SPY PICS: AMG GT to appear next week

Mercedes-Benz will commence a slow-release reveal campaign for its all-new GT AMG supercar within a week, before it makes its global debut at the Paris motor show in October and goes on sale here next year.

Motoring.com.au understands Mercedes will release the first teaser image of the successor for its SLS AMG Gullwing on the eve of the New York motor show on April 16, before showing more of the car and some of its formidable technical specifications at the German F1 GP on July 18-20.

According to the UK’s Autocar magazine, the all-new coupe is now in the final stages of development testing and will be pitched as a far more affordable offering than the SLS.

It says pricing will be in the same ballpark as the Porsche 911 Carrera S and Aston Martin V8 Vantage – even though it will enjoy a handy power and torque advantage over both these rivals.

If pricing is indeed on par with the likes of the 911 Carrera S, it would mean an Australian entry point around the $265K mark for the GT AMG, which represents a saving of more than $200K vis-à-vis the soon-to-be-axed SLS.

Despite its cut-price positioning, the GT will still serve as the performance and style flagship for the three-pointed star’s range.

Autocar goes on to suggest the GT will have a six-year lifespan that will take it through to 2020, after which it will make way for a reborn SLS based on an all-new carbonfibre-rich platform

According to Autocar, the initial version of the GT will punch out around 388kW from its all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, putting it head and shoulders above the 911 Carrera S and V8 Vantage.

Channelling drive to the rear wheels will be an upgraded version of the SLS’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

A less hardcore variant with around 358kW will reportedly follow in 2016, and also said to be in the pipeline is a stove-hot 432kW GT Black Series that could theoretically shape up as a rival of sorts for the likes of the new Lamborghini Huracan.

Autocar reports the GT will be built around a modified version of the outgoing SLS’s aluminium body structure, weighing in around the 1480kg mark.

The GT will reportedly be more cutting-edge in appearance than the retro-laced SLS, even though it will retain the long-snout/short-tail proportions of the latter.

Even though the overall dimensions of the car aren’t expected to be dramatically different to the SLS, the iconic gullwing doors of the current coupe will be consigned to the rubbish heap. Apart from reducing mass, this move is also said to lower the centre of gravity and bring aerodynamic benefits.

Autocar suggests the GT will also usher in a liftback-style tailgate in lieu of the SLS’s boot to boost practicality.