Remember what we said about the V12 Mercedes-AMG SL 65 making the SL relevant again? Yeah, well, unfortunately it appears that the SL lineup is irrelevant again. That's because Affalterbach, Germany has just decided to announce two incredibly exciting topless models that will steal the hearts of anyone looking for a two-seat Mercedes with a view of the heavens. Let us introduce you to the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster and the AMG GT C. To build the fabric-topped twins, Mercedes had a bit of a hard time.
It had to make one affordable for buyers who care less about speed and more about looks and another for the speed freaks, but it had to do so by carefully balancing the temptation to use fresh-off-the-press technology from the AMG GT R without sending a middle finger off to those who hold a preorder for the green track machine. The result is the two roadster models we see here. While both house the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 behind their Panamericana grilles as the rest of the AMG GT lineup, there are obvious discrepancies in power. As its name implies the AMG GT Roadster is the more regular car of the batch. It's based off of the AMG GT (not the AMG GT S) and as such, carries over 476 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque.
That's a hair more than the GT and less than the GT S, but this is done so that the GT Roadster can keep up with the GT coupe despite gaining the weight associated with the convertible transformation. Unfortunately the extra power isn't enough to catch up in a 0-60 mph run because the GT Roadster makes the run in 4.0 seconds, 0.1 more than it takes the regular GT. If things like this bother you, then maybe you should be looking at the GT C. Like the GT S and GT R, the little letter designates this roadster as something special. The engine is the most obvious recipient of the change. That's because the GT C makes 557 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. That's 54 more horsepower than the GT S and 20 fewer ponies than the GT R.
Check out the video below to see the epic AMG GT C in action.
Still, the AMG GT C manages 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, exactly the same as the AMG GT S, although Mercedes didn't stop there. It also decided to make the GT C more special by adding a few toys from the GT R. These include the wider track at the rear that plants the car more firmly in the corners, accommodates for larger tires, and, wait for it, allows the standard rear-wheel steering system do its job. Both cars feature the same 7-speed dual-clutch automatic that's housed on the rear transaxle for better weight distribution. The GT C also features the same five transmission settings as the GT R comprising of comfort, sport, sport +, RACE, and individual. The GT Roadster features all of those save for the RACE setting.
Also borrowed from the GT R is the active air management system that involves operable louvers under the front end of the car that open to improve cooling or close to lessen wind resistance. Widening the gap between the GT C and GT Roadster are a few extra goodies such as an electronic locking rear differential as opposed to the Roadster's mechanical one, AMG Ride Control, and emphasis on a wider rear end to skew some Porsche 911 Cabriolet buyers over to the AMG side. Patience is a virtue in the auto industry, so to see a comparison between those two cars, we'll have to exercise it and wait until fall of next year. Hopefully pricing information will emerge sooner, but for now, we're just happy that Mercedes is sticking to its promise to beat on Porsche.
