Mercedes-AMG GT R: reviewed

How does the 'beast of the Green Hell’ fare on British roads? Is it worth £143,000?

Hell really is a place. At least, it does if it’s a Green Hell you’re talking about. That’s what aficionados call Germany’s Nürburgring track, the fearsome high speed romp through unforgiving countryside where various car manufacturers like to claim bragging rights for fast laps achieved by their products.

Mercedes has run its AMG GT R around there in a shorter space of time than any other rear-wheel-drive production car before it. So, predictably perhaps, they’re calling the GT R ‘the beast of the Green Hell’ – and, of course, they’re painting it green.

But is it a car that will make your neighbours green with envy if they see one parked on your drive? Well, it might very well make them green with nausea if they have sensitive hearing, because this is a ludicrously loud vehicle even when it’s in its most laid-back Comfort mode. Turn to Sport or Race and activate the switchable performance exhaust and the apocalyptic rumble at idle will have your neighbours frantically searching through the attic for Granddad’s old Army helmet. Give it a rev and the pops and bangs will definitely make them think the attack has started.

How quick was the beast around that Green Hell, then? Anything under 8 minutes is seriously quick. The AMG GT R did it in 7min 10sec, 11 seconds quicker than Ferrari’s not exactly slow 488 GTB, and a scant 13 seconds slower than Porsche’s benchmark-setting four-wheel-drive 918 Spyder hypercar.

Trouble is, quick circuit cars don't always deliver on public roads, and that goes double for our British ones. Is the GT R all mouth and trousers, or can it really mix it in the real world with excellent all-rounder supercars like the McLaren 540C and the Audi R8?

Let’s start with the power. The engine is the same twin-turbo V8 that appears in the standard GT, but it’s been ramped up by 107bhp to produce a new figure of 577bhp. That goes to the back wheels by way of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Hoooliganism is never far from the menu with a car like this, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating: super-sticky Michelin tyres developed exclusively for the R help it to get its power down surprisingly well. The 0-62mph run is over in 3.6sec, a bit longer than the time achieved by the 4WD Audi R8, but once you’re past the 50mph the GT R gains speed nearly as manically as the Audi.

So we can tick the speed and sound boxes, but what about the GT’s old bugbear of rather heavy-handed handling compared to the finest supercars? The good news here is that the GT R is a lot more poised than the straight GT, courtesy of its extra width between the wheels, its specialised suspension, rear-wheel steering, and active aerodynamics.

Admittedly, it’s not class-leadingly delicate though tight corners, or when it’s being asked to execute a quick direction change, but there isn’t much that can beat it on fast sweepers. A McLaren 540C or Audi R8 will steer more sweetly, but there’s nothing wrong with the accuracy of the Merc’s set-up.

Fears about the ride being tooth-loosening are unfounded. In default mode the suspension does a very competent job of soaking up most bumps, although again the Macca or R8 will top it.

They won’t top it on visual drama though. Inside, there’s a fair acreage of manmade suede and gloss black trim, with perhaps rather too many of the plastics you wouldn’t find in an Audi or Porsche. The infotainment system is less than intuitive, and the bonnet is so long you’ll find yourself relying on the standard front parking sensors.

The cabin’s vast centre console keeps the passengers well apart and is festooned with various driving set-up buttons, up to and including the adjustment of throttle response, suspension stiffness and exhaust volume. What’s that again? EXHAUST VOLUME. Oh yes. That odd looking yellow knob above the air-con switches varies the level of stability control intrusion, from the extreme of immediate step-in at the slightest hint of over-enthusiasm right through to You’re On Your Own. That last one is really for track use only.

The Green Hell paint job costs £7500, but you don’t have to have it: red, silver and grey are also on offer. So are carbon-ceramic brakes, a catalogue full of styling upgrades and a track package of roll cage, fire extinguisher and a four-point seat harness.

If you just want to make yourself feel good and make others sick with jealousy, the Mercedes-AMG GT R is a shoe-in. The noise and acceleration are unlikely to get old any time soon, and then there are the bonus features of incredible grip and surprising user-friendliness, bonnet and infotainment system apart.

The GT R isn’t the world’s best supercar. If you wanted to go crazy-fast down a typical British lane, we’d still point you in the direction of the cheaper and more chuckable McLaren 540C or Audi R8. But we’d fully understand if you ignored common sense and went GT R.

Tony Middlehurst is a writer for WhatCar.