Introduction
It was in the latter half of the last decade that there seemed to be an unusually rapid development in supercar designs. Leading this movement was the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Mercedes SLS AMG and while the 458 Italia remained on sale up until early this year, the SLS AMG’s stint was rather short-lived, with production ending in early 2014.
Mercedes, however, unleashed its successor – the AMG GT S last year and now this long-hooded two-seater coupe has officially arrived in India at a cool Rs 2.40 crore. At this price point, Mercedes may have a lot to worry because the AMG GT S is not only more expensive than the competition i.e. the Jaguar F-Type R coupe and the Porsche 911 Turbo, but also down on horsepower a bit although with 503bhp from its twin-turbo V8, the AMG GT S is anything but underpowered, even for a flagship coupe.
Looks
The AMG GT S is the second only model to have been entirely developed by AMG (after the SLS AMG) and the SLS influence can be seen through traditional rear-wheel drive design cues such as the long hood and a cabin that has been placed far back. The overall silhouette may be pretty similar to that of the SLS; however, the AMG GT S misses out on the former’s iconic gullwing doors.
Like the GT S, the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe leaves a deep imprint in the minds of those in awe of its long hood, low roofline and tapering cabin. While the bulging front and rear wings do a good job of highlighting the F-Type R Coupe’s potential as a blazingly quick sports car, the headlights and the grille look comparatively modest and could do with a lot more flair.
The Porsche 911 Turbo, on the other hand, uses the German firm’s tried and tested rear-engine layout and as a result, its inherent appeal is not as pervasive as the other two cars here. Some might argue that all 911 Turbos have basically looked the same for the past four decades but there is no denying the fact that Porsche has extensively worked on keeping the 911 fighting fit against today’s supercars and the efforts can be seen in the existing 991-generation Turbo model which combines the 911’s timeless silhouette with modern age Porsche bits like the full LED headlights and active front spoiler and rear wing.
Interior
True to its grand tourer tag, the old SLS AMG had a luxuriously appointed cabin and the new AMG GT S is no different. If anything, the AMG GT S’ cabin seems even better and yet manages to keep the sporty quotient in place with the chunky three-spoke steering wheel and race-car like bucket seats. Unlike hard-core Porsches wherein one has to shell extra for basic luxuries, the AMG GT S comes with dual-zone air conditioning, auto-dimming mirrors and an infotainment system as standard.
In comparison, the F-Type R Coupe’s cabin looks quite straightforward. The touchscreen multimedia system and the instrument cluster especially do not look particularly sporty. The F-Type, however, has a few neat tricks up its sleeve like the air-con dials with displays and retractable centre air vents. In the R Coupe, the leather seats come with the 'R' logo embossed on the headrests. They also feature inflatable side-bolstering for high-speed cornering.
The interior of the 911 Turbo, like the exterior, is pretty much like its predecessors though Porsche has made key changes to the centre console and the instrument panel. The latter is based on the 991 generation’s unit and therefore also houses a colour display. The instrument cluster itself differs from that of the 911 Carrera models with the help of its black dials and a "turbo" logo.
Performance
Both the AMG GT S and the F-Type R Coupe follow the traditional front-engine rear-wheel drive layout while the 911 Turbo sticks to Porsche’s finely developed rear engine all-wheel drive layout. The newest car here – the AMG GT S gets a 4-litre V8 engine that puts out 503bhp of power and 650Nm of torque, all thanks to twin turbochargers. This engine is paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox that allows the GT S to hit 100kmph from standstill in just over 3 seconds. Additionally, Mercedes-AMG is also offering a performance exhaust with adjustable exhaust flaps, electronic locking differential, controlled damping and optional ceramic discs.
If you think that’s crazy, wait till you get a load of the F-Type R Coupe’s 5-litre supercharged V8 that makes 550bhp of power and 680Nm of torque. The supercharged engine is paired to Jaguar’s familiar 8-speed gearbox that has been recalibrated for this car’s engine. The end result is a 0-100kmph sprint time of 4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of around 300kmph. The F-Type R Coupe also gets adaptive suspension that monitors and adjusts vertical body movement, electronic rear differential and ceramic brake discs as optional extra.
The 911 Turbo’s 3.8-litre flat six engine may seem puny in this company, but thanks to turbocharging, it produces 520bhp and 660Nm. Better still, the engine makes around 560bhp in its more expensive Turbo S guise. The 911 Turbo is also offered with Porsche’s Sport Chrono package that offers up to 750Nm of torque for up to 20 seconds in the midrange.
Thanks to a highly advanced all-wheel drive system and a super quick dual-clutch gearbox, the 911 Turbo along with the optional Sport Chrono package can accelerate from 0-100kmph in 3.2 seconds, making it the quickest accelerating car off the line from this lot.
Summary
With their front-engine rear-wheel drive layout, V8 motors and generously equipped cabins, the AMG GT S and the F-Type R Coupe can be deemed as ludicrously powerful and sporty gran tourers, while the iconic 911 Turbo is a rewarding track tool that can also be taken out on to the streets more often than you would think.
At Rs 2.40 crore, the Mercedes-AMG GT S is the least pocket-friendly of the trio; however, it would be unethical to compare these cars primarily on pricing. After all, what truly makes cars like these so special is their ability to inhabit our minds and more importantly, our hearts. And in this regard, the AMG GT S, the F-Type R Coupe and the 911 Turbo are quite closely matched.
