NOTE: A version of this first appeared in Forbes Life print edition, Fall 2014.
With the Mercedes-AMG GT S, the boys in Affalterbach have created a lighter, shorter and more compact successor to the gargantuan SLS. But the signature Mercedes proportions are still there: a gaping maw, a long hood and an upright windshield, all flowing into a teardrop roof and tail. Formed from aluminum and magnesium and tipping the scales at under 3,500 pounds, the 503hp GT S should prove a nimble hunter, ready to chase down those rear-engined sports cars from the other end of Stuttgart.
Its compact 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 mounted front-mid-engine balances the 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle hanging between the rear wheels. Several distinct settings for suspension and powertrain response can tailor this Gran Turismo Sport for any of life’s automotive pleasures, from a day at the track to high-speed loping across open terrain–even two people and luggage off for a beautiful weekend. Perhaps best of all, it has old-fashioned hydraulic-assist steering, ensuring exceptional feel and communication.
As a measure of the intense competition the car faces from Porsche and the Audi R8 V10, AMG is bringing the big gun first, the more potent GT S arriving next Spring, with the less extreme, less expensive GT version to follow.
Gone are the gullwing doors of the SLS, but this Silver Arrow still flies true.
Mercedes-AMG GT S
Layout: Front-mid-engine, rear-drive
Engine: 4.0-liter DOHC V8, Twin Turbo
Horsepower: 503
Torque: 479 lb. ft.
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle
Top Speed (est.): 193 MPH
0-60 MPH (est.): 3.7 seconds
Curb weight (est.): 3462 lbs.
Available: Spring 2015
