MoneywebDrive: Driving Impressions
Driving the New
Mercedes-AMG GT in SA
Out the box, it is a
contender for the
crown in the “pure
sports car division”
which means it is a
worthy competitor
for Porsche’s 911,
and that’s no small
achievement.
24
We
previewed
the
Mercedes-AMG GT as our cover
story in the first edition of MoneywebDRIVE, and as the most
exciting Mercedes to emerge
from Stuttgart since, well, probably the 300 SL of 1955. So let’s say
expectations were high.
At the South African media
launch for the car in mid-July,
which took place at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria,
at the Gerotek testing grounds
near Hartbeestpoort Dam, and
on public roads linking the two
venues, I can categorically state
that this car lives up to its prelaunch hype.
Out the box, it is a contender
for the crown in the “pure sports
car division” which means it is a
worthy competitor for Porsche’s
911, and that’s no small achievement. Yet, in terms of the way it
feels and behaves it is very different to the Porsche – softer, more
mellow in terms of responses to
driver inputs, but at the same
time, engaging in a different
type of manner.
There are two models launched,
the 340 kW AMG GT and the 375
kW AMG GT S. Apart from receiving more power, the S model in
standard, non-optioned form
gets a lot of extra equipment designed to make the driver-car relationship more engaging, and
more rewarding.
One of the biggest surprises at
the launch was the pricing. We