Some people play Badminton in their leisure time. Some play ping pong, and some play chess. The Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster is for those who like to jet ski.
Bear with me on that analogy – with the GT S Roadster that Mercedes-AMG has just announced, you get all of the kicks of the AMG GT S coupe, but you get to enjoy them out in the fresh air.
Slotting in between the current lineup of the AMG GT Roadster (for those that enjoy lycra-ing up of a weekend and heading out on a road bicycle) and the AMG GT C Roadster (for full-on lunatics who enjoy bobsledding in their spare time), the GT S Roadster gets the same twin-turbo AMG 4-litre V8, though in this instance it’s tuned to produce 515hp at 6250rpm and 494 lb-ft of torque between 1900 and 5000rpm.
That means it’s got the edge on the 469hp, 465 lb-ft GT Roadster, though isn’t quite as ballistic as the 550hp, 502 lb-ft AMG GT C Roadster.
Like all the best AMG Mercs, the GT S should still be able to get slidey at will thanks to that power being sent straight to the back wheels via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.
The driver will get the full cacophonous AMG soundtrack as we’ve come to expect, too, with the roof down-experience allowing the sound to carry direct from the performance exhaust system also offered on the AMG GT C to their ears – up to a certain point on the way to the car’s 192mph top speed at least before the wind does its thing.
0-60 is dispatched with in 3.7 seconds – which should be fast enough for those seeking thrills but not all-out speed. That time still brings it within a tenth of a second of the more speed-focused GT C Roadster, though.
Stopping power isn’t bad either, with that limited-slip diff combining with composite brakes – 15.2 inch fronts with six-piston calipers and 14.2 inch rears with single-piston calipers – that AMG say will provide exceptionally short stopping distances and an outstanding resistance to fading.
Aluminium has been used throughout the bodywork to keep weight to a minimum while ensuring rigidity, and the car’s centre of gravity is kept low thanks to use of a three-layered fabric soft top – for when the noise (or the weather) becomes too much for the occupamnts.
European order books are open now, but US customers will have to wait until later this year when the AMG GT S Roadster will reach US dealerships.
