Wednesday, 7 March 2018 ()
Range-topping variant of AMG coupé will go head to head with Porsche's 911 GT2 RS and draw from the brand's GT4 racing car
Mercedes-AMG will launch its hardest and most extreme GT variant in 2020 under the Black Series moniker.
The range-topping car, first confirmed back in 2016 by AMG boss Tobias Moers, is now under development and is pipped to receive AMG's turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine in a state of tune close to 650bhp.
This figure would give the GT Black Series more firepower than the recently revealed GT four-door coupé, which has 439bhp, and dwarf the peak output offered by the current GT champion, the 577bhp GT R. It would also edge the model closer to one of the category's most radical models, the 690bhp Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
The GT Black Series' extra grunt will be accompanied by a more focused chassis and aerodynamic set-up. A recently spotted development car dressed in GT R clothing at the Nürburgring is believed to be part of the Black Series test programme and offers some clues as to what's to come.
The test GT wears more extreme bodywork that borrows parts from AMG's GT4 racing car, with a fixed rear wing and exhaust exits now farther apart in the diffuser than their normal central position. These changes will enhance downforce at the car's rear. No doubt similar pressure adjusting features will be added to the front to ensure the car has a balance fit for track work, while larger brakes and wider wheels are also expected.
Also visible on the test car is a polycarbonate rear window, which will save weight. Its use suggests several other mass-trimming parts will be fitted to the Black Series, while non-essential parts could be ditched. Inside the photographed development car are a pair of sports seats and a roll cage. Although the latter is available as an option on the GT R, it’s likely to be standard on the Black Series.
The 2020 arrival of the GT Black Series will mark a return for AMG's most extreme moniker after a seven-year hiatus. The last Black Series model was based on the SLS and entered production in 2013.
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