Why is Mercedes-AMG in a hurry? Does it know something we don’t? The new AMG GT has only been on sale for a matter of months, and already there’s a ‘Pro’ version whacked on top of the range.
The old AMG GT took five years to get a ‘Pro’ spec, but when it arrived in 2019 it quickly became one of our very favorite German supercars. All that yummy AMG thunder and character, with even more precision than the already fabulous GT R.
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Here’s the new one, which you’ll spot thanks to enlarged grilles up front. These feed more air to the lower radiators, so you can pound around tracks for lap after lap and not expect any overheating warnings on the massive screens inside.
Cooling is a big theme for the Pro. The front and rear differentials for the 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system each have their own radiators to stop the diffs getting sweaty. These are fed by their own separate water pumps to keep everything in check. Cool.
Meanwhile, the V8’s got a tickle more power. Not much, mind: the 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 gains 27hp, taking it over the magic 600hp hurdle (603hp, to be exact) and more firmly into supercar territory.
Still a long way below the likes of the new Aston Martin Vantage and Porsche 911 Turbo S, mind you—maybe AMG is planning that for a new GT R. Which should be revealed in about eight minutes.
Torque has climbed by 50Nm, so all four wheels now apply 850Nm to the road. That’ll get you and your passenger from 0-100kph in 3.2 seconds and on your way to 317kph. AMG says the Pro is half a second quicker from 0-200kph than the stock GT 63.
And yes, that’s ‘passenger’—singular. Only a two-seater as standard, like the new 911 T-Hybrid, though you can option the GT’s rear seats back in.
What you can’t do with the Pro is select more aero. AMG-geeks will know you’ve bought the (current) top model thanks to that snoutier grille and the fixed rear wing which generates an extra 15kg of downforce. AMG says the front flicks reduce lift at the nose by 30kg.
But is it just us that think the wing looks a bit… meek? We weren’t expecting full Black series lunacy just yet, but if you’re calling your car ‘Pro’, why does the spoiler look amateur-hour?
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
