Test of the Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro 2019

The AMG GT R Pro is the legal sum of Mercedes-AMG's expertise in production-based motorsport. It has only one goal: to allow a small number of rather affluent owners to drive it to a track day, to spend many happy hours traveling the circuit and playing with muffled clicks between sessions, then to come home at the end of the day. It's a car that should really be used as intended and not be left to pick up dust in an air-conditioned cabin.

The transmission is unchanged from the GT R. The Pro uses exactly the same twin-turbo 4-liter V8 producing 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The drive is done back by the transaxle which houses a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Mercedes-AMG quotes a 0 to 62 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph.

Tense, responsive, agile and exceptionally well controlled. One can only guess how this uncompromised chassis configuration will treat a bumpy public road, because for now, we have only tried the car on the flat and smooth circuit of the Hockenheim Grand Prix.

What is curious about the GT R is that it is quite firm and unyielding on the road, but that it is just a little bit controlled and hesitant on the circuit. This new Pro model meets almost all of the criticisms we have made with regard to the R GT because it feels so comfortable on a circuit. There is a small body roll that allows you to feel grip accumulating on the outside of the car, but otherwise the Pro is sunk to the surface of the track. As soon as the front axle is locked in a bend, the car takes a strand, as if it were falling into a throat, then making its way into the bend. There is no hesitation or uprising that could make the GT R a crazy race, just immediate and accurate answers.

The steering is quite light but intuitive, while the brakes showed no signs of fading during a quick four-lap relay. What matters compared to the GT R Pro is its size, because the front axle seems far ahead of you and the nose of the car in another country. It's also wide, which means an important familiarization period during which you learn where the ends of the car are. And despite the weight saving measures taken by the Pro, 1575 kg still represent a considerable weight for a Trackday machine.

It's an absorbing and exciting track car, though. Being able to play with the settings of its chassis adds another dimension to a track day and lets you play your fantasies of race engineer. It's not a particularly difficult car to drive fast, it's not intimidating. Anything that results from an overcooked corner entry is a predictable and safe push of the front axle. The traction is also good thanks to the transaxle layout and an electronically controlled LSD, although with such a power grip, it is easily overcome by a generous extension of your right foot. The multi-stage traction control system that first appeared on the GT R is also present, which means you can find the exact setting for a given circuit and the conditions of the day to reconcile safety and fun.