Hear the abbreviation ‘AMG’ and you immediately think big, thunderous V8 engines. See the long hood and the swooping roofline of the two-door AMG GT and you immediately think of big, thunderous V8 engines. Imagine our surprise, then, when Mercedes told us the GT above is powered by a 2.0-liter four-pot.
Yep, say hello to the Mercedes-AMG GT 43 Coupe. Of course, the 43 isn’t powered by any old four-cylinder engine—under the hood is the banzai AMG engine that powers the A45 S hot hatch with 415hp and 500Nm of torque.
The power outputs are the same here, and there’s also Merc’s 48V mild-hybrid system that improves efficiency and electronically spins the turbocharger to reduce lag. Oh, and to make it feel less like you’ve just bought a prettier A45, all the power is sent to the rear wheels. Hmm, this could be rather fun.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
The Ferrari Roma Spider is now in PH with a P29.5-M starting price
Mercedes-Benz used an x-ray in a crash test...for science
“It is clearly recognizable as a GT, but is clearly different from the other models,” says AMG boss Michael Schiebe of the GT 43. “It appeals to customers who love design and focus on elegance, but are unwilling to compromise on driving pleasure and driving dynamics. The rear-wheel-drive concept makes the GT 43 a very agile vehicle that will put a smile on your face on winding roads.”
We’ll have to take his word for it for now, but the figures are mightily impressive—the GT 43 manages 0-100kph in 4.6sec and will run on to a top speed of almost 280kph. There’s also AMG’s usual nine-speed automatic gearbox with a wet clutch and a simple passive suspension setup as standard.
Adaptive damping is available as an option, as is rear-wheel steering and the ‘AMG Dynamic Plus’ package. That includes dynamic engine mounts, an electronic rear diff, a ‘race’ drive mode, yellow brake calipers, and some active aero under the hood that creates a Venturi effect at speeds over 80kph.
There are some exterior styling changes, too, that’ll allow everyone to see that you’ve bought the four-cylinder GT as opposed to a V8. For a start, the arches are narrower as track width has been reduced, and there’s a new front end with a lower air intake that stretches right across the width of the car. A fixed rear wing is optional, and there’s a new rear bumper with circular exhausts—just as Merc did with the new SL in 43 form.
We’re told 19-inch alloy wheels will be standard with, 20- or forged 21-inch rims available as an option. There’s the same interior with a fully-digital dash and an 11.9-inch portrait infotainment screen. All told, the specs are plenty decent, so maybe this is just us, but we feel the V8 still reigns supreme...
More photos of the Mercedes-AMG GT 43 Coupe:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
