The Mercedes-AMG GT R And GT C Available From RM 1.7m And RM 1.5m Respectively.

The refreshed track centric Mercedes-AMG GT R and road-going Mercedes-AMG GT C were officially introduced in Malaysia by Mercedes Benz Malaysia on the 17th of October 2019. 

Speaking at the launch, Michael Jopp, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Passenger Cars, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia remarked “The Mercedes-AMG GT R and GT C embody the core value of our brand, “Driving Performance”, in a unique way. They are brutal, incredibly powerful and agile. At its début four years ago, it not only turned the heads of customers and sports car enthusiasts, but also created new dimensions in the competitive environment. These new generation models will deliver an incomparable thrill that our drivers experience on the road and track.”

The Engine

Both the GT R and the GT C retains the famed M178 AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo heart. The GT R developed at the Green Hell (Nürburgring Nordschleife), pushes out 585 hp and a peak torque of 700 Nm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels through the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed dual clutch transmission. The results – a century sprint in just 3.6 seconds with top speed peaking at 318 km/h, hence the nickname Beast of the Green Hell. 

Slotting in between the AMG GT S and the AMG GT R, the AMG GT C has the same setup, with a tune that is less aggressive for the road, but still potent. The GT C packs 557 hp and 680 Nm of torque from 1,900 to 5,750 rpm allowing it to sprint to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds with speeds topping out at 316 km/h – which is 0.1 seconds short of the GT R for the century sprint and 2 km/h below the top speed of the GT R.

 The Ride

Being developed at the Green Hell, the suspension system of the GT R was systematically designed for racetrack use. Use of lightweight forged aluminium are employed for the wishbones, steering knuckles and hub carriers. The double-wishbone concept places the wheel firmly, to minimise elastic movements.

The lower wishbones were designed to have no free play, resulting in a more precise driving – as the toe-in and camber remains unchanged even under high loads. The coil-over suspension is combined with the AMG RIDE CONTROL, enabling the influence of the dive and roll behaviour as well as the grip of the AMG GT R precisely as needed in tailoring them to personal preference or to the particular racetrack.

The Mercedes-AMG GT C is equipped with sports suspension, also combined with the AMG RIDE CONTROL continuously variable, adaptive damping system which is electronically controlled. This system automatically adapts the damping of each wheel to the current handling situation, the speed and the road conditions.

Aerodynamics

Form and function wise, the GT R has a low-slung front section sporting a shark nose-like radiator grille which works to lower the vehicle’s back-pressure point and enhance the flow of cooling air besides the car’s aerodynamic performance. Two aerodynamically-shaped fins are placed to ensure that the increased cooling-air requirements of the GT R drive systems are met as they route the airflow to the radiators without loss.

The Mercedes-AMG GT R is also fitted with wheel arch liners with special cooling-air slits to ensure ideal airflow through the double wheel arch radiators. Additionally, the GT R features air curtains on the outside of the front fascia in optimising the flow properties of the wheel arches, while improving drag coefficient values.

Yet another feature of the GT R is the dynamic carbon component that is almost sealed invisibly in the underbody in front of the engine. Weighing only 2 kilograms, this component moves downward by about 40 millimetres to change the airflow when the vehicle reaches a speed of 80 km/h in RACE mode, enabling the GT R to steer more precisely, especially during fast cornering under high lateral acceleration. In addition, the drag coefficient is also reduced.

The overall aerodynamics concept of the AMG GT R ensures ensures balance of lift and downforce in all operating states and furthermore reduces drag compared with the AMG GT. 

Both the GT R and GT C adopts the AIRPANEL active air management system which are vertical louvres positioned in the lower area directly behind the front apron. Electronically controlled, and opened and closed in around a second by an electric motor to improve airflow and aerodynamic performance. These louvres are usually closed to lower drag making it possible to route air to the underbody to reduce front lift further. When predefined components have reached certain temperatures, the louvres open to allow the maximum amount of cooling air to flow through the heat exchangers.

​The Aesthetics

This is where the subtle changes lies in the refreshed GT R and the GT C. The newly designed LED high performance headlights makes for the more aggressive look for both the GT R and GT C, incorporating a tri-functional arched light guide acting as the daytime running light, the navigation light and turn signals. The headlights also features a multi-chamber reflector system with three-single reflectors each for dipped beam and main beam, ensuring optimal roadway illumination. The rear LED tail lights has also been redesigned with a dark background, resulting in a deeper set appearance besides being sportier.

The rear apron for the GT R remains unchanged, keeping its distinctive shape with the large, centrally positioned tail pipe cover with centre bar flanked by two more black tail pipes on the left and right of the diffuser. For the GT C, the rear apron has been redesigned, starting with the sporty black diffuser insert.The twin tail pipe covers has also been redesigned to match that of the AMG GT 4-door coupé.  

​Additionally, the GT R sports a carbon-fibre roof, yellow-painted brake callipers, prominent fixed wing which accentuates the racing DNA of the GT R and AMG 5-twin spoke forged wheels. The GT C on the other hand comes with a panoramic sunroof, striking red-painted brake callipers and the AMG cross-spoke forged wheels.

New option includes the PARKTRONIC park assistance. 

On The Inside

New in both the AMG GT R and GT C are the 12.3-inch instrument cluster and the 10.25-inch multimedia display on the centre console. The new instrument cluster offers an entirely new screen design with three AMG specific display styles – Classic, Sporty and Supersport with extensive additional information specific to AMG in the Supersport mode. 

The AMG GT R is fitted with the AMG bucket seats in exclusive Nappa leather/DINAMICA microfibre, together with a steering wheel covered with DINAMICA microfibre and yellow 4-point seat belts. The AMG GT C on the other hand have electric adjustable seats clad in exclusive Nappa leather/DINAMICA microfibre with the AMG performance steering wheel clad in Nappa leather and red seat belts.

The update also introduces an AMG Track Pace data logger in the AMG GT R. The function records and analyses in detail, using more than 80 items of vehicle-specific data such as lap and sector times amongst the many other benchmarks, then presents the driver with a detailed record of their performance on track, further assisting them in continuously improving.  

​The AMG GT R comes standard with the AMG Track Package, comprising of a roll-over protection system, enclosed 4-point safety harness for the driver, and a 2kg fire extinguisher.

The Mercedes-AMG GT R starts from RM 1,712,888 on the road without insurance, while the Mercedes-AMG GT C starts from RM 1,558,888 on the road without insurance.