A few months ago I took the gorgeous Mercedes-AMG GT S for a blast around the Yas Marina Formula One circuit in Abu Dhabi. The ridiculous grin on my face after I got out of the car left nobody in doubt that I was more than a little impressed.
Everything from the handling to the glorious noise that comes from that magnificent AMG engine makes driving this car an absolute pleasure, but while its motorsport heritage makes it a natural born racer on the track, I was interested to find out what it was like in the slightly more sedate environment of everyday driving.
This car inhabits the ultra-competitive world of high-end sports cars, an environment that has for many years been under the reign of the Porsche 911, an iconic car that has more than proved its prowess on the track, in the city, and on motorways. The GT S has the 911 in its cross-hairs so it has to tick a lot of boxes in an extremely demanding market.
It certainly passes with flying colours when it comes to aesthetics – this is one of the best looking cars on the road with its long bonnet, athletic poise, signature side air intakes and powerfully designed wide, stocky rear. Our test car, kindly loaned by Abu Dhabi’s Mercedes dealership, Emirates Motor Company, came in white with black carbon roof and stunning, ten-spoke, wheels – the perfect specification.
The interior of the GT S is breathtakingly beautiful, offering ultimate luxury and a truly emotional driving experience. It is intimate without being cramped, is really comfortable and is built from the finest leathers, carbon-fibre and beautiful veneers that leave you in no doubt you are in something a bit special. You sit very low which just increases the feeling of driving a car built to thrill.
The instrument cluster is ultra-modern without losing the classic Mercedes feel and there is a wide, carbon-fibre, centre console which houses the AMG Drive Unit where you can choose which mode you want to drive in from comfort, sport, sport plus or, if you are feeling courageous, race, although this is probably best left for driving on the track. The dash is dominated by the circular air vents and an excellent eight-inch infotainment screen which looks a bit like an iPad, nicely positioned on top of the dash.
The GT S is powered by a newly developed four-litre V8 bi-turbo engine which barks into life when you push the red ignition button and the tick-over burble heightens the expectation of what is to come.
Obviously, any car that takes on the mighty 911 is going to have awesome power and this engine, the first sports car power plant with internally mounted turbochargers, delivers a hefty 510bhp with 650nm of torque which will blast you from 0-100kmh in 3.8-seconds with the accompaniment of that AMG sound track. To drive, this car is a dream with instantaneous power available across the rev range. The rear-wheel drive is hooked up to a seven-speed double-clutch automatic gearbox which is smooth with lightning quick gear changes and there are paddle-shifts which make the whole driving experience a little bit more engaging.
This car is built from aluminium which means it is light and therefore mind blowingly fast if you put pedal to metal. On the circuit, it handled all the technical sections of the Yas Marina circuit with ease and it was, as I expected, just as pleasing to drive around Abu Dhabi and on the Sheikh Zayed Road, although you have to watch your speed as you cruise through the 140kmh mark at the blink of an eye.
The GT S is strictly a two-seater but there is a rear shelf for some luggage and because it is a hatchback there is a surprising amount of room in the boot so it can carry roughly the same amount of luggage as a 911 or Jaguar F-Type R, another of its rivals.
I loved cruising around in this little beauty. Driven in comfort mode, sport or sport plus it is a dream. It is a real head-turner and it just oozes prestige. With a starting price of Dh570,000 it is in the same price bracket at the Porsche 911 it is designed to beat, so does it succeed?
I am a big Porsche fan and the 911 sets an extremely high benchmark. The Mercedes-AMG GT S is magnificent and will undoubtedly keep Porsche on their toes but I can’t put it ahead of the 911 Turbo S, so the answer is obvious – buy them both!
