Review of the Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro – The AMG track focuses its rival on the GT3

We are big fans of the AMG GT R here on evo. It's a riot on the road, as good on the track as it is fun, that is to say "very". However, AMG has focused more on working with this new Pro version: is it worth it, and is it making the GT R a convincing competitor of Porsche GT Series cars?

Engine, transmission and time 0-60

This is an area in which the Pro is no different from the standard GT R, but overall, it's not a bad thing. The 572bhp twin-turbo 'Hot-V' V8 is as exuberant as ever: it reaches a peak torque of 516 lb-ft from 2100 rpm, and then flies away with a magnificent eight-angled bent; in many ways he defines the whole car. It is connected to a seven-speed DCT gearbox operating via paddles behind the steering wheel, allowing the Pro to reach an idle time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph.

> Click here for our review of the Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro

Technical highlights

The Pro offering is based on four manually adjustable coilovers, offering preload, rebound and compression settings, which are set at low and high speed. Obviously, this means that there is no button on the center console to adjust the damping, but that any changes must be made flat near the car. It is connected by an adjustable carbon fiber anti-roll bar on the front axle (an adjustable steel bar is at the rear), while the uniball spherical joints of the GT R on the lower triangles are also used on the front axles. upper triangles. A carbon fiber shear board adds stiffness to the structure by supporting the body underneath, while the dynamic engine and transmission mounts of the GT R have been readjusted to fit the more focused brief. Pro track.

The Pro Pack continues with the standard installation of the Track Pack and ceramic brakes, the two options of the classic GT R, the first offering a large safety cage, a four-point harness and a fire extinguisher. The forged wheels are finished in titanium gray, while the roof panel is now also carbon fiber and has a truncated center section: the AMG carbon fiber package is also standard equipment, and the total weight gain is in made of 14 kg compared to the ordinary GT R. This does not seem to please, of course, but keep in mind that the Track Pack cage puts a few pounds back into the car, so an identical comparison would show a bigger difference.

> Click here for our review of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS

The other major change with the Pro is its increased aerodynamic performance. The blades cut in the front fenders extract the air from the front wheel wells, thus canceling the lift, and the large front splitter coming out of the nose is completed by diving planes attached to the front corners of the car. A vertical blade behind the rear wheel arches helps channel air toward the rear, while the rear spoiler has an extra flap to allow for a supporting force. increased and now relies on milled alloy supports. It's not as if the GT R was a low-profile car, but the Pro definitely looks even more resolute.

Finally, all AMG GT models now benefit from the latest design and technology of the Mercedes cockpit: a fully digital instrument basket with 12.3 "screen, complemented by a 10.25" multimedia display in the center console. You have the choice between three different configurations for "dials". You can configure it almost endlessly using switches located on the new steering wheel, as well as other buttons located on the GT's wide center console to adjust multi-stage dampers, esp configuration, l & # 39; exhaust. valves, and so on. There is now also the rotary mode dial on the wheel, as well as two multi-configurable switches located right next to the rim, which can also adjust the above mentioned parameters. With AMG Dynamics, there are not only global sliding, Comfort, Sport, Sport +, Race and Individual driving modes, but also Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master settings that affect the weight of the steering and the configuration of the vehicle. 39; ESP.

What does it mean to drive?

Our first encounter with the Pro is not limited to a handful of laps on the Hockenheim circuit and has no chance of comparing it to the standard GT R. Therefore, it is difficult to draw too much conclusions at this stage on the ultimate capabilities of the Pro, except to say that he feels very comfortable on the track. It easily swallows wide straight lines, the new instrumentation flashes red to get you up to speed, the V8 thundering as if the exhaust went out almost under the driver's seat.

The pro has never lost that sense of theater, whether it's the driving position, which puts you in a low car with the wheel near the trunk, or the rear view hidden by the cage protective, or engine vibration – there is never a moment of trouble in the Pro.

It's always a shock for a GT R to discover how this long nose forward changes direction with speed and sensitivity, and the Pro is no exception. It really turns in turns and if oversteer is only a brake on the throttle in most scenarios, the Pro is also not the kind of car to spoil the acceleration in tighter turns. As you progress, it will find excellent traction, helped of course by its configuration of nine-stage traction control, accessible via the yellow switch located in the middle of the dashboard.

When it starts to move, the proximity of the driver behind the rear axle and the precision of the chassis are not scary, despite its visuals and sound threatening. The ceramic brakes of the car we were driving had clearly surpassed their best performances with countless track sessions, but they nevertheless enhanced the car convincingly without lengthening the braking zones. Nevertheless, although the speed of rise of the reports is decent, a slight delay during the demotions means that one feels that through the box, one can only follow when the car quickly loses speed.

Awards and rivals

The GT R Pro is largely the "911 GT3" AMG, but of course, until the advent of the new 992 GT3, this rival is not a competitor. In terms of price, the Pro is not far from the brilliant 600LT McLaren (our current champion ECOTY), but it is a credit for the AMG that the comparison does not give the impression to be lost d & # 39; advance.