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I know looking at the Mercedes-AMG GT lineup is a little confusing, because what isn’t clear about having eight different trim levels of the same car, but considering Porsche currently has 26 (!) different 911 variants, I think we can sort this out. The base AMG GT, if you want to call it that, was launched back in 2014 and offered a nice package. In the same way the base Porsche 911 is a nice package. But once you start comparing it to the higher trim levels, it doesn’t seem like a great value when you can have more for just a small amount of money. It’s the same way the large-size french fry is only .30 cents more than the medium. You’d be crazy not to buy the large, but the medium exists and people do buy them. However, there isn’t a market for 5-year-old french fries the way there is for 5-year-old cars. So why for basically the same money would you get the lesser trim when the next level is literally right there? People still buy those medium fries.
What do a Mercedes-AMG GT R, the red pig, and Ferris wheels all have in common? Let me try to explain. This 2018 AMG GT R up for sale in Düsseldorf pays tribute to the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG that ran at the 1971 24-hour race at Spa. What does that have to do with Ferris wheels? Apparently, there were 5 of these tributes produced by design company Bussink. Who is Bussink? They are a leading designer of giant Ferris wheels and similar structures for over 25 years and produced more than 60 giant wheels. I guess they got a little bored of designing Ferris wheels are now they are doing engineering and design work on Mercedes-Benz with their blessing. Can’t say I blame them. Now one of these is up for sale to the public and oh boy is it expensive. I was not prepared for this price.
I have to give it to Mercedes, they milked as much as they could from the C190 AMG GT chassis. Launched for the 2015 model year, the lineup includes the GT, GT S, GT C, GT R, GT R Pro, GT and GT C Roadster, GT Black Series, and the track-only GT Track Series. Missing from that list is today’s car, the GT R Roadster. Production was limited to just 750 units – probably because they wanted people to just go buy the SL63 AMG.
The engineers and product planners who are responsible for the Mercedes-AMG GT sure are busy. Launched for the 2015 model year, the lineup is as follows: GT, GT S, GT C, GT R, GT R Pro, GT Roadster, and the now the craziest of them all, the new GT Black Series. As with everything previously Black Series, this is a very extreme car. Overzealous aerodynamic bodywork, a track-focused suspension setup, and a peak of 720 horsepower. This is not a GT car, despite the literal name of GT Black Series. The price? $335,000. That of course is the price Mercedes prints on the sticker. But this is 2021, where everything is priced to the extreme – and this example in Arkansas is no different.
I think the Porsche GT3 RS vs. Mercedes-AMG GT R debate is a pretty cut and dry one. One is like going to the symphony, while other is going to a rock concert. Both have their places and can be highly entertaining, and neither is in any way not a totally fulfilling machine. Of course the RS is the symphony with its precision skills and nearly flawless execution of nearly everything you can throw at it. While the GT R is the rock concert with its thrashing handling, roaring sound, and wildness that will keep you up to the edge and maybe even over it if you aren’t careful. Which would I chose? Oh man.
