Mercedes has gone bonkers this year and have chopped off their flagship car’s roof to create the GT roadster.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster will soon be the topless sister to the flagship AMG GT. Mercedes has unveiled an album of its latest creation prior to its Paris Motor Show later this month. The new GT Roadster will be powered by the same 4.0-litre Bi-Turbo motor found in the hard-top. Mercedes plans to offer the Roadster in two trims. The standard GT format and a ludicrous GT C variant.
The standard GT Roadster will deploy a healthy 469 HP while the bonkers GT C offers a tremendous 549 HP and an array of hardware directly borrowed from the crazy green AMG GTR. The GT completes the sprint to a 100 kph in 4.0 seconds while the GT C takes a staggering 3.7 seconds. Both roadsters share the same 4.0-litre Bi-Turbo V8 but the performance figures hail a stark difference.
The roadster format leads to the inevitable increase in weight. Sadly even after Mercedes’ best efforts with aluminium wishbones and composite magnesium construction for the folding roof, the standard GT weighs in at a massive 1670 kg and the GT C at a hefty 1735 kg, making it 90 kg heavier than the hardtop GT S Coupe. But the increased horsepower output results in the heavier roadsters keeping up with its hardtop cousins.
The GT C Roadster is also blessed with AMG performance hardware that directly comes off the Hulk Green GTR. The GT C Roadster is wider at the rear compared to the standard car to accommodate the wider track and larger rear wheels that employ the GTR’s rear wheel steering.
To add to the theatricality is an AMG performance exhaust that adds grunt to this Roadster. An electronic differential comes as standard. The C also borrows the GTR’s active aero flaps and retractable active rear spoiler for that extra zest.
The new AMG GT Roadster is a far more handsome car as compared to its hard-top cousin. The Roadster is better proportioned and the missing roof seems to work in its favour. The shark-like front end with the massive air intakes makes it look like an angry predator. The GT C also gets rear intakes and wider rear fenders. The wider hips look gorgeous and the retractable rear spoiler adds to this charm on the GT C.
The new AMG GT Roadster series will feature a chic fabric soft-top that can be colour coordinated with the interiors. On the inside, the Roadsters are a standard AMG GT affair with the low wide dash and tall centre console. Leather is splashed across the interior along with a large touch-screen for functional applications.
The Mercedes AMG GT Roadster will make its official debut at the Paris Motor Show later this month. However, don’t expect it to hit the roads until later next year. At this point prices are unknown. The GT Roadster is Mercedes’ attempt at fighting off the 911 roadster in a bid to dominate the sports car segment. Will it succeed, is a debate for another day.
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