When Mercedes released the astounding AMG SLS in 2010 with its gull wing doors and later on a convertible version, entirely built by AMG, it took the auto world by surprise. This is undoubtedly one of the best super sports cars in the world to date, and of course it came, besides the incredible sound, with a hefty price tag.
In 2015 AMG released both the GT and the GT S versions, which MIRUS had the pleasure to test on the legendary and adventurous roads of St. Gotthard. The idea behind the GT version was not to replace the SLS, but to build a smaller and more affordable car without the extravagant gull wing doors, which by any means look sexy and are a sure eye catcher, but also far from user friendly. The GT should now enter the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type and Audi R8 territory, a league dominated by a chosen few. Would the AMG GT stand this test, would a Porsche disciple really switch to an AMG?
We investigated into this matter with great pleasure and at first glance observe that the chassis reflects a more compact design than the SLS, yet the enormous hood and the slim windshield are basically the same. The rear end has gotten a more dynamic and organic overall look and this seems like quite an improvement compared to the SLS. The twin-turbo V8 4 litre with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission boost 460 horsepower in the GT and the GT S version a staggering 503 horsepower. One would think that such an adrenaline monster is hard to handle, but even at high acceleration, the car feels extremely stable and composed and the steering is light and direct. What’s really amazing about this ride is the grip – you can literally speed the curve, the car feels like it is glued onto the road, that’s an incredible fun factor. In order to push the car to its limits one would need a decent race track, ordinary roads are unfortunately only half as fun. However, if you want to have a decent mileage per gallon, then this car is also just an easy cruiser where you feel safe and at home. If you are used to driving cars in this league, then sitting this low is nothing new, but for first timers this is definitely a challenge in combination with the grand hood.
As we cruise down the old pebble road on St. Gotthard and pass the coach from last century, passengers are waving at us while we adjust our speed from 508 horses down to around 4, after all we want to play nice and don’t scare those horses with our incredible roaring sound that would easily impress any competitor on the market. The sound is so fat and addictive, you most likely won’t need to use the sound system ever, unless you just want to cruise along, enjoy that view and throw in a solo violin of Daniel Hope that will let you forget the hard life for a moment. Is the AMG GT S a real competitor to the 911 following that have defined «Fahrvergnügen» for the past decades or is it just a fad? Given the astounding performance and its sexy design, we certainly think it is to be taken very seriously. The only minus, but then again, that is personal preference is the huge hood, especially in terms of visibility driving upwards. We dare to say that it’s probably not a day to day car as it is a strict two seater with a small trunk space that’ll fit two small Prada weekender bags, but then again if you are a minimalist and have little carry on, you might as well fall in love with this celestial elegancy!
Listed in Swiss Francs, starting at
GT: CHF 150’900
GTS: CHF 172’300
