The 911’s precision, and the F-Type’s madness, is what AMG seems to be keen on offering with its new sportscar

We knew that the SLS was going to die, and we also knew that from its ashes, a brand-new AMG sportscar would rise. It has now, and this is it: the AMG GT.

Merc had said that this would be the second most beautiful Mercedes ever made, with the first being the legendary 300SL. They were right about the SL, but this... isn’t exactly pretty, is it? Yes, it’s low, wide, has a hood that’s long enough to span districts, and there is more than a hint of SLS to the whole stance. If you observe closely, you’ll even see a bit of Porsche 911/Jaguar F-Type in the roofline. But sadly, the SLS’ gullwings have been clipped, and most of us at TopGear aren’t particularly taken by the way the GT looks.

One more thing that died along with the SLS was that glorious 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8, which has now been replaced by a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8. In base GT trim, it makes 462 horses and 600Nm. Suffix ‘S’ to GT, and it’ll put out 510hp and 650Nm. Not the most powerful motor hand-crafted by the AMG boffins, this V8 is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch ‘box that sends the power to the rear wheels. 0-100kph is done away with in 4 seconds by the GT (3.8 for the GT S), and top speed is 304kph, 6kph down on the S’ top whack. Not that much of a gap, is it?

There are a few more differences between the stock GT and the S: the GT has a mechanical differential, the S has an electronic diff. The S has bigger disc brakes, bigger wheels, electronically-controlled dampers, and it can also  be specced with dynamic engine and transmission mounts.

It may use some of the SLS’ underpinnings, but the GT is decidedly more compact. The spaceframe makes extensive use of aluminium, the whole bodyshell weighs only 231kg, and both GT variants weigh less than 1,600kg. The reason for this is simple: AMG’s kept it small and simple, and has deliberately shied away from making it unnecessarily powerful, to make it more manageable and precise on a racetrack. That’s to take care of the 911. And then there’s the V8 soundtrack
(which can be further enhanced by specifying the AMG Performance Exhaust) to match the F-Type R on the drama front.

On the inside, you get S-Class-like AC vents, and mounted on top of the centre console are buttons of the  ‘AMG Drive Unit ‘ which are laid out like the cylinders in a V8 arrangement. One of the eight buttons is for the Electronic Stability Program, which can be switched off completely when you’re in the mood for some sideways action.it’s aiming to do two things at once, the GT. On one side, it’s fighting an icon, and on the other, a complete beauty.  And we’re curious to know if it can win two battles at the same time. A  three-way comparo should sort that out, no?