LA show: Mercedes-AMG prepares ballistic GT R Pro
BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 22nd Nov 2018
MERCEDES-AMG will raise its already-high performance standards yet again when it reveals the motorsport-influenced GT R Pro sportscar at the Los Angeles motor show next week.
Set to be a limited-edition variant that sits above the current GT R flagship, the GT R Pro has been “modified in numerous details to deliver even more racetrack performance”, according to the German brand.
What these modifications entail, however, remains a mystery as Mercedes-AMG has only released a single teaser image of the GT R Pro being put through its paces while wearing camouflage.
Nonetheless, recent spy shots from overseas have shown the GT R Pro will adopt much more aggressive aerodynamics, with the teaser hinting that its front end is set to gain larger air intakes and a more pronounced splitter, as well as fins for the first time.
All of these upgrades are said to be inspired by Mercedes-AMG’s GT3 and GT4 racecars that have competed in the Australian GT Endurance Championship, among other international events.
While unconfirmed, the GT R Pro is expected to run a more potent tune of the rear-wheel-drive GT R’s 430kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine. A power figure in excess of 600hp (447kW) has been mooted.
Claimed fuel consumption on the combined cycle test has been confirmed at 12.4 litres per 100 kilometres, while carbon dioxide emissions have been tested at 284 grams per kilometre, up 1.0L/100km and 25g/km respectively over the GT R.
The GT R Pro is also expected to be a lighter proposition than its sibling, with weight-saving measures possibly extending to additional carbon-fibre elements and a stripped-out cabin.
For reference, the GT R is currently priced from $351,130 before on-road costs.
Given its focus on racetrack-like performance, the GT R Pro’s main rival will be Porsche’s revered GT3 RS, which blends more power with less weight.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-AMG will also take the opportunity next week to roll out its updated full-time GT range, with both Coupe and Roadster body styles set to benefit from minor tweaks.
According to the brand, the changes to the GT line-up’s exterior and interior will “emphasise (its) close relationship” with the GT 4-door Coupe fastback, which will head Down Under next year.
Sales of the GT range have boomed this year, with 154 examples sold to the end of November – a 26.2 per cent increase over the 122 deliveries made during the same period in 2017.
The GT is the third best-selling sportscar in the $200,000-plus segment, trailing the Porsche 911 (470 units) and Ferrari’s entire model line-up (197) but ahead of Aston Martin’s (121) and Lamborghini’s (102) ranges of coupes and convertibles.
