Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S

This is the most focused Mercedes-Benz I have ever driven. Right from its racy exterior, to the first time you crank up the handmade turbocharged engine, it is clear that the AMG GT S is built for a singular purpose, to propel you towards the horizon in the blink of an eyelid.

Replacement to the mighty SLS, the GT is not only inspired by styling from its larger predecessor it also has the same front-engine-rear-gearbox layout. Where the SLS had a more in your face exterior, its successor carries a more rounded appearance and it looks much more compact and agile. When viewed in profile the long bonnet, old race car-like glasshouse and the rounded boot section with a large overhang looks very familiar. Like the SLS, you can’t make dramatic entrances at parties though as the Gull-wing doors are replaced by conventional ones. This has also helped the AMG division keep the centre of gravity down.

This car truly makes the driver feel special. Everything is tilted towards the driver and sits extremely low making the experience more race-car like than a car meant for the road. It also means getting in and out makes you look silly. Visibility too is restricted thanks to the small windscreen, high window line and slim rear windscreen.

The seats are well contoured and offer great lateral support. If anything, I felt the cushioning to be too hard and it can get quite tiring over long journeys. As far as quality goes the Mercedes GT S is hard to fault and everything from the leather-wrapped upper dash to the tastefully finished metal knobs and switches, feel exquisite. The GT has a practical cabin too. You get storage for your phone in the centre console, two bottle holders, cubby under the armrest and a decently sized glovebox. The boot at 284 litres is adequate but the opening is narrow and you don't get a spare wheel either.

This Mercedes’ ace, though, is its 4.0-litre V8. The Mercedes GT S uses the same 503bhp motor as the C63 sedan but it gets dry sump lubrication to take higher lateral loads and the motor is also placed lower down in the engine bay. Mercedes has pushed the engine all the way back behind the front axle for minimal unsprung weight and has managed to distribute weight almost evenly over the four wheels.

You might want to sit down for this bit. The acceleration numbers the GT S recorded are genuinely staggering. This, at more than 1.6 tonne is no lightweight and when you see numbers like 4.1 seconds for 100kmph and roll-on numbers of 2.5 and 2.7seconds for 20-80kmph and 40-100kmph, the GT’s performance truly blows your mind. Remember, we do this test with two hefty people onboard and the car we tested had no launch control!

Once you get the hang of it, you can use all that power too with the GT’s rear tyres providing loads of traction. Bottom-end responses are strong and the engine truly comes into its own past 3500rpm, where you have to hold on to the steering for dear life as you speed towards the horizon.

Funny thing is, that same engine is subtle at lighter loads. The accelerator pedal is calibrated with skilled judgement. The first inch of travel is gentle enough to allow smooth progress at low speeds, and the urgency from the engine builds as you dig deeper. Only when you get into the last inch of the travel the GT S really comes alive, with the exhaust sounding as hairy-chested as an AMG should.

The intimacy of its engine is well complemented by its dynamic abilities. The aluminium space frame chassis has impressive rigidity and other weight saving measures like the aluminium alloy wheels, carbon fibre propshaft makes this one hell of a car. Everything the GT S does – from the way it feels hunkered down while turning into a corner, to the way the powerful carbon ceramic brakes work and even the way it somehow finds the grip to cleanly accelerate out of a bend truly baffles you. You always know where you are with this car. And considering just how insanely fast it is, that is arguably its greatest achievement.

Now you might assume a modern day sports car like the GT will also be a soothing companion for everyday use. But you will be proven so wrong. The GT’s ride is coarse and as this car is entirely the work of the AMG division, corners are considered more important than uneven roads.

It feels crude in certain ways with you hearing the suspension clunk and thump as you get thrown around uncomfortably over the smallest of undulations. Yes, you do get five different driving modes to alter the springs and dampers but the GT S always feels rock hard and downright uncomfortable. In pursuit of handling balance and speed, AMG has fallen short of the kind of refinement you might expect in a modern car.

The Mercedes AMG GT is a phenomenal technical achievement. The combination of its rapid performance, involving handling, racy exterior and driver cocooning cabin makes it every enthusiast’s erotic dream. But what will wake you up abruptly though is the GT’s everyday usability. This AMG’s rock hard ride means there are very few roads in our country where the car can be enjoyed. Then, there is its price, which at Rs 2.4 crore (ex-Delhi) is very expensive. The AMG GT will then rarely move out of your garage and it is on the right roads that the GT will make you feel alive. 

This front-engined sports car's main rival is the F-Type R coupe. But it costs nearly half a crore more and has less power. It also rivals the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo and the new Audi R8 which are similarly priced.

Pictures by Ameya Dandekar