Mercedes’ performance arm AMG is gearing up to launch a hardcore edition of its GT, as camouflaged versions of the supercar have once again been spied at the Nurburgring in Germany.
The new car, believed to be the long-rumoured AMG GT Black Series, was recently snapped at the 12.9-mile circuit sporting a radical new look. The regular GT’s sleek styling has been swapped for one that’s more in keeping with the company’s new GT3 race car.
It’ll be even faster than the current crop of GT models, too, with Mercedes hinting that the GT Black will be more powerful than the range-topping GT R.
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More details are set to emerge before the car’s grand unveiling towards the end of the year. For now, though, here’s what we know so far:
Price and release
As the GT Black will no doubt be the most hardcore model in the range, expect its price tag to far exceed that of the regular model.
On-the-road prices for the standard AMG GT start at £104,570, with current range-topping GT R models coming in at £148,675. The Black version, therefore, may cost closer to the £200,000 mark.
The car is expected to make its debut by the end of the year, before production gets under way in 2020, says Auto Express.
Design and interior
Several examples of GT Black test cars have been spotted in and around the Nurburgring circuit, with the most recent spy shots showing that the car has undergone a drastic design change.
The front end, for example, now includes the vast Panamericana grille that features on the latest-spec AMG GT3 racing car, as well as a similar - if not slightly toned down - version of the competition machine’s large rear wing.
Little has changed down the car’s flanks, though more details may emerge once the pre-production camouflage comes off. The only noticeable difference over the GT R model is the addition of a small air intake ahead of the rear axle and an aerodynamic fin that’s sculpted into the front wings.
The revisions are more extensive at the back, as the GT Black gets a tweaked rear diffuser with four exhaust pipes protruding from the bumper. The diffuser itself doesn’t look as complex as the version found on the GT R, but the Black model’s design could change ahead of its release.
Photographers have yet to snap the interior of the GT Black, though it’s unlikely to be as opulent and feature-filled as the regular GT’s cabin. Mercedes will surely aim to keep weight to a minimum, so expect bucket seats, carbon fibre highlights and generous helpings of Alcantara.
Engine and performance
Speaking to Autocar at the New York Auto Show in April, AMG boss Tobias Moers said the GT Black “will be the fastest AMG yet”, with the exception of the Formula 1 engined One hypercar.
Performance specs have yet to be confirmed, but the magazine says the GT Black will be powered by an uprated version of AMG’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Power is expected to come in at 680bhp, over 100bhp more than the GT R, putting it in a similar territory to Porsche’s radical 911 GT2 RS.
Other improvements, notes Motor1, include an upgraded suspension system and “further improved aero”. The GT Black is also expected to adopt some elements from the One hypercar, too.
