The Mercedes-AMG GT R is without a doubt, one of the best cars I’ve ever driven, with tons of power, insane amounts of grip, and looks that stop people in their tracks. So how could those crazy Germans improve upon perfection? By dropping the top, of course!
Feast your eyes on the new Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster, which gives drivers the open-air driving experience, while still feeling equally at home on the track, with a 4.0-liter V8 Biturbo that puts out 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 happens in a scant 3.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 197 mph.
“The AMG GT R Roadster is far more than the combination of the thrilling vehicle dynamics of the GT R with the special flair of our GT Roadsters. It is the essence of two worlds, blending to deliver our brand pledge, Driving Performance, in a very special way. With our GT R Roadster we have without doubt once again developed a brand-defining sports car. It really embodies Mercedes-AMG in form, function and vehicle dynamics and enriches our GT family,” says Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
The low-slung front end and the AMG-specific radiator grille create a distinctive “shark nose” impression and the car appears to sit lower on the road. At the same time, this shape lowers the vehicle’s back-pressure point, enhancing the flow of cooling air and the car’s aerodynamic performance. The standard LED High Performance headlamps strengthen the AMG GT family look with their light signature.
The V-shaped arrow-like appearance of the front also enhances the dynamic look, embodying the look of forward motion even while standing still. The front bumper in jet wing design along with the front splitter emphasize the car’s width. The large outer air inlets in the front bumper guarantee a large supply of cooling air to the engine. For this reason, they sport two aerodynamically shaped horizontal fins in place of meshes and as a result route the airflow to the radiators with minimal loss.
Additional Air Curtains on the outside of the front bumper calm the airflow, improving the cd value of the open-top two-seater. Thanks to their narrow, vertical openings, the Air Curtains also guide the air specifically towards the wheel arches, optimizing the flow properties. To ensure ideal airflow through the wheel arches, the roadster additionally features unique wheel arch liners with special cooling-air slits.
The super-light carbon front fenders add a total 1.8 inches of width to the roadster at the front compared with the AMG GT, and make room for the wider track and large wheel/tire combo. The powerfully sculpted fenders emphasize the longitudinal dynamics. Another distinguishing feature is the special wing signet featuring a fin and a large air outlet through which waste heat flows from the engine bay. This fin is perforated and incorporates the AMG diamond logo with five slats.
The side view benefits from the standard AMG Performance forged wheels in matte black. The especially lightweight 10-spoke wheel is exclusive to AMG GT R models and its highly elaborate design includes a drop-center rim, a milled groove and two high-sheen rim rings of different width. There are size 10.0 J x 19 ET56 wheels at the front and 12.0 J x 20 ET52 at the rear. The lightweight design of the wheels has three advantages: it reduces overall weight, rotating mass and unsprung mass.
The brake calipers, which are painted yellow, can be seen through the wheels. The side sill panels make the vehicle look even lower on the road, while inserts in high-gloss black set an aggressive tone. The same applies to the high-gloss black caps on the door mirror housings.
In the rear, aluminum sidewalls make the roadster 2.2 inches wider than the AMG GT. This creates room for the larger 20-inch wheels and tires as well as the wider track. These measures enable improved traction while allowing higher cornering speeds. The wider design of the rear bumper with large outer vent openings and vertical grooves improves the airflow at the rear end, as does the double diffuser, which exhausts warm air during driving.
A small air outlet is incorporated between the tail lamps for additional dissipation of the heat generated by the rear silencer. A further distinguishing feature of the AMG GT Roadster is the large exhaust tip with centerpiece, centrally positioned in the rear bumper. It is flanked by two more black tail pipes on the left and right of the diffuser.
The large rear wing with an integral third brake lamp is fixed to the trunk lid and increases downforce on the rear axle. The airfoil mounts are painted in vehicle color while the blade is finished in high-gloss black. Depending on the application or racetrack conditions the airfoil blade can be precision-adjusted in order to increase downforce on the rear axle.
Mercedes-AMG’s press release goes on and on about the performance of the vehicle. In short, it’s every bit as good as the GT R coupe, despite the fact that the triple-layer fabric soft top with its aluminum and magnesium structure adds about 110 pounds to the vehicle.
It truly is the best of both worlds, and you will be able to hear that intoxicating exhaust note even better when the top is down. But if you want one, you had better act quick, as Mercedes-AMG is limiting production to 750 cars worldwide.
Pricing hasn’t been released, but expect the roadster to command a premium over the coupe’s sticker price of $159,350. Mercedes-AMG will have the new GT R Roadster on display starting tomorrow at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
What do you think of the new Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster?
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