This is the new Mercedes-AMG GT!

A closed SL, that’s how you could call the new AMG GT. This makes the much-discussed Mercedes-AMG GT – or Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, in a less official spelling – quite different from its predecessor, which once appeared as a coupé and was later cut open. Where the Mercedes SL itself became sportier than its predecessor due to its fabric hood and mandatory AMG decoration, the AMG GT is slightly less intense than the original AMG GT due to its shape. The relationship with the SL irrevocably means a slightly less long nose and a slightly less low carriage, although we are still looking at a coupé that in itself irrevocably has a sporty shape.

However, the AMG GT is more than just an SL with a roof. It deserves its position as a separate model with a separate name, including a clearly different body outside that roof. Hood and doors could be interchangeable with an SL, but that’s about it. The ‘gills’ behind the front wheel arches are unique to the AMG GT, as are the slanted and more rounded headlights. They are somewhat reminiscent of the copies of a BMW Z4, but the grille makes it abundantly clear that this is not a BMW. The characteristic Panamaricana grille with vertical bars is extended far downwards, just like the AMG GT 4-door, by means of a black border and a set of extra cooling slots under the actual grille. The Mercedes-AMG GT is slightly longer and wider than an SL, but exactly the same height.

The taillights are optically fused together in accordance with the latest fashion, but Mercedes does this in a unique way. For example, we do not see a really continuous rear light bar, but a black panel in which the actual rear light units are included as a kind of separate, three-dimensional items. Very special. The large rear spoiler of the AMG GT 63 may also be there. It rests on a tailgate that actually extends to the top of the roof, so that the AMG GT, just like its predecessor, is still somewhat practical. This is further underlined by the optional rear seat, which turns the two-door AMG-GT into a 2+2 for the first time. According to Mercedes, the bench is suitable for ‘people up to 1.50 meters’ and can be folded down to obtain more luggage space. For those who want to know: a total of 321 to 675 liters are used, making this coupé suitable even for long trips if the travel partner tends to take a lot of stuff with him.

Fill it up!

The dashboard of the AMG GT comes straight from the SL, although there is no mention here of its multi-angle adjustable touchscreen. If that were missing, it is not surprising, because the function was intended to prevent glare and reflections on the screen when the roof is open. The AMG GT comes in two versions for the time being, which correspond to the most powerful versions that Mercedes offers with the SL. At the top of the ladder is the car shown, the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4Matic+. It has the same powertrain as the SL with this type designation and therefore a 4.0 biturbo V8 with 585 hp and 800 Nm, coupled to the special 9G-AMG automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. From 0 to 100 goes in 3.2 seconds, a few tenths faster than an SL 63. Its top speed is 315 km / h. The AMG-GT is certainly not much lighter: Mercedes speaks of a curb weight of 1,970 kg, exactly the same as an SL with this powertrain. For those who think something less fast is also fast enough, the AMG-GT is also available as a 55 4Matic +. It also has a V8 and four-wheel drive, but with 476 hp and 700 Nm. The well-known sprint takes 3.9 seconds, the top is 295 km / h.

Mercedes already indicates that these two versions are versions that are available ‘at launch’, which actually also means that more versions will be added to the range later. For example, the SL is also available as a 43, with a four-cylinder, although that does not necessarily mean that this will also apply to the AMG GT. The Mercedes-AMG GT is currently shining at the Monterey Car Week in California, but will undoubtedly also come to the Netherlands. When and at what price, we will learn in the near future.