SA prices: AMG’s brutal GT R & Roadster

Published Dec 6, 2016

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The Mercedes-AMG division’s GT sports car range is expanding with the arrival of the brutal GT R flagship and two roadster derivatives on local shores next year.

The order books are now open for South Africans, with Mercedes-Benz SA expecting the GT R Coupé to arrive in local showrooms in April next year, followed by the GT and GT C Roadsters in May.

Where do the newcomers fit in? Let's start with the big gun:

Mercedes-AMG GT R Coupé – R2 689 900

The GT R’s claim to fame is that it packs in more motorsport technology than any car Mercedes-AMG has ever created. Even its “Green hell mango” paint job is named after the northern loop of the Nürburgring.

Naturally the GT R is also the most potent member of the GT family, its front-mid-mounted 4-litre twin-turbo V8 having been modified to produce a mighty 430kW and 700Nm, making it substantially more powerful than the 375kW/650Nm GT S.

According to manufacturer claims, the GT R will sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 318km/h. Power, of course, goes to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Mercedes-AMG has also heavily tinkered with the chassis and aerodynamics to make the sports car an even sharper track tool, its road-hugging arsenal including an adjustable coil-over suspension system and active rear-wheel steering.

Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster – R2 199 900

The Roadster takes everything you’ve come to love about the GT and translates it into droptop format without too much of a weight penalty – just 55kg to be precise.

Like all GTs, the new droptop has a rigid and lightweight aluminium bodyshell, but the pièce de résistance is a fabric roof, available in three colours (black, red and beige), and capable of opening and closing in around 11 seconds, at speeds of up to 50km/h.

Like the base Coupé, the GT Roadster is powered by the familiar 4-litre twin-turbo V8, rated at 350kW/630Nm and mated to the multi-mode seven-speed dual-clutch DTC transmission.

Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster – R2 599 000

The GT C Roadster takes the aforementioned open-top perks to more potent levels by poaching many of the GT R’s performance parts.

It’s not quite as powerful, but you’re not going to sniff at its 410kW/680Nm outputs, said to be good for a 3.7-second 0-100km/h sprint, 0.3s quicker than the standard Roadster.

To make the most of the V8's sound-track at full throttle, the GT C comes with a performance exhaust system featuring adjustable flaps.

Other bits borrowed from the GT R include active rear-wheel steering, electronically-controlled locking rear differential and broadened rear wings to house the wider wheels.

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