NEW YORK: Mercedes’ new MBZ-AMG is more Muscle Car than luxury car, it is a real ‘Hot Rod’, it looks fast and it is fast; Zero to 60 in 3.7 secs, with a top speed of 193 mph.
The 4.0-liter bi-turbo V-8 is a super engine, producing 503 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque.
The exhaust roar is lion like, and when the car is in Sport or Sport+ mode, it roars, in Race mode, it screams. The straight-line acceleration is intense.
Mercedes says the long hood, high belt line and broad shoulders give the vehicle an “emotional appearance.”
The handling and 7-spd gearbox are precise, the electronic steering is speed-sensitive, and the suspension is tunable for 3 modes of stiffness and feedback. Traction is handled by a rear-axle locking differential.
There is a rear spoiler, which engages with a flip of the switch or, in Sport modes, extends or retracts depending on the speed.
Mercedes says the car’s interior design is meant to make the driver feel “like you are slipping into the cockpit of a fighter jet.”
Rear and side visibility is minimal.
The basic AMG GT S is available in the US, it comes standard with high performance brakes, adaptive sport suspension, heated seats, a Burmester Surround Sound music system, and safety features for collision avoidance, assisted parking, automatic braking and more.
The base price is 130,825.
But when fitted with carbon fiber trim and body elements, select interior appointments, special seat belts, custom wheels, a “high-end” Burmester sound system, and an engine and suspension “Dynamic Plus” performance package that Mercedes says is “ideal for aspiring racing drivers on closed-off circuits.”
The MSRP tops at $153,080, that is well below the $230,900 Mercedes asks for the S63 AMG Coupe, which gets 621 horsepower out of a 6.0-liter V-12.
The AMG GT S became available to US buyers in May. Mercedes hints that a convertible version will be available soon.
