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Marton Pettendy10 Apr 2015
REVIEW

Mercedes-AMG GT 2015 Review

We drive AMG's all-new Porsche 911 fighter, the $300K GT super-coupe, for the first time on home turf

Mercedes-AMG GT S Edition 1
First Australian drive
Gold Coast, Queensland

First there was 2004 SLR co-developed with McLaren, then the 100 per cent AMG-made SLS of 2010 and now the Mercedes-Benz performance brand has produced its third exclusive supercar in a decade with the all-new GT. Smaller, lighter and cheaper than the Gullwing it effectively replaces, AMG's first direct rival for Porsche's top-selling 911 will come with a base price of $295,000, making the 375kW S version pricier than the race-ready GT3 iteration of the world's benchmark supercar. Despite that, all Australian examples of the only other variant to be available from launch, the $314,900 GT S 'Edition 1' Coupe tested in this local preview drive, are also sold months before first deliveries begin in July.

Nestled between the cane fields of the northern Gold Coast and surrounded by earth mounds and drainage ditches, the Holden Performance Driving Centre in Norwell isn't the ideal place to test high-performance machinery, especially in the wet. Just ask journalists at the 2001 launch of Holden's born-again Monaro.

With memories of muscling AMG's last cruise missile, the glorious $639,000 464kW/600Nm SLS Black Series, around the wide open Phillip Island circuit still fresh in my head after two years, I was thankful for the warm, blue-sky day that hosted our first local taste of AMG's new flagship supercar at the fast but compact Norwell track.

While it's similar in profile and surfacing to the SLS Coupe and can look just as awkward from some angles in pictures and under motor show spotlights, up close in the metal GT is a thing of breathtakingly beauty, a unique shape that exudes presence and exclusivity perhaps more so than a 911.

Presenting the same trademark long-bonnet, cab-rearward proportions and an almost identical front-end but with less angular headlights, the GT projects a sleeker, more rounded silhouette than the more ungainly, square-roofed Gullwing.

The sense of occasion is even more compelling inside the snug two-seat cabin, where its more compact dimensions are more apparent, thanks to a bespoke cockpit design with two low-slung seats flanking an enormous, switch-laden centre console and faultless attention to every detail, such as the tubular aluminium surrounds of the double-barrel instrument binnacle, quad central air-vents and eight major central control buttons and dials.

The launch-special Edition 1 winds up the opulence even further, with contrasting red stitching on the black nappa leather/microfiber seat trim, the triple aluminium-spoked multifunction flat-bottom Alcantara-clad steering wheel, the doors and the dash.

If there's a criticism of the superbly crafted interior though, it's that the steering wheel didn't adjust out or down quite enough even for this short-legged tester, stretching my arms too much for me to ever feely fully comfortable in the ultra-low sports seats. And the three-position AMG gearshifter is too far back on the centre console to reach without elbowing the rear bulkhead.

But the cosseting cockpit is a perfect complement for the Edition 1's exotic carbon-fibre roof, black 10-spoke staggered-width 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, 'Night Package' exterior details and specific aero package including a bigger front splitter, wheel-arch 'flics' and fixed rear wing.

We've detailed the GT's vital statistics plenty of times and also drove the GT S at its international launch at Laguna Seca last November, before full local details were announced last month.

Suffice to say the GT is based on a similar aluminium spaceframe chassis to the SLS, but is 50mm shorter in wheelbase at 2630mm, 30mm narrower in terms of front wheel track and 100kg lighter at 1540kg in base form, although the added equipment of the GT S reduces that weight-saving to 70kg.

After fingering the starter and trundling onto the abrasive 2.1km Norwell circuit with the biturbo V8 idling a menacingly deep, hairy-chested tune, the GT S immediately feels smaller and lighter on its wide 9.0-inch front and 11.0-inch rear wheels than the SLS.

Riding on all-new multi-link double-wishbone rear suspension, the GT S features AMG RIDE CONTROL, an electronically controlled variable damping system that's adjustable on the fly -- individually or as part of AMG's Dynamic Select system, which also tunes the hydraulic variable-ratio steering, throttle mapping, characteristics of the seven-speed dual-clutch auto and stability/traction control functions across four preset modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Race).

In the GT S, there are also active engine and transmission mounts -- a first for AMG but similar to the system offered in the 911 for a couple of generations – which stiffen up to improve handling performance in Sport and Race modes, at the expense of ride, noise and vibration.

The result is a surprisingly plush ride – even on Norwell's rough bitumen – and a big range of dynamic performance in the various drive modes, but a perfect trade-off between comfort and body roll in each.

The steering is agile, precise and probably as communicative as the 911's yardstick electric system, providing enormous levels of stability under hard braking and a surprising amount of front-end bite into Norwell's tight hairpins, and the supple GT S chassis resists both pitch and roll in equal measure.

The keys to the GT's outstanding level of stability, especially while trail-braking deep into corners, are a rear transaxle that helps give the front/mid-engined layout the same 47/53 front/rear static weight distribution as the SLS and a new electronically-controlled clutch-style limited-slip differential that opens and closes continuously in the search of traction both under brakes and power.

Another highlight was the carbon-ceramic brake package, which at $17,500 is one of only a few options for the sold-out Edition 1. We can't vouch for the effectiveness of the standard GT S brake set-up (floating alloy/cast-iron 390mm front and 360mm rear discs gripped by multi-piston callipers), but the huge 402mm/360mm rotors and six-piston callipers we sampled delivered incredible levels of retardation and modulation, eking every ounce of grip from the sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport II tyres.

But while the GT S felt more compact and nimble than the SLS ever could at Norwell, it didn't instil the intimacy of a 911, which is not completely surprising given it's still 180mm longer in wheelbase at 2630mm, more than 50mm longer overall at 4545mm and more than 130mm wider at 1939mm.

Crucially, it's also still 135kg heavier than a 911 Carrera S PDK, which weighs 1435kg (DIN; with fuel tank 90 per cent full) or 1510kg (EC, with fuel tank 90 per cent full, plus a 68kg driver and 7kg of luggage), while the GT S weighs 1570kg DIN and 1645kg EC.

That doesn't stop the GT S being slightly quicker (0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds versus 4.1) and faster (310km/h top speed versus 302), thanks to its more powerful 375kW/650Nm hand-built, dry-sump biturbo 4.0-litre V8.

For the record, the standard 340kW/600Nm GT is almost lineball with the Carrera S in terms of performance statistics, including a 4.0-second 0-100km/h time and a 300km/h top speed. If Mercedes introduces it here, the base GT will also be much closer in price to the $245K Carrera S price.

But even if it displaces just 182cc less, the 294kW/440Nm 3.8-litre atmo flat six in the Carrera S simply can't match the might of the twin-turbo bent-eight in the GT S, which consumes more fuel in part due to its extra mass (9.4L/100km on the NEDC combined cycle versus 8.7 for the Porsche).

The Benz V8 also sounds vastly better than the 911's boxer, bellowing at full throttle like a DTM CLK, yet its force-fed muscle comes at no expense to response, since there's instant urge from idle and a wall of brawny, lag-free mid-range torque at your disposal in any ratio.

The downside of the finest twin-turbo V8 we've driven since the BMW M5 and frighteningly rapid acceleration from any speed is more mumbo than even the 295-section rear tyres can always handle.

At Norwell, the GT S lit up its ESP intervention light like it had a bad earth out of every corner – even the high-speed sweeper wide open in fourth, and even with the Sport+ mode's higher yaw threshold.

It feels every bit as quick as its claimed figures suggest, but the GT S doesn't reward ham-fisted driving, demanding plenty of throttle finesse and tidy, late apexes then tight corner exits for best results on the track.

It's far less of a lead-tipped arrow than the SLS, but with more weight and performance but less power-down traction than the rear-engined 911, it's also more accomplished in the art of power oversteer, as AMG CEO Tobias Moers ably showed at Norwell, making us wonder how well the upcoming Black Series and GT3 variants will cope with even more power.

Also promoting the impression the GT is more GT than supercar is more safety gear than you can get in a 911, including eight airbags and advanced technologies from the S-Class like PRE-SAFE, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, ADAPTIVE BRAKE, ATTENTION ASSIST, PARKTRONIC, a Lane Tracking package including Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist, plus Adaptive Highbeam Assist and a reversing camera.

There's also Merc's full-house COMAND Online infotainment system complete with 8.4-inch colour touch-screen and a host of online functions.

Our first Australian drive of the GT S was hardly a comprehensive home-turf road test, but it shows AMG's new supercar is not only its finest yet by some measure, but the most formidable foe the 911 has ever faced.

Weighing up the advantages of each car's individual nuances will have to wait for a comprehensive head-to-head comparo, but for now it's clear the GT S' unique persona will be a sought-after addition to the global supercar arena.

2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S pricing and specifications:
Price: $295,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
Output: 375kW/650Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 9.4L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 219g/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety rating: TBC

What we liked:
>> Unique, exclusive design
>> Glorious, sledgehammer V8
>> High-quality interior

Not so much:
>> Costs more than a 911 GT3
>> Weighs more than a 911
>> Slightly awkward ergonomics

Also consider:
Audi R8 (from $279,500)
BMW i8 (from $299,000)
Jaguar F-TYPE R (from $219,130)
Nissan GT-R (from $172,000)
Maserati GranTurismo (from $308,000)
Porsche 911 (from $208,600)

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
83/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
15/20
Safety & Technology
16/20
Behind the Wheel
17/20
X-Factor
18/20
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