Mercedes-AMG has been caught testing a convertible version of its AMG GT R, the marque’s most hardcore, track-focused model. AMG has already offered the standard GT, GT S and GT C in Roadster forms, so it comes as little surprise to see the marque giving the GT R the same treatment.
Likely to share underpinnings with the GT R hardtop, the manic 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine should be even more vocal in the Roadster thanks to the lack of metal (or in this case carbonfibre) between the driver and those three exhaust outlets in the rear diffuser. Power should be the same 577bhp as the coupe, with 517lb ft of torque available from as low as 1900rpm.
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> Click here for our review of the AMG GT R Coupe
The GT R Roadster will also share the wider bodywork with the coupe, although the subsequent GT C model has also picked up this body, it’s the GT R-aping aero such as the static rear wing and aggressive rear diffuser that point towards this prototype being the R and not a C.
Using the GT C Roadster as reference, we expect the GT R Roadster to gain around 90kg compared to the Coupe, putting the kerb weight at somewhere around 1735kg, a fair amount more than its more carbonfibre-intensive rivals.
As one of the most entertaining AMG models in recent history, the GT R has certainly cemented its place among rivals, but thanks to the very long shadow cast by the Porsche 911 GT3 is sometimes overlooked. Without a Porsche 911 GT3 Cabriolet to compete with though, this makes the GT R Roadster a relatively unique proposition, as only mid-engined rivals like the Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder offer a more aggressive and visceral experience for those wanting an open-top performance car.