A few years ago, you would not have been blamed for simply assuming that sports cars are not really a thing for Indian roads. Contrary to this general belief, the recent line of launches and upcoming cars in India have been steadily adding a slew of beastly engines to the Indian roads. Enter, the Mercedes-AMG GT-R.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster (seen in the photo above) and the GT-R form a formidable pair of street-legal race cars. Both share the similar, aerodynamic-enhanced chassis with intelligent, adjustable elements to get the most out of the car. They form the latest part of Mercedes-Benz India's long line of launches over the last three months or so – from the new, extended wheelbase E-class sedan, to the AMG GLC coupe launched a while back.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster is powered by a 4-litre, bi-turbo V8 engine that produces 476 brake horsepower and 630Nm of torque. It can hit 100kmph from static in flat four seconds, and go all the way up to a top speed of 302kmph. We urge you to try it out if you can find the roads for it.
Inside, the AMG GT Roadster has a soft top that can be opened at up to 50kmph, and takes a total of 11 seconds to open up. You also get plush fabric all over, and AMG-branded sport seats that hug the body fairly tightly. Also present is the Mercedes COMAND infotainment system.
Mercedes' top of the line COMAND infotainment system offers every single functionality you can imagine, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dedicated advanced navigation, drive assist and alert systems, a host of sensor-tied prompts, and the standard array of entertainment features. This one gets a separate AMG mode, which adds a radar compass, a lap timer, temperature details and driving dynamics. Inside, the piano black central pillar gets eight circular buttons for a host of functions – suspension adjustment, traction control, infotainment system, drive mode selection, and the COMAND toggle and touch pad.
The Mercedes-AMG GT-R, dubbed the 'Beast of the Green Hell' by Mercedes-AMG, is powered by the same engine, but this one here produces a staggering 585 brake horsepower and 700Nm of torque. 0-100kmph comes up in only 3.6 seconds, and top speed is 318kmph. This is the hardtop one, and gets plenty of carbon fibre additions like the rear spoiler, ORVM claddings and so on. Both the cars get AMG Ride Control sport suspension, SpeedShift DCT 7-speed sport transmission, AMG traction control and more. Exclusive to the GT-R are the performance exhaust system with titanium elements, 10-twin-spoke lightweight AMG Performance forged wheels, and an Interior Night package to add to the ambiance inside.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster, meanwhile, gets what AMG calls the 'Airscarf' – adjustable air vents placed on the head restraints of the sport seats. This allows for better conditioning of temperature when you drive top-down. The technology has been around in a lot of Mercedes-Benz cabriolets, and comes to this one as well. Other smart elements for both the cars include an active rear-wheel steering, nine-way adjustable traction control, and adjustable coil-over suspension with electronic control. All of this is tailor-designed to give you loads of customisations when it comes to ride quality and driving dynamics.
Mercedes-AMG India now has 12 performance cars under its portfolio, giving a positive nod to India's growing performance car arsenal. The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster is priced at Rs. 2.19 crore, and the AMG GT-R is priced at Rs. 2.23 crore, ex-showroom pan-India. If you happen to live for driving, are incredibly fascinated by the legendary AMG badging and happen to have a lot of money to spare, these are the cars you must go for.