Mercedes-AMG has been celebrating its 50th birthday this year with a raft of special edition models including a range of unique roadsters and the ultra-limited GT3 Edition 50 - but the celebrations are far from over. As we know, its 50th birthday party will culminate with the reveal of the revolutionary Project One hypercar at Frankfurt this September. But before then, Mercedes-AMG has announced that the entire GT family will be receiving some significant updates for the 2018 model year, with additional power, equipment and cosmetic changes.
First introduced in 2014, the aggressive AMG GT family has rapidly expanded since its debut. For the base model, both the coupe and roadster retains AMG's signature 4.0-liter V8 engine which has been tuned to deliver 469 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, representing a 13-hp increase over the 2017 model. The more potent GT S model, meanwhile, has received a power bump up to 515 hp and 494 lb-ft of torque, giving a 12 hp advantage over the 2017 model. If that still doesn't satisfy your appetite for performance, the GT C revealed at this year's Detroit Auto Show extracts 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft from the same AMG engine.
Of course, if you want the most hardcore car in the line-up, look no further than the range-topping GT R which packs a menacing 577 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. It's not all about performance upgrades, though. Every member of the GT family now wears the GT R's distinctive Panamericana front grille and larger air intakes. As standard, every GT car also now features the GT R's Airpanel active aero system comprising of electrically operated vertical louvers located at the bottom of the front bumper, as well as new sport suspension lifted from AMG's race cars. More equipment is also available for every GT coupe as optional extras, including the AMG Interior Night Package.
This package wraps the majority of the cabin in high-gloss black. There's also the AMG Exterior Carbon Fiber, which, as the name implies, covers the front splitter, side fins, mirror housings, and side skirts in carbon fiber. New 19- and 20-inch wheels, and a nappa leather trim are also now available. Rounding off the extensive updates is the "Edition 50" package available for the GT C. As the name implies, the package celebrates AMG's 50th anniversary and will be limited to 50 coupes and roadsters when the GT C goes on sale this fall. Each car will be finished in an exclusive "designo Graphite Grey Magno" paint finish combined with black chrome accents and a unique "Edition 50" badge to distinguish it.
More "Edition 50" logos can be found in the interior, along with the aforementioned AMG Interior Night Package. With Mercedes-AMG rolling out all these GT updates, it's surely only a matter of time before it lifts the wraps off the hardcore GT Black Series which has already been spotted being put through its paces at the Nurburgring.
