Test drive Mercedes-AMG GT
In fact, in Texas, sports cars are not very fond of, but no one monitors the observance of the speed limit here - a great place to get acquainted with the new Mercedes sedan, which will compete with the Porsche Panamera.
It has become fashionable to compare a trip in cars with fast and comfortable flights, but for some reason, not the most suitable models are chosen for this. Those who really deserve it are modestly aloof. For example, Mercedes-AMG GT. This is where the fusion of speed and comfort is - in the back you feel like in a first-class seat. There is a lot of space, it is comfortable to sit, only the pilot is in front, the speed is impressive, but it is not felt at all. And it’s much easier to become a pilot than in an airplane - I moved forward, stepped on the gas and almost took off.
Boeing 737 picks up speed of 220 km / h on takeoff. The familiar four-liter biturbo "eight" from Mercedes in the GT 63 S version can easily cope with such acceleration and is unlikely to lag behind the plane before taking off from the ground. Another thing is that such speeds are prohibited on public roads, so you have to get acquainted with the capabilities of a four-door coupe on the track. And not anyhow, but on the current Formula 1 track in Austin, the capital of Texas.
At first it seemed that Texas was a strange place to test a sports car. The target audience of this model lives more on the coasts, and on the roads of the largest (after Alaska) state of the United States, pickup trucks dominate. Local rednecks with curiosity saw off the new Mercedes, but they hardly wanted to buy one. Why would they want a car that can't fit a cow in the trunk?
But local customs allow you to drive with constant speeding - if you follow the rules, even trucks will overtake you on the track. But the main thing is that in a long stretch on the back sofa (in the five-seater version) or in the armchair (in the four-seater) Mercedes-AMG GT you will not have to suffer - for the 183-centimeter me there was enough leg and head room with a margin.
And the trunk is very roomy - two huge suitcases fit easily. The front passenger gets even more comfort, including with superbly supported bucket seats and access to a multimedia system with two 12,3-inch screens. You can turn on the Burmester surround sound system or choose from 64 colors for ambient lighting.
But the main feature in the interior is the steering wheel with LCD panels on the spokes. The left one is in charge of switching the suspension stiffness and lifting the wing, and the right one is in charge of changing the driving modes.
It all started with a Peyscar race led by Bernd Schneider, a five-time DTM champion at the wheel of a Mercedes. He gives an indication: the first lap is introductory, the second we go through, switching the box to the Sport + position, the rest - at will - in a special Race mode.
The Mercedes-AMG GT also has the steering correction function already familiar from the C63, which can be set at will, depending on our own experience. There are four settings: Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master, which affect the response of the motor, suspension and stabilization system.
Master is designed for wild Race mode, in which the car becomes incredibly responsive and requires very precise steering and pedal movements. The rest will come in handy when you leave the track. But even in Race, the trajectory of the four-door Mercedes-Benz GT 63 S is closely watched by the electronics - so with each lap you allow yourself to slow down later and turn the steering wheel in chicanes at increasing speed, testing the two-ton car for strength.
Ceramic brakes grab in no time, and the 639-horsepower engine delivers incredible output traction. It is a pity that the straight lines in Austin are very short, and 20 turns did not allow to accelerate above 260 km / h, while the declared maximum speed is as much as 315 km / h. Scary numbers for a four-door car. But after the arrival, it was possible to drive sideways in the parking lot - the GT 63 S has a drift mode in the transmission, in which the ESP is completely disabled, and the front wheel clutch opens, essentially making the car rear-wheel drive.
On the track, we flew first class only on the most charged version of the GT 63 S, which will be the most expensive (in Europe - 167 thousand euros). Even the most powerful hybrid Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid (680 hp) is inferior to that of a Mercedes - it has an acceleration time of 0,2 s longer, and its top speed is 5 km / h slower, but the price is also slightly higher.
But there are simpler versions. GT 63, devoid of Drift mode, with 585 hp engine. will pull at 150 thousand euros, and the GT 53 starts at 109 thousand. It has a 3-liter inline-six I6 engine with 435 hp. with 48-volt electrical system for the EQ Boost starter-generator.
Also, the 53rd has a mechanical, and not an electronic, rear differential lock and a spring suspension instead of a pneumatic one. Later, the derated 367-horsepower variant of the GT 43 will appear, technically no different from the GT 53, but with a profitable and psychologically important five-figure price of 95 euros.
| A type | Liftback |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 5054/1953/1455 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2951 |
| Dry weight, kg | 2045 |
| engine's type | Petrol, biturbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 3982 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 639/5500-6500 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 900/2500-4500 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, 9АКП |
| Max. speed km / h | 315 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 3,2 |
| Average fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 11,3 |
| Price from, euro | 167 000 |
