2018-03-29 01:00
A Mercedes-AMG GT R Clubsport is being developed to give customers a car with even sharper focus than the hardcore GT R, Auto Express has learned.
The Nordschleife-honed model has given Mercedes a viable rival for the Porsche 911 GT3. It has also stood up well against the Weissach brand’s more extreme GT3 RS - but now AMG chief Tobias Moers has revealed that his engineers are working on another version of their car, to ramp up its on-track performance even further.
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“Price-wise and positioning-wise, our GT R is between 911 GT3 and 911 GT3 RS,” Moers said.
“And so far we have been doing well in comparison tests conducted on race tracks. But we’re also working a little bit on a GT R... something. It’ll be a bit more race track-oriented. It’s lightened a little bit but it’s more of a track day version, for fun on circuits. We’re not talking about a competition car - not a GT3 or a GT4, but more a ‘Clubsport’. We’re having a good look at that.”
Recent spy shots from the Nordschleife have shown a bewinged Merc-AMG GT, and it’s believed that this is the Clubsport undergoing testing ahead of a debut within the next 12 months. We’d expect the GT R’s 577bhp powerplant to get an upgrade, taking it closer to 600bhp. It should also use lightweight parts and a stripped-out cabin to shed a few kilos for improved response and handling. The modifications could also include the adoption of some components from the race cars - although the car is expected to be road-legal.
Despite Moers referring to the car as Clubsport, or Club Sport, there’s no official confirmation on what the model will be called. A Mercedes spokesman denied all knowledge of the vehicle when contacted for clarification.
The new version of the GT will not be the most extreme edition in the car’s lifespan. Moers also acknowledged that work has started on a GT Black Series that will be introduced towards the end of the current car’s production run. “The development journey for Black Series is under way,” he said. “It’ll take us a while, but we’re working on it now.”
Would you take a track-focused Mercedes AMG GT R over a Porsche 911 GT3? Let us know in the comments...
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