I sometimes wonder if we haven't all been a bit unkind to the Mercedes-AMG GT. I should add here that by 'we' I'm referring mostly to the ladies and gentlemen of the motoring press, my colleagues here and elsewhere whose words of wisdom on this handsome sports car I've devoured in much the same way as I'm sure you have; eager to see if they think this car's on-road dynamic abilities match its looks and its badge and enhance its undoubted desirability.
True, it's not a cheap car, and if you're spending a very large sum of money indeed (you'll need over £100,000 for a new one) you have a right to expect it to be good. It also had the misfortune to follow the SLS, of course, a sensational-looking supercar that spent most of its time sideways in an excess of zeal, and stripped of that car's rather wonderful naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8, its attention-grabbing gullwing doors and its sensuous bonnet that was the size of Belgium, the AMG GT was bound to feel a little flat.
So perhaps it's not surprising that it's never quite attracted the fulsome and wholehearted praise of rivals such as the 911 and R8. And yet, this thing is a 193mph sports car in S trim, and it comes with a truly thrilling soundtrack that is not far short of aural sculpture, despite the turbochargers.
In fact, that engine is brilliant: a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that is light and small and sited well back and low down in that long nose. Like the SLS, it has more than a hint of the hot rod muscle car about it, and in extremis it even handles like the SLS, with a remarkable agility considering its rather unlikely proportions.
It's stiff, firm, unyielding, and occasionally frantic, but it's always deeply involving and astonishingly dramatic - what it isn't, however, is delicate. It has to be said the razor-sharp steering could do with more weight, too - and there are times you'll tire of its overall stiffness - but it's a character, this car, and, like a lot of characters, its flaws are part of its charm.
How to resolve the issue of asking price, though? Buy a used one, and if you were lucky enough to have £75,000 burning a hole in your pocket you could make an offer on this one, a rather fetching example with a low mileage that at a stroke has knocked around £40,000 off the price of a new one. Its striking appearance and raw performance can then be yours to enjoy free from unnecessary comparisons - which are odious anyway, according to Shakespeare. Long-term usage might even persuade you that we have indeed been a touch unkind to this enigmatic monster.
SPECIFICATION - MERCEDES-AMG GT S
Engine: 3,982cc, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 7-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 480@1,750-5,000rpm
MPG: 30.1
CO2: 219g/km
First registered: 2015
Recorded mileage: 30,000
Price new: £114,130
Yours for: £74,990
See the original advert here.
1 / 3