Latest News
- India's Elections Trigger Airfare Surge in Tamil Nadu
- Citroën Reveals All-New C3 Aircross For Europe
- Suzuki Motorcycle India Achieves Production of Over 8 Million Two-Wheelers
- Maruti Suzuki Swift Sees Price Hike Across Variants: New Model Launch In May 2024
- Bentley Arnage R Abandoned In Pune: Sparks Discussion On Luxury & Neglect
- Aprilia RS 457 Accessories: A Detailed Look At The Prices
- All About Electronic Stability Control (ESC): Working & Advantages
- The Rezvani Retro RR1 Is A Modified Porsche 911 Done Right
- Google Maps To Ease EV Charger Finding With Latest Updates
- India's UDAN Scheme Offers Air Travel Fares As Low As Rs 150
Mercedes-AMG GT S Put To The Test — How Fast Does She Go?
A thunderous roar sends the butterflies in my stomach into a fluttering frenzy. And within a matter of seconds, 3.8 seconds to be precise, I was clocking 100km/h and was approaching turn 1 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC). This is high-speed stuff, I told myself, stay calm.
When suddenly...
I woke up to realise, this was all just a dream that played on a loop every night since Mercedes-Benz India invited me to drive their latest high-performance AMG sports car at BIC.
2:00
p.m.
BIC
reality
check:
A
price
tag
of
Rs.
2.40
crore
hangs
off
this
sweet
drive!
And
a
motor
racing
circuit
to
do
a
few
hot
laps
in
one
of
the
best
500bhp-plus,
eight-figure
GT
cars
in
the
world.
After
this
reality
check,
I
was
like
a
cat
on
hot
bricks.
Introducing the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT S: At first glance, I notice that the AMG GT S radiates a strong visual appeal with a dynamic upright radiator grille and a Ford Mustang fastback style rear.
Mercedes-Benz has got it right with the design, and I'm sure it won't take you too long either, to fall in love with this high-performance AMG. I did however, wonder if she is just eye-candy, or maybe she was a pure sports car too. One way or another, she certainly had my heart racing.
If all this hasn't got you excited yet, then let's move on to the main event — How fast does she go?
5:15 p.m.
After a long wait, finally, my turn arrived; this is not a dream, and as I settled down in the cockpit — which looked like a cockpit of a fighter jet — I realised, from behind the wheel, it feels like you're seated in the last row of an empty airport shuttle bus. This Merc has an extremely vast bonnet, big enough to accommodate an Indian joint family.
5:16 p.m.
While I was fixated on how she was dressed, I quickly reminded myself that the sole purpose I came out here was not to break down the design elements, but to push the limits of this car and see if the AMG GT S can put my driving skills to the test.
As you can imagine, there was an explosion of horsepower! The power is pure exhilaration personified.
The twin-turbo V‑8 engine produces 503bhp with minimal turbo lag, which results in breakneck straight-line acceleration. With the AMG GT S setup in race mode and with the electronic stability program (ESP) on the job, I managed a winged out 250km/h at the end of the long straight (1060 metres) between corners 3 and 4.
I've been fortunate enough to lap the BIC quite a few times, but not once did I manage to get the banked multi-apex turn 10–11–12 sequence right, which is one of the most notable sections of the circuit.
But this time around, I did. Was it just me, or the AMG GT S? I kid, of course. The AMG GT S speed-sensitive electronic steering and traction received from the rear-axle locking differential, made this challenging sequence seem like Captain Hardy was in full control of this ship. After which, piloting the AMG GT S through turns 13–14–15 was child's play.
5:20
p.m.
Lap
1
completed
and
midway
through
lap
2,
my
nerves
had
settled
down
(slightly),
and
the
only
other
thing
I
quickly
noticed
was
the
rear
and
side
visibility
being
a
tad
bit
minimal.
But
should
I
care
enough,
and
is
this
a
strong
message
from
Mercedes-Benz
that
the
AMG
GT
S
is
not
the
globe-trotting
kind?
The AMG GT S version I drove is sassy, powerful, and agile. And overall, is a credible Porsche 911 rival.
Mercedes-AMG
GT
S
specifications
Price:
Rs.
2.4
crore
ex-showroom
(Delhi)
Engine:
3982cc,
V8
Power:
503bhp
@
6250rpm
Torque:
650Nm
@
1750
-
4750rpm
Transmission:
7-speed
automatic
Performance:
0-100km/h
in
3.8sec
Top
speed:
310km/h
Fuel:
Petrol
|
75-litres
tank
capacity
Launch
details:
On
sale
now
YouTube Video: Mercedes-AMG GT S at BIC
The Powerful Mercedes-AMG GT S captured in pictures