Mercedes-AMG GT, the entry-level one
Entry-level or cheapest of the bunch sounds so disrespectful for a car of this caliber. But never in the history of cars has the entry-level been such a pleasure, especially in this Night Edition. So welcome to the review of the cheapest and least powerful AMG GT.
The story of the Mercedes-AMG GT started in 2014 as the successor of the now legendary Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and marks the beginning of an era where AMG exists as a sub-brand to the Mercedes line-up. That’s why this car is called the Mercedes-AMG GT and not the Mercedes-Benz GT AMG. Same story for all the other cars like the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, CLA 45 S, E 63 S, … That aside, the AMG-GT is placed in the line-up as the supercar but also a comfortable Gran Turismo and this “cheap” one is the best GT.
Sheer driving pleasure
The well-known and worldwide acknowledged 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 -hot V (turbo’s in between the cylinders)- puts out a whopping 530 hp and 670 Nm of torque on the rear wheels of this AMG GT. A little heads-up: with those impressive numbers it’s still the least powerful and slowest AMG GT you can buy new at the moment. If you have some finesse with the accelerator and it’s dry outside, you could launch the car from 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and keeps pulling till you hit a “bye-bye driver license” top speed of 312 km/h. Don’t worry, you don’t need to take your hands off the wheel thanks to its 7-speed AMG Speedshift DCT that contributes to the Jekyll and Hyde character.
The gentle and friendly Dr. Jekyll cruises around town with silky smooth gear changes choosing for highest gear to prevent a hyperactive car or too much noise out of its exhaust. The comfort-setting gives a decent amount of daily useability -read: comfort, parallel parking, …- for a supercar. It ain’t necessary to slalom between the potholes and cracks. Something the AMG GT R Pro lacked in my personal opinion. That car was just too darn hard. But turn the little button on the right side of your steering wheel to Sport, Sport + or Race and Mr. Hyde appears on stage. A brut with only one target: giving you the greatest sporty feeling in the world! The moment you turn that button, you can feel the geniuses from AMG. The car stiffens and together with the 47/53 weight distribution (thanks to the transaxle construction of the gearbox and front mid-engine) and low point of gravity, the car just eats the corners without any doubt. Count the fact that this AMG GT is fitted with the AMG steered rear axle making the car feel smaller than it is and the great feedback from the wheels (front and rear), and you know the moment of “ESP off” is around the corner. But be aware, the beast was caged until that moment. Wheelspin from first into second and even third could happen.
With great power comes great responsibility. Yes, but more fuel consumption was the thing I was looking for. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t a cheap weekend for me. The average consumption was 13.7 liters per 100 kilometers and that’s seriously close to the 13 liters Mercedes claims. At 70 km/h, you will use 9 liters and that climbs to 10 liters at 120 km/h.
Understated chic
You could spec your AMG GT in Jupiter Red, but do you want to be “that guy”? Our AMG GT can profit from the “GT Night Edition”-pack and trust us: that’s the one you want. Black body, the roof in a two-tone black carbon (bright and darker), black 19 and 20-inch AMG-wheels. Real classy!
The big Panamericana-grill greets you at the front with on each side the necessary air intakes hidden in the aggressive front bumper making the car 1933 mm wide. Above those air intakes, the new headlights with beautiful day running lights to calm everything down. Until you look at the long -really long- hood sealing the extreme powerplant. If you move to the side it’s easier to estimate the real size -4544 mm long- of the car thanks to that hood. The fact that the AMG GT is only 1287 mm high contributes to the lengthy feeling of the car. The black rims, black side vent and the awesome “tear-drop shaped” bodywork change the car into a work of art.
At the back, the AMG GT is modest like before. The facelift introduces 2 round exhaust tips at each side and some updated rear lights. Nothing too dramatic to give the car a clean -and for some people boring (I ain’t one of them)- look.
The black continues
You can enter and start the car without taking the key out of your pocket and thank God for that! The key could be mistaken for one a normal Mercedes C-class from 2010 and you really don’t want that if you drive an AMG GT. That aside, you enter a car fitted with all the modern techniques you want without overdoing it. Lane assist, adaptive cruise control, camera in the front and rear, blind spot monitor, … the lot.
You get to the point of starting the car and you could do this in 2 ways. The normal one -it’s acceptable loud- and the “here-I-am-look-at-me-loud” also called the “Emotion start”. The second just by pulling a shift pedal while starting the car. Anno 2021, it’s a relief to say that this car still sounds legit good! After the start-up, the car comes to life with a digital dashboard in front of you and a separated second screen -no touchscreen, sorry for the stain Mercedes- on the center console. The digital dashboard is easy to use, very clear and extremely driver-focused and let that but something we love. The AMG-steering wheel in front of that is wrapped in leather and Alcantara with the 3 selector buttons that almost every modern AMG gets. One fixed for the driving-modus and 2 where you can jump between for example start-stop system, exhaust, suspension, traction control, … On the steering wheel, you can also find the controls of the radio, cruise control and other features like in normal Mercedeses.
Between the driver and his -or her- passenger, there’s a big center console in a V-shape with 8 touchscreen buttons and a touchpad. You get the point, V 8. That center console can enjoy a layer of carbon with silver accents for the heather switches. You and your passenger can also enjoy black leather electric seats finished with beautiful stitching, perfect for your trip to Monaco. The booth can also swallow 175 liters of baggage so we don’t see a problem.
I really really really want one!
Rob a bank, Bitcoins, lottery, organ trade? I really need to get the money! In Belgium, a new Mercedes-AMG GT will set you back 137.214 euros. Our test car being a GT Night Edition and all of the other options costs 159.550 euros. That’s a crazy amount of money but this car is worth it! It drives awesome, you can use it daily, it got the WOW-factor and it’s still cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG GT C without the options. For the first time in my life, I advise you: go for the entry-level!
