It’s conquered the ’Ring. So how well will the sportified AMG GT R handle Portimão?
Intimidation, it turns out, is green. And wide, loud, long of bonnet, short of temper, fat of tyre and hairy of arse. Yes, the AMG GTR is a supercar. It conforms to all the tropes except the one that demands the engine should be behind the driver.
So here it is on a track, creating balls-out smoky mayhem, thrashing a set of Michelin’s finest, the vapourised remains of which are filling my nostrils and fugging the cockpit. It’s up for a spot of bad behaviour, the GTR. Which ought to come as no surprise. Ladies and gentlemen, we have surely reached peak AMG.
But apparently we haven’t. Merc is keen to point out that this is actually a precise track machine. Fast laps, rather than smoky ones, are what it is designed for. It proved this recently by getting around the Nordschleife in 7:10 – ahead of a Viper ACR, Lexus LFA Nürburgring and Ferrari 488 GTB. And that’s before we get started on the really exotic stuff such as a Pagani Zonda F Clubsport or Gumpert Apollo Speed.
So what’s the truth here? Where does the GTR fit into the supercar hierarchy? And what sort of machine is it? A track-focused 911 GT3 RS rival or something with more bandwidth? We’ve got to grips with the standard AMG GT, and I find it a bit of a handful. It’s a snatchy, fighty car on a bumpy road, and the margin for error, between quick, direct steering and lively back axle, is small. But a few months ago, I had a passenger ride in the GTR alongside AMG boss Tobias Moers, and came away sensing it was more approachable and had a bigger sweet spot than the standard car.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Next Great Family MPV?
“Whoa, that’s a nice-looking Minivan!” Said no one ever.
MG COMET
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD THOUGHT THIS CAR TO BE COMPLETELY useless when it came out.
BMW i7
WHEN THE i7 PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND PARKED ITSELF next to the Mercedes EQA and the MG Comet, it just struck me that this is how the future will be.
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
McLaren's finest faces off Corvette's nat-asp swansong as the Brits and the Americans square up... in a Spanish playground. Expect fireworks
NEXT LEVEL
Thought the 750S was fast? The McLaren P1's successor - the W1 is ready to spread its wings
MANUAL LABOUR
Two cars from opposite ends of the performance spectrum with one crucial thing in common...
PRO VS SLOW
At last, we have our hands on the Valkyrie. But is its performance only accessible for the pros... or can anyone enjoy it?
THE OUTBURST OF OFFROADING
The high-volume market is a point of interest for all manufacturers here in India.
THE BATTLE OF CRUISER-COMMUTERS
WHO DOES THE BEST COMMUTER WORK WHILE NOT BEING A TRUE COMMUTER MOTORCYCLE?
LEAVING EVERYTHING ON THE TRACK
FT. YMRP ROUND 3 From being second, I DNF'd from the race on the last corner