The best from the powerhouse called AMG are coming to India as the German auto giant has announced the launch of the Mercedes-AMG GT R and GT Roadster on 21st August 2017. Nicknamed as 'the Beast of the Green Hell', the top-billed Mercedes-AMG has been bred at the Nurburgring's north loop section and quite aptly will make anyone green with envy. The GT R is a step above the GT S that is currently sold in India, and the Roadster version adds the convertible charm to this absolute manic sports car.
Also Read: Mercedes-AMG GT R and AMG GT Roadster Launched in India
The Mercedes-AMG GT R takes style cues from the GT3
Also Read: Mercedes-AMG GT R and GT Roadster India Launch - Live Updates
The Mercedes-AMG GT R is one of the more stunning cars to come from Germany and certainly has us going green over it. The updated model gets the new massive grille up front inspired by the 300SLs from the 1950s that raced in the Carrera Panamericana races in Mexico. The GT3 learning are aplenty on the GT R and the coupe gets an active diffuser element within in the underbody for additional downforce.
Also Read: Mercedes-AMG GT R Breaks Cover At Goodwood Festival Of Speed
The roof is made of carbon fibre to ensure high rigidity without having to compromise on safety, while the 20-inch 5-spoke AMG wheels are made of aluminium to ensure weight savings. The sports car also gets a titanium exhaust system, in a bid to achieve a higher power-to-weight ratio.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster makes slightly lesser power at 470 bhp and 630 Nm of torque
The range topping Mercedes-AMG GT R also gets a heavily reworked double wishbone suspension system that has been derived from the GT3 race car. The chassis has also seen major changes, while the steering wheel gets a speed-sensitive variable-ratio rack. In fact, the GT R is the first Mercedes-AMG offering to have rear wheel steering, mainly because of the electrically actuated get rear wheel steering. This allows the rear wheels of the GT R to turn up to 1.5 degrees in the opposite direction as the front at speeds under 100 kmph. This effectively shortening the car's turning radius. Over 100 kmph, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front ones offering even more stability and quicker high speed cornering.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster misses out on the rear wheel steering system
The rear wheel steering feature though is not available on the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster, but is offered as standard on the more expensive GT C Roadster.
The Mercedes-AMG GT R is as close as it gets to bringing a road going version of the Nurburgring 24-hour race winning Mercedes GT3 home. Power comes from the Affalterbach tuned 4-litre bi-turbo V8 engine codenamed M177 that is tuned to churn out 577 bhp of power and a whopping 700 Nm of peak torque. All that power is sent to the rear wheels via the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. When it comes to numbers, the GT R can hit 0-100 kmph in just 3.6 seconds, while the top speed is now rated at 318 kmph. On the other hand, the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster uses the same engine but makes slightly lesser power at 470 bhp and 630 Nm of peak torque, paired to the same 7-speed DCT unit.
The Mercedes-AMG GT R will carry a price tag north of Rs. 2 crore (ex-showroom)
AMG completes 50 years this year and the Mercedes-Benz India is celebrating the same by bringing back-to-back AMG tuned models. Both models will be coming via the CBU route and will be sold via the automaker's Performance Centres. Expect priced to be north of the Rs. 2 crore (ex-showroom) mark on both the GT R and GT Roadster offerings.
