Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO coming here after all

Like a politician flip-flopping on pledges pre- and post-election, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed one of its fastest-ever AMG models will come to Australia this year after ruling it out for local release last year.

Priced from a heady $453,200 plus on-road costs, the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO will arrive in Australia in late August ahead of first customer deliveries in September.

Commanding an $84,500 price premium over the ‘regular’ Mercedes-AMG GT R ($368,700 plus ORCs), the heavily upgraded and track-ready (but still street-legal) two-seat coupe is powered by the same thunderous twin-turbo V8 but gets aero, suspension, bodywork and interior upgrades.

Only 15 versions of the German V8 super-coupe will be offered here – the last of a global production run of 750 vehicles – all fitted with the track package (read: roll cage).

The Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO was initially ruled-out for Australia in favour of the even hotter new Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, the launch of which has been delayed by COVID-19.

But recent demand for the Nurburgring-tuned track weapon will now see the top-shelf AMG GT released here after all. And we understand that several of the 15 rear-drive sports cars have already been snapped up.

Propelled by the same 430kW/700Nm 4.0-litre biturbo V8 as the Mercedes-AMG GT R, which also donates its rear-mounted seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the GT R PRO dispatches the 0-100km/h dash in just 3.6 seconds.

A lot of the car’s development took its lead from the GT3 and GT4 AMG race cars; we’re talking coil-over suspension with spherical bearings on the rear upper wishbones and adjustable spring preload and compression/rebound damping.

A carbon-fibre torsion bar up front is matched by a steel item at the rear – both of which are adjustable. Even the electronically controlled engine and transmission mounts have been tweaked to deliver better performance at the limit.

Rigidity has been improved by fitting a carbon-fibre shear panel at the rear, while low-mass forged alloy wheels and ceramic composite disc brakes also help bring the car's weight down.

All Aussie models come with the carbon body package as standard equipment, adding a carbon-fibre front splitter, side sill inlays, rear diffuser and roof, the latter designed to improve helmet clearance. The side mirrors, door trims, door sills, centre console trim and large rear wing are also made from carbon.

The front-end design is plenty aggressive, with a race-inspired splitter that extends forward and gains a pair of metal struts to ensure rigidity. There are also two side flics on the front apron, all of which is designed to improve downforce over the front axle.

All Aussie versions of the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO will be fitted with the Track Pack, which adds a bolted steel roll cage and a pair of four-point safety harnesses with two rear braces. The car also comes with regular three-point seatbelts. Translation: it’s street legal.

The AMG bucket seats are clear-coated carbon-fibre jobbies, upholstered in Nappa leather for a touch of class when ripping out hot laps.

Speaking of which, the AMG GT R PRO recorded a rapid Nurburgring Nordschleiffe lap time of 7:04.632 – making it a solid six seconds quicker than its donor car, the AMG GT R.

“We are very pleased to have secured a limited quantity of the AMG GT R PRO for our Australian customers who want to take the already impressive AMG GT R to the next level in performance,” said Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific CEO, Horst von Sanden.

Stay tuned for our full review of the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO later in 2020.