First test drive of the Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro 2020: extreme, but surprisingly accessible

It seemed that the Mercedes-AMG GT R was already very extreme, a car designed for the track but civilized just enough so that it could be a riot on the street. But the AMG engineers were not quite finished and increased the stake with the GT R ​​Pro, a purebred race car inspired by AMG GT3 and GT4 race cars.

Where else could Mercedes let me test a race circuit? Specifically, I spent an afternoon licking the GT R ​​Pro at the Hockenheimring in southwestern Germany.

More of everything

To make the GT R even faster, Affalterbach engineers have amplified every part of the existing car. The usual adaptive dampers of the GT R have disappeared, for example, in favor of coilovers with a higher spring rate and a manual adjustment in height, in relaxation, in compression at high speed and at low speed. AMG provides what it believes to be an ideal configuration of the plant, but riders are encouraged to make changes as needed.

More settings are available in advance, with a new carbon fiber anti-roll bar with two-position adjustment. This also reduces 5 pounds of weight. The rear bar remains an adjustable three-position steel unit, but on the GT R Pro, it is hollow to save weight. More and more of the car's control arms are now using "spherical" metal supports instead of rubber bushings, to improve accuracy at the expense of some noise and vibration. The carbon-ceramic brakes are standard and have higher friction brake pads than the standard GT R, while the wheels have a particularly lightweight design.

Even more aero

The aerodynamic changes are also innumerable, the Pro enjoying 220 kilos of additional support at 155 km / h compared to the regular GT R, of which two thirds are on the front axle. The obvious locations where this strength of support has been gained include a new front splitter, special diving jets on the sides of the front fascia, a new rear wing with an extra Gurney flap and vents in the front fenders to help flush the air from the wheel arches.

Other improvements include a new carbon fiber "shear board" on the transaxle and differential, which improves torsional stiffness by 7%, as well as a new carbon fiber roof with a central channel lowered. The total running weight for the Pro is not yet available, although the regular GT R coupe is 3,594 pounds.

A new electronic tuning has been developed for dynamic engine and transmission mounts as well as for rear wheel steering and electronic limited slip differential. And to differentiate visually – as if all this aerodynamic trickery was not enough – you can equip the GT R Pro with a set of bands inspired by AMG racing cars.

Under the hood, the Pro has retained the 4.0-liter, double-turbo, dry-bulb V8 engine of its progenitor and the 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle. The output figures remain 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque.

The objective performance in a straight line remains unchanged from the standard GT R, with the 60 mile per hour race being completed in 3.5 seconds and the maximum speed declared at 198 mph. But it was on a track that the improvements of the Pro have borne fruit, the car claiming a lap time of Nürburgring 7: 04.6 minutes, against 7: 10.9 already for the regular GT.

The art of running in the rain

With ambient temperatures hovering at 22 ° C and rain all day, conditions are not quite ideal for an extreme car trail test. AMG technicians have traded Pirelli P Zero tires instead of the standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. While driving instructors hired by the company are urging us to leave the stability control of the car activated. Despite everything, the GT R Pro has more than succeeded on the sliding circuit.

My first laps are a battle for traction as I feel the car on the wet track. Breaking the rear tires at the top of the third gear in a straight line slightly restores the fear factor. Soon, however, I fall into a fast pace, following the AMG instructors in a follow-up exercise. The acceleration (when there is enough grip) is absurd, the V8 roaring and roaring as I took a quick climb with the paddles. As in the street, the abundance of low-end engine torque allows me to progress quickly, even if I go to the lower gear. But keep it pinned to Redline and the Pro steals absolutely.

What is perhaps most remarkable is the quality of communication between the professional and his limits to enter and exit curves. The steering wheel provides a lot of feel when tires begin to slip into sharp hairpins while the reduced gear ratio makes catching easier. Yes, the Pro surfs easily and easily in the rain, but it does so smoothly, unsurprisingly. The response of the throttle in Sport + mode is a bit strong for my taste, but as I learn to be patient, it is easy to balance the car more in cornering.

The grip levels are always very, very high in the humidity, whether it is when you stand on the firm brake pedal and easy to modulate or that you maintain high speeds in the Parabolica curve of the track. Thanks to all this aerodynamic body to force the car on the road.

During my last track session, the rain turned into drizzle and I had enough understanding of the circuit configuration to allow me to push the GT R Pro a little bit. Not surprisingly, it's very fast and very entertaining. As trams, the responsiveness of the AMG is supernatural and its engine is a real driving force. The sound of the conversation is so loud that I can not hear the instructor's notes even when the walkie-talkie volume is at its maximum. And when you observe other people from the empty stands of the track, the cracks on the demotions echo around the circuit, like a fireworks display.

On dry track, I would have liked to experiment more with the AMG Dynamics system. It combines the stability and traction control settings, rear wheel steering and limited slip differential in various modes called Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master. The latter can be obtained only in race mode with ESP completely deactivated. But, with conditions as slippery, the Sport + driving style was the most aggressive I've had.

Always a nice place to spend time

However, AMG has not emptied the inside of the GT R Pro, which is nice, although it seems unlikely that cars are used on the street. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster offers an AMG-specific "Supersports" gauge configuration with torque force indicators, information on oil temperature, tire pressure and times. turn, as well as flashing red keys at Redline's approach. The Comand infotainment system is equipped with the AMG Track Pace application, which allows you to record telemetry times and lap times from your excursions on the track. the data can be exported to your phone or computer for further analysis / bragging.

My test car is equipped with carbon-backed bucket seats that save about 8 kg of weight, as well as the optional track kit that is suitable for a roll-over bar, bundles of four-point cables and a fire extinguisher. Unfortunately, neither will be offered in the United States, as the seats and the safety bar do not seem to respect the often delicate US safety rules.

With only a handful of cars available and all dedicated to the use of the track, AMG did not allow me to drive the Pro on public roads. Given the aggressiveness of the standard GT R already proven in the normal streets, the new Pro would probably be tedious to use outside a circuit. However, as it is still a prohibited machine on the road, with air conditioning, cruise control, etc., it is at least very useful for those who wish to drive, rather than tow, the Pro to the circuit. closer.

A limited but attractive toy

With only 750 cars built around the world and only 150 arriving in the United States, the Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro 2020 will indeed be a rare machine on the track. Prices have not been announced yet, but with the R2020 GT listed at $ 163,895, it's not hard to imagine that the Pro's sticker is around $ 200,000. Despite all the possibilities offered here, it's a sum that well-off track enthusiasts should be happy to pay.

John Miessner, Head of Driving Dynamics at Mercedes-AMG, has achieved his goal of making the GT R Pro a remarkably accessible car. "Our goal is not just to make a car fast," he said, "even an ordinary driver should be able to drive it quickly." Given the speed with which I managed to get the car around Hockenheim, even in very wet weather, I would say that Miessner's mission was accomplished.

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