Preview: 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT

Cars, News I By Bradley Iger I April 16, 2014

As production of the SLS AMG winds down, it’s hard not to be a little downtrodden about word of another sports car with a snarling V8 under the hood being put out to pasture. Fortunately, the loss of the SLS is simply a means of making way for another, even more sharply focused sports car destined for the Mercedes-Benz catalogue in the form of the Mercedes-AMG GT.

Developed from the ground up by the engineers at AMG, the AMG GT will feature a smaller footprint than its predecessor, yielding a car designed to go directly toe-to-toe with the likes of the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. "The new Mercedes-AMG GT proves that we will be positioning AMG as a dynamic sports car brand even more strongly and aggressively than before", says AMG CEO Tobias Moers.

While the exact specifications of this new sportscar have yet to be pinned down, signs point to a 4.0-liter biturbo V8 powerplant up front and power sent to the rear wheels via a seven speed automatic transmission. Weight is expected to hover in the 3300 pound range, with AMG making extensive use of high-strength steel and aluminum in the GT’s construction.

This week at the New York Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz showed off a pair of images of the Mercedes-AMG GT’s sumptuously appointed interior, showcasing the new sports car’s driver-focused cockpit as well as the GT’s interior layout, which is more closely aligned with the rest of Mercedes-Benz’s latest offerings. The interior is highlighted by the new "floating" center display, touchpad control, and the center stack, also known as the AMG Drive Unit, which is "arranged like the cylinders of a V8 engine" with banks of 4 buttons on each side. We note a damper control button on the stack as well, so it’s safe to assume that the AMG GT will also offer adaptive damping as well.

The Mercedes-AMG GT is expected to get its proper debut later this year, most likely at the Paris Motor Show. Check out the press release below for more details on the AMG GT, and keep an eye on the 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT overview page for updates as we have them.

The new Mercedes-AMG GT

The sports sensation

Affalterbach. A new AMG high-performance automobile is all set for its world premiere in the fall of 2014. The Mercedes-AMG GT will thrill sports car fans around the world with breathtaking design and supreme agility. Fascinating, dynamic – and versatile to boot: the GT will line up in a new segment – and it will make the dream of the authentic Mercedes-AMG sports car come true.

"The new Mercedes-AMG GT proves that we will be positioning AMG as a dynamic sports car brand even more strongly and aggressively than before," notes Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "The technological substance of the Mercedes-AMG GT underscores our high aspirations with regard to vehicle dynamics, agility and sportiness. Following the global success of the SLS AMG, the new GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG. A first exclusive look at the design of the interior shows what is in store for our customers: a GT sports car in its purest form."

The sensuous purity of a superlative driving machine

A sneak preview of the interior arouses anticipation of the new Mercedes-AMG GT: the interior design embodies emotion and sensuousness like no other sports car. The uncompromising lines of the interior components and their authentic materials display a clarity that uses contrasts to help define "modern luxury".

A dominant aspect in the cockpit of the GT is the stylistic evolution of the central "aviation design" theme typical of Mercedes-Benz sports cars. The dashboard places extreme emphasis on width, creating the impression of a powerful wing. This effect is boosted by the four central climate-control spot vents and the single vents at the left and right ends of the dashboard. The dominant center stack presents a correspondingly dynamic character: its shape is reminiscent of a NACA scoop and its materials suggest that it has been adopted directly from motor racing. Another clever design feature comes in the form of the controls on the AMG DRIVE UNIT, which are arranged like the cylinders of a V8 engine and further augment the powerful, high-tech impression made by the center console.

Enough to set pulses racing even when stationary

The interior of the Mercedes-AMG GT also boasts a fascinatingly exclusive look and feel, with the finest materials and outstanding workmanship combining to create a setting that simply exudes class. As such, the exclusive interior of the Mercedes-AMG GT alone is enough to get one truly hooked on this vehicle. Designed to set the driver’s and front passenger’s pulses racing even while at a standstill, it provides an enticing hint of the superlative dynamic performance the new GT is capable of when its AMG V8 comes to life.

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