Mercedes-AMG GT R - what the critics think

The latest supercar offering from Mercedes has already proved its worth by putting in an impressive lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

With a time of seven minutes and 10.9 seconds, the Mercedes-AMG GT R is believed to have outperformed any other road legal rear-wheel drive sports car at the German track – earning it the nickname of the Beast of Green Hell.

Buyers can even pay an extra £7,500 to get the car in a special green paint job. Luckily, there are a number of other colour options, including the traditional red, silver and grey.

So what has been the critics reaction to this speedy car? A car which boasts a 585 bhp V8 biturbo engine alongside a very lightweight design and advanced aerodynamics. It is even the subject of a five-part documentary produced by Mercedes.

Will Nightingale from What Car? acknowledges the car offers a faster experience than the Ferrari 488 GTB, but he does raise concerns that track racing can be very different to a trip on normal everyday roads.

With an impressive bhp, Nightingale is surprised to find power is transferred to a dry road very well, with the benefit of special Michelin AMG tyres helping to keep grip. Past GT R versions have been criticised for “blunt and clumsy handling”, but Mercedes do seem to have addressed these issues.

While supercars are meant to turn heads, Nightingale does have an issue with the rather OTT sound of the GT R.

“It sounds brutish enough even in its most subdued Comfort mode, but switch to Sport or Race and turn on the switchable performance exhaust and all hell breaks loose. The thunderous throb at tickover will make your neighbours think a Chinook helicopter has landed on your driveway, and the pops and bangs when you blip the throttle are, frankly, terrifying,” explained the critic.

However, Ollie Kew from Top Gear had a different opinion on the noise levels, believing it was “authentic and interesting”, with the whole car just giving the impression of fun and being less serious than other supercars.

Kyle Fortune from Auto Express believes the Mercedes supercar could have finally put the Porsche 911 GT3 in its place. Describing the GT R as “AMG’s most convincing, exciting and useable sports car yet”, the critic believes the designers have managed to improve the stability of the car at high speeds, with an impressive traction control system.

The AMG GT R is now available from £143,245, making it pricier than the McLaren 540C and the Audi R8 – both of which could be more suited to day-to-day driving on British roads. Let us know whether you think the Mercedes-AMG GT R is turning heads for the right reasons.

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