Mercedes new AMG GT is designed to take on the Porsche 911, in part, because it bears a striking resemblance to it.

Fight your way through the crowds at the Mercedes-Benz stand at this year’s Paris Motor Show, then spend a couple minutes circling the new Mercedes-AMG GT, and you are likely to get a sense of déjà vu.

Of course, the three-pointed star is as familiar as the classic Coke bottle. But it’s something more. Standing at the back of the new sports car you just might be tempted to utter the words, “Porsche 911.” And that’s not entirely by accident. The new Mercedes-AMG GT was designed specifically to target the Porsche two-seater produced only miles from parent Daimler AG’s headquarters in Stuttgart.

To be kind, the new Mercedes sports car is not a cheap clone. It has, on the whole, a very distinctive design that picks up on the maker’s recently dropped supercar, the SLS – minus the signature gullwing doors. And the broad rear shoulders are common to all high-performance models that need to plant a significant amount of power to the pavement. But the way the rear of the GT rolls into its fenders and roofline, well, the similarities to the current 911 just can’t be missed.

If Mercedes had to pick a target, it could have done worse. The 911 is the benchmark for the segment, and you’d almost have to double your investment to get much better performance with exotic supercars from the likes of Ferrari or Lamborghini.

The AMG GT S puts out 456 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque from its 4.0-liter V-8.

Whether the new AMG GT matches up remains to be seen, but its numbers are impressive, the Teutonic two-seater rolling out 456 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque from its 4.0-liter V-8. That comes in just 64-hp short of the Porsche 911 Turbo, but the new Mercedes also is lighter, at 3,461 pounds compared with 3,516. And it claims to have better aerodynamics.

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The GT S is expected to launch from 0-to-60 in a mere 3.7 seconds, with a rated top speed of 193 mph.

The maker may disappoint some purists with its decision to forego a manual gearbox, though a growing number of high-performance brands have been taking that step. In this case, Mercedes will opt for a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle-shifters. The car will feature five drive modes that will allow the motorist to switch not just transmission behavior but throttle response and the function of various body and brake control systems.

The Mercedes-AMG GT will reach U.S. showrooms next spring and costing more than $100,000.

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Inside the new AMG GT, you’ll recognize a number of new and traditional Mercedes design cues, including the round air vents and the upright instrument panel, which here it is topped by the tablet-like touchscreen first seen in the maker’s new entry-lux CLA model. The center console, however, also has a hint of Porsche in its design.

It’s a wide layout with a variety of knobs and switches that might bring to mind the aircraft-like console of the 911, the Panamera and other Porsche models. That’s not surprising, however, considering that performance cars now boast seemingly endless ways to customize your ride. And with a touch of a button, Mercedes-AMG GT owners will be able to stiffen their shocks, tighten up steering responsiveness, make the throttle more responsive and turn down – or off entirely – such systems as electronic stability control.

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The launch of the new GT ushers in a subtle shift in marketing and product development at Mercedes, signified by the decision to call the new sports car a Mercedes-AMG model, rather than a Mercedes-Benz. That symbolizes the shift in focus, making AMG a sub-brand in its own right.

The goal, says Daimler Chairman and CEO Dieter Zetsche, is to have AMG “more and more recognized as a sports car brand in its own right, and not just as a ‘tuner.’”

Whatever you call it, look for the Mercedes-AMG GT to reach U.S. showrooms next spring. Pricing hasn’t been announced but should come in somewhere just under that of the Porsche 911 Turbo, which would almost certainly push even the base car above the $100,000 mark.