Peter Palmer: Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO: A Quick Look At This Track-Ready Machine

So, remember when Mercedes teased us with their plans to produce a super-duper, all-out, take-no-prisoners version of their Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO? Yeah, me too. And then they went and told us 90 percent of everything except how much it would cost? Yeah, me too on that one as well. Looks like Merc & AMG have finally coughed up the cost, and … you know, it’s not all that bad.

Well, relatively speaking it’s not all that bad.

What Is The Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO?

The Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO is not some ne plus ultra hypercar like a La Ferrari or a Porsche 918 or Aston Martin’s Valkyrie. That will come later. What’s here now is more of a Porsche GT3 fighter and, comparatively speaking, the price is not all that bad at 200 large! Or $199,650 to be precise. And like I said, right in the market range of hot Porsches, Ferrari V8s, and big bore Astons.

What do you get for the price of a starter condo in the burbs? More of some things and less of others.

Power & Performance

You get an AMG 4.0-liter V8 bi-turbo plant that puts out a worthy 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. The hand-built engine is mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT seven-speed transmission. Together with all the latest tweaks and tunes, this engine hauls you to 60 in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 198. Other unique performance and design highlights include the AMG RIDE CONTROL coil-over suspension with manual damping adjustment. This allows you to more precisely tune the spring rates, rebound, and compression. Further fine-tuning is available via adjustment wheels on the shocks themselves to suit specific tracks or personal preference.

Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO under the hood. Photo: MBUSA.

Carbon Fiber Galore

The carbon fiber front splitter has aluminum supports and is bigger than before. Additional aerodynamic carbon fiber dive planes or “flics” are located on the front bumper. There are functional aerodynamic “gills” in the front fenders and a trick, adjustable carbon fiber front sway bar. All of these bits add up for better front-axle downforce, according to Mercedes-AMG.

The carbon fiber roof is newly redesigned and features a lower center section; there’s a matte carbon fiber crossbar and interior trim, carbon fiber side skirt inserts, and a carbon fiber rear diffuser. The new Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO comes with carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fiber side mirror housings, and a fixed rear spoiler in, surprise, carbon fiber. There’s more carbon fiber on this thing than in a crate of No. 2 pencils.

Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO in Selenite Grey Magno with Gloss Light Green stripes. Photo: MBUSA.

Styling & Interior Treatments

Styling cues include color-coordinated, race-inspired accent stripes found only on the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO. If you choose the Selenite Grey Magno exterior you get Gloss Light Green stripes. All other exterior colors receive Matte Dark Grey stripes. If you’re not that flashy, the accent stripes can be omitted.

For the 2020 AMG GT in general, updates include a new diffuser insert, double-round tailpipe design, and signature LED headlights. Interior updates include the standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a larger 10.25-inch multimedia display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, while the steering wheel integrates touch control buttons for the instrument cluster and multimedia displays.

There’s a standard rear-view and front camera to help with parking.

Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO interior layout. Photo: MBUSA.

Pricing & Availability

Like I said above, pricing for the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO starts at $199,650, but the real bad news is that Mercedes will only make 750 units globally. But, if you’ve got the mean green and can get in line, you’ll get a car that features an adjustable coil-over suspension, lightweight construction with carbon fiber components all over the place, and functional aerodynamic enhancements that return a Nürburgring time of 7.04.632 minutes. Which is fast.

If they are not all spoken for ahead of time, expect the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO in dealers later this year.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.