Mercedes-AMG engineers are working on a more hardcore version of the GT sports car, with prototypes currently being tested across Europe.
The car is expected to be called a GT R and make its world debut at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom in June.
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Speaking with Drive, Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers said the GT R will be faster around a race track than the company’s previous performance flagship, the 631-horsepower SLS AMG Black Series. Moers explained that it was important for Mercedes-AMG to continue pushing the envelope and surprising the market.
“The GT R stands for being better than SLS Black,” Moers is quoted as saying. “It's faster on a track than the SLS Black—this gives us a clear indication that there will be no slowing down with our products.”
Tobias Moers
Drive goes on to report that Moers believes the GT R may end up faster than Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS, which the Mercedes-AMG boss has tested.
We’ll have to wait until the cars are independently tested but the comments show how much Mercedes-AMG has progressed in recent times from being a company known for building cars that were fast in a straight line but not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to track performance.
To boost performance over the already impressive 503-hp GT S, Mercedes-AMG engineers are believed to have increased output of the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 destined for the GT R. Other upgrades are expected to include four-wheel steering, active aerodynamics, track-tuned suspension, wider wheels and tires, and substantial weight-saving mods.
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