue of CAR magazine. Available now, in print, on iPad and Android tablet editions. Enjoy!