Mercedes-Benz has just come out with one its most hardcore road car yet. It’s called the AMG GT R Pro and it’s here to take on the latest and greatest from Porsche and Lamborghini. With a Nürburgring lap time of 07:04.6, it is one of the fastest road-going track cars money can buy. Mercedes released the onboard lap footage 4 months prior to its official launch, which you can see below.
The AMG GT R Pro is not, however, exactly a new car. In fact, it is a more extreme version of the already insane AMG GT R that came out back in 2017. While the regular car was fastest during its time with a lap time of 07:10.9, it has since been dominated by the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini with their sub-6-minute lap records.
While the Pro fails to be crowned the fastest like its predecessor, it does manage to be 6 seconds faster than it by using the same engine, transmission, and drivetrain. In fact, only minor tweaks are made to the chassis and aerodynamics, while the rest of the car is almost the same. The Pro is also a “limited edition” and just 750 units will be made. Let’s see what else make this beast of a machine special.
Performance
The AMG GT R Pro uses the same, tried and tested 4.0-Liter twin-turbo cross-plane V8 used in all current generation AMG 63 and GT models. It is front-mid-mounted and cranks out 577 bhp and 516 lb-ft of torques, same as in the “regular” GT R. Also like the old GT R, the engine is mated to a 7-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission that drives the rear wheels.
As I’ve previously mentioned, there have been slight changes made to the chassis to get that much performance out of it. The GT R Pro gets new active engine mounts. The dual-clutch transmission and the electronic limited-slip differential are also tuned for even faster shifts and better torque distribution respectively.
This results in a 0-60 happening in 3.6 seconds which, considering it’s a front-mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive car with 577 bhp, is pretty impressive. Flat out, it will max out at 186 mph, which is proper supercar territory.
Exterior
A few changes have been made to the exterior to improve the aerodynamics of the already aerodynamic car. With the GT R Pro, you get a completely new front splitter with canards on the bumper to improve front downforce while cornering. The front fenders have slated vents, similar to those on the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, to get rid of turbulent air from the wheel wells.
In addition to that, it also has a reworked back end. The rear diffuser has been improved and now extends over to the rear canards for that extra downforce. For the same purpose, the manually adjustable rear wing now has a subtle gurney flap that is underwhelmingly effective. In fact, at 155 mph, the GT R Pro makes 220 pounds more downforce than the standard GT R.
The rest of the cosmetic changes include a racing stripe that goes over the left side of the hood, roof, and trunk. Another stripe also runs down both sides of the car covering the fenders and doors. The Pro also gets updated headlights and taillights that were found on the facelift of the AMG GT series. Overall the AMG GT R Pro is a really good looking car, though I still wish it had the Gull-Wing Doors like the SLS AMG.
Interior
There isn’t anything particularly new with the interior of the car. You have an option to get a Track Package, which includes full carbon racing bucket seats with 4-point harnesses for the driver and passenger. You also get a roll cage and a fire extinguisher as well.
The rest of the standard features are taken from the AMG GT 4-door. They include the new multi-function steering wheel, a new center console with touch-sensitive buttons. The instrument panel is fully digital and resides in a configurable 12.3″ display. You also get a central 10.3″ infotainment display which also has a track data recorder built-in for track days.
Like the previous AMG GT R, it also comes with a yellow dial in the very center. It may look out of place but is, in fact, a 9-stage traction control system. The traction control is completely independent of the drive mode of the car and plays a huge role in making the car put all it’s power down while setting lap times.
Price & Verdict
Mercedes haven’t quoted the official price on their website yet. However, the expected price is known to start at $240,000. That makes it around $80,000 more expensive than the standard GT R, that starts at $160,000. Although the Pro has better overall performance, tech and is limited edition, it still doesn’t justify the $80,000 premium.
What Mercedes should’ve done was tune the engine in the Pro to make more power. Several aftermarket tuners have proved that the Mercedes 4.0-Liter V8 engine has a high potential and can easily make over 600 bhp with a simple ECU tune. Maybe that would’ve also helped achieve a better lap time as well.
In the end, all I’ll say is that if you prefer having a rare car in your garage that isn’t the best value for money, go for the AMG GT R Pro. However, if you want your money worth, go with the standard AMG GT R and get it tuned.