As an automotive blog, we read a lot of auto news. A frequent topic in auto news stories is spy shots of some new vehicle that an automaker is developing. When a prototype has reached a certain stage of functionality, it is sent out into the world for the most strenuous of real life driving conditions: get a pack of Skittles, return some library books, maybe ferry the tester to a movie, and even at times descend into true mundaneness by pumping gas.
Such is the case with the new Mercedes-Benz AMG® GT, the reputed “Porsche 911 opponent” that tried its best to get some clandestine testing done in the oh-so-remote town of Jönköping in Sweden. Nice try, Jönköping. What you need to know about this car is that it’s said to have a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine. Yeah. V8s are dandy, adding a turbocharger makes them dandier still, and going for two just about stretches the bounds of what modern science can do to a single drop of gasoline. It’s like giving two shots of adrenaline to each drop’s tiny liquidy heart.
Of course, to compete with a Porsche 911, it would have to be very fast. It would also have to be within reach of an orthopedic surgeon’s budget, or at least a decent computer programmer’s a few years out of college. With a rumored MSRP of $100,000, we writers can sigh in disappointment for ourselves, but rejoice for Silicon Valley inhabitants and people within the medical profession.
However you might be able to accumulate your 100k, you will be pleased to know that Mercedes-Benz’ newest status symbol will come with a feature that used to be the sole turf of station wagons and Volkswagen Golfs: a hatchback. The slanting lid of a hatchback is good aerodynamics, and if they were really so unsightly, would Porsche have been favoring them for years? If you want to tussle with the 911, you might have to play by a few of its rules.
In any case, the real draw of this AMG® GT will be under its front hood, not its rear, so we look forward to reporting on that as more information becomes available. We’ll keep you posted.