Mercedes-AMG GT S: First Drive Review

I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the Mercedes-AMG GT slightly underwhelming in pictures. I'd also be lying if I said I'm the only one to say that. Apart from being a tribute to the original 300 SL, the gull-winged SLS AMG was, after all, a car that wasn't Italian but certainly a bull that refused to be tamed. Not to mention it had full-blooded supercars in its sights, with its naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 motor. With the gull-wing doors gone and a smaller, twin turbocharged 4.0 litre engine replacing that stonker of an engine, one would expect the new AMG GT to echo the softness of its curves in character too. Especially since even its more powerful ‘S’ version is down on power compared to the SLS. The engine is still hand-built – like all AMGs, in the Affalterbach factory – but yeah, this one breathes through artificial lungs unlike the SLS. Does that make the AMG GT S a lesser beast?

One fine morning all these doubts got chucked right out the window though. A morning when Solarbeam metallic yellow hue of the AMG GT S seemed to outshine everything else – and I’m not just talking about that wondrous shade of yellow. There's so much I could write simply about the paint job - look at the car from a distance, and you'll notice parts of it gleam with a nice sheen, while certain areas seem to have a matte finish. It's the curves at play I tell you. Enticing they are indeed, and it's simply impossible to not admire the GT’s design with that mile-long hood, curved roofline and a rump that ends almost abruptly. The GT follows the SLS AMG’s silhouette but with a noticeable difference, especially at the rear. It’s smaller than the SLS, but the long hood doesn’t really let you realise. 

The AMG GT is one of the most awaited cars this year as far as the faster lot is concerned, and it does look fantastic. It is, after all, only the second car from AMG that’s not based on any existing Mercedes-Benz model, and the next big thing from the company. In terms of design the AMG GT possesses all the right elements – long hood with a front-mid mounted V8, low, swooping stance, and short rear. The tail lights lend the rear a wider look, and admittedly, its head turning abilities are a lot better than several sportscars. The front is a work of art, no less, with the flared nostrils at either end of the bumper and the familiar looking snout, though with a sharper point at its centre. There’s generous helpings of carbon fibre too – the wing mirrors, slats on the side vents, lower lip of the front and rear bumpers and of course the insides. 

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The interiors are draped in carbon fibre and leather, and the enormous centre console dominates the cabin, leaving not much elbow room. Not that you would need to move the elbow a lot, but the stubby drive selector lever is placed too far back. The centre console houses all the exciting bits – driving mode selector, ignition, traction control, suspension adjustment, a loud button for the sports exhaust, engine start-stop, manual drive mode settings and the audio control. There’s also a large touchpad and rotor for the COMAND, in front of which are cup holders (seriously?). There’s five driving modes on offer, Individual, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Race. The cabin looks as classy as it should, offering a blend of sportiness and luxury. The dashboard is no less than a feast for the eyes with its silver ringed vents, the familiar looking display screen, and of course all the leather. 

Thumb the starter and the engine is quick to bark the typical AMG tune before settling down into a burble. It’s the kind of sound we’ve come to associate with ‘gargle of the Gods’. Now, all the talk above of the AMG GT getting a smaller engine, lesser power and all that would lead you into believing Merc’s new sportscar isn’t quite the smokey, burn-out monster the SLS AMG was. But if the SLS was like the Juggernaut from X-Men, ready to head butt anyone and anything who dared to mess with it, this one’s the Juggernaut cloaked in a designer suit. It can be quite a monster to drive should you press the right buttons and dare to exercise that right foot. Of course, with a biTurbo V8 making 503bhp and a stomach-churning 650Nm of torque that should be a given. 

There’s a distinctive AMG feel to the power delivery. Read that as rabid. That’s for the GT S that is, and we’re certain the less powerful GT with ‘just’ 456bhp will not come to India. The GT S will hit the ton in under 4 seconds, and in a way that will have you break into the proverbial idiotic smile. Top speed claimed is a lofty 310kmph. Thanks to what AMG calls the Hot V configuration (both turbochargers sitting inside the cylinder banks to reduce lag and quicken responses) you get the feel of a naturally aspirated motor, and the delivery doesn’t cease to amaze you even at triple digit speeds. Race mode also offers ‘proper’ launches – power delivery is just short of brutal, and seat back thrusting take-offs are part of the experience. The GT is best enjoyed via the steering mounted paddle shift levers, the dual-clutch 7-speed AMG Speedshift gearbox offering rather quick shifts.

We don’t have too many roads where you could push the GT S, but its ‘point and shoot’ ability eggs you to go faster around corners. Mechanical grip is great, and the directness of the steering makes it a delight to turn. Add to that a brilliant chassis and super sticky rubber, and what you get is easily one of the most pleasing handling packages from Germany. It’s also a lot easier to drive and more forgiving than the SLS on the road, and that’s despite it giving a distinct feel that a racetrack is where the GT truly belongs. No wonder then, Mercedes has sportscars like the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type R, Audi R8 and the like in its sights with this one. The suspension feels taut even in comfort mode, but there was nary a moment when it got uncomfortable. Sport mode stiffens it up further, sharpening responses all round, like the suspension, brake and clutch feel, throttle response et al. 

The AMG GT S makes no mistakes in conveying the fact that it is a brilliant piece of German engineering. Manic performance apart, its agility and handling will ensure you are all praise for the boffins in Affalterbach. That’s courtesy the aluminium chassis, while the front end is made of magnesium. Dry sump lubrication for the V8 block enhances handling further, since this has helped make the engine more compact and mount it lower; as also the transmission that sits on the rear axle. The driving position is in sync with modern sportscars, as you sit low with your legs stretched out in front. You need a couple of minutes to get used to the view with that long hood and slim windscreen, but a race track is where this position will benefit the most. What I missed though was active bolstering, and felt the seats could do offer some more support during hard cornering.  

With its kind of finesse in design and engineering, the AMG GT S is sure to please all types of sportscar lovers – the show offs, the serious enthusiasts, the track day fanatics and more. As I mentioned at the start, the AMG GT S does have huge boots to fill even though it clearly isn’t a replacement for the SLS AMG. With its blend of engineering and gorgeous design this AMG is more than up for the task at hand though. When launched in India on November 24, the AMG GT S will cost eye-wateringly close to the 3 crore mark, but with that design, performance, poise and of course the brilliant shade of yellow I’m sure it will have more than just a few takers.