Do you remember SLR McLaren? This was Mercedes’ first attempt of making a true sports car in the latest years. It was a tough competitor for the best vehicles of its time, but such standards turned out to be so expensive that its sales ended more exclusive than what the company would have desired. The successor, SLS, was handed to AMG, in order to reduce costs, and resulted just as amazing, although in a different way. But it was still a typical supercar, focused in those people whose quantity in the world is inversely proportional to the amount held by their respective bank accounts. The Germans needed a more realistic vehicle. Something a little more affordable, but that deserved the “sports” forename just as much. And this is what you are seeing here.
Instead of working from scratch, AMG took SLS’ platform (which is light years away from being considered old or insufficient), and developed a more everyday vehicle from it. This is why the trunk was increased to very decent 350 liters, while the gullwing doors were replaced by conventional ones – besides cutting costs, the company wanted to protect their image in its history. Nothing is said about a roadster variation right now because its proposal would be too similar to SL’s, which would cause an internal competition. But if you want to talk about GT’s lookalikes, there is no need to even leave Germany: doesn’t it remind of 911? If you think so, it is not a coincidence: it will be GT’s biggest competitor, followed by Jaguar F-Type.
Mercedes’ weapons to enter such a fierce competition obviously start with GT’s design. If you were a fan of SLS, you are probably already drooling over its enormous hood, which is a must-have when you want to give the feeling of dynamism. But since its trunk became actually useful, the cabin went a little more towards the front – the walk to reach the door handles will be a little shorter. While the front fascia is a more aggressive interpretation of Mercedes’ current design language, the entire rear leads to think of GT as the very interesting result of grabbing the company’s previous upscale coupé and depriving it of all the characteristics imposed by being a member of the S-Class family. But this vehicle has much more to see.
Big automakers usually stick to their design language no matter what, right? Well, not (so much) in this case. Those round air vents do appear in most modern Mercedes, it is true, but the central console is as exclusive as great. The transmission stick sits on the tip of a stylized NACA duct, whose base houses some button controls. But speaking of buttons, take a look at those around it: they control AMG’s Drive Unit system and are arranged like the top view of a V8 engine layout. But everything else is focused in the habitability: big screen above the dashboard, rotary knob for COMAND and a plethora of buttons and switches with even some on the roof, in order to clear the overall appearance. As usual, color and material options are many.
GT takes advantage of an aluminum construction to improve the overall efficiency, with the exceptions of the hood, made of steel, and the front section, which uses magnesium. But if you want to talk about the performance part, this car is neither futuristic nor old-fashioned: Mercedes went back to hydraulic steering, instead of an electric system, in order to offer a better driving feel. But you will also find several modern equipments, like selectable driving modes (including an Individual mode), electronic adjustable dampers, suspension components made of forged aluminum, three-stage ESP, electronic limited-slip differential, and ceramic brakes, among others. There will be an even sportier GT S, which receives several improvements in style and performance.
Speaking of which, this vehicle’s engine will be a brand new twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8. This unit is directy related to A-Class’s 2.0L, and generates 456 hp and 443 lb-ft: these are enough to take it from 0 to 100 kph in 4.0 seconds and to a top speed of 304 kph. If you ask for a GT S, these figures are replaced by 503 hp, 479 lb-ft, 3.8 seconds and 310 kph. As far as fuel efficiency is concerned, both options are Euro 6 compliant. The combined consumption reaches 12.8 kpl, while the CO2 emissions are 216 and 219 g/km, respectively. Everything with the very same seven-speed, paddle-shift transmission used by SLS. The new coupé will go on sale later this year starting with the GT S variation, while the conventional GT will appear in early 2015.
Lançamento no Brasil (10/04/2015)
Depois de roubar todas os holofotes no estande da Mercedes-Benz durante o último Salão do Automóvel, o mais novo esportivo da empresa teve sua chegada ao Brasil confirmada para maio. Todas as qualidades que se viram no evento estarão presentes, e ainda serão distribuídas em duas versões: GT e GT S. Além de diferenças no pacote de equipamentos, a segunda terá desempenho melhor. O motor é sempre um 4.0 V8 biturbo, mas gera potência de 462 cv e na primeira e de 510 cv na segunda. Ambas usam câmbio automatizado com sete marchas e dupla embreagem, mas a aceleração de 0 a 100 km/h se faz em 4 e 3,8 segundos, e a máxima fica em 304 e 310 km/h. Os preços, ainda na mesma ordem, são de R$ 800 mil e US$ 330 mil.