The new Mercedes-AMG GT and GT C Roadsters will publicly debut later this month.
For those who like their performance cars al fresco, Mercedes-Benz is offering a pair of new options.
Following up on the recent introduction of the AMG GT R, the German maker plans to bring new open-top variants to the Paris Motor Show later this month, the 469-horsepower Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster and the 550-horsepower GT C Roadster.
Both models eschew the hardtop convertible approach Mercedes has adopted with other roadsters, such as the SL and SLC, in favor of simpler – and lighter – ragtops. That said, you can go from a sealed environment to full, open air in just 11 seconds, at speeds up to 30 miles an hour, according to the maker.
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“With our two Roadster models, we are strategically expanding the AMG GT family by two exciting variants,” declares AMG chief Tobias Moers, offering “a highly dynamic driving experience in a very exclusive ambience, coupled with that pure roadster feeling.”
A GT Roadster with the top up. The cloth roof opens and closes in 11 sec., at speeds up to 30 mph.
First revealed at the 2014 New York Auto Show, the GT took the place of the prior SLS supercar, albeit at a slightly more affordable level – the current model starting at $112,000. The first Mercedes-AMG GT landed in showrooms during the 2015 model-year.
Few have been surprised to see the maker amp things up, and expand buyer options, by unleashing a series of variants, starting with the 2016 GT S. It added the GT R just a few months ago, Capable of launching from 0 to 60 in just 3.5 seconds, it debuted, appropriately enough, with a distinctive new paint scheme dubbed Green Hell Magno.
The AMG GT Roadster won’t be quite as quick, needing a full 3.9 seconds to get to 60. The two-seater will be powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 469 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque.
A little closer to the GT S in off-the-line acceleration – hitting 60 in about 3.6 seconds – is the new Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster. It shares the basic engine but output is bumped up to 550 hp and 502 lb-ft.
The GT C also features a wider rear track – readily apparent because of the wider rear end and larger wheels – as well as technical features such as active rear axle steering.
Inside the new Mercedes GT C Roadster.
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The interior is also upgraded, with features like nappa leather and suede-like Dinamica microfiber. There’s also a higher-power lithium-ion battery. And while both models share the same 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the GT C adds a an additional RACE transmission mode.
Expect to spend plenty of time listening to the roar of that V-8. If you somehow grow tired of that burbling beast, there’s an audiophile-class Burmeister system that even features what Mercedes calls a “special aperture” in the right wheel arch where it mounts a subwoofer capable of shaking things up on its own.
Might more AMG GT variants be coming? Considering Mercedes’ ever-increasing investment in performance, it would seem a sound bet.
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