Rejoice, Affalterbach-loyal track rats, because barring the One hypercar, Mercedes-AMG has unveiled what might just be its most extreme road-going model yet. With styling and specs that make the GT R Pro look timid, the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series looks to be Merc's few-holds-barred answer to Porsche's 700-horsepower 911 GT2 RS.
Headlining the Black Series' feature set (and serving as an immediate one-up over the aforementioned Porsche) is a 720-horse, 4.0-liter, flat-plane crank, bi-turbo V8. In addition to the expected noise enhancements, the flat-plane crank configuration is also said to come with smoother power delivery, more torque at low revs, and, the company says, better throttle response. In case you're the sort of enthusiast who likes to focus on quantity rather than quality, it's the most powerful AMG V8 ever.
New camshafts, new exhaust manifolds, bigger compressor wheels in the turbos, and a larger intercooler contribute to deliver 590 pound-feet of torque available from 2,000 to 6,000 rpm. Funneling all of this to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission results in a zero to 60 mph time of 3.1 seconds. The AMG Black Series will also reach 124 mph in less than nine seconds and top out at 202, a speed which AMG responsibly points out as "only sensible on closed-off racetracks."
For better or worse, this car's outward styling is equally, if not even more, extreme than what lurks underneath. Sporting an enlarged catfish-like grille, the Black Series looks like an AMG GT that spent one too many weekends at the Honda Civic Type R School of Aerodynamics and Design. Okay, maybe that's a little unfair considering it actually takes after the company's AMG GT3 race car. There are downforce-producing and temperature-regulating vents, wings, and fins absolutely everywhere.
Visible carbon fiber is used for the roof, rear hatch, actively adjustable rear spoiler and manually adjustable front splitter while less visible carbon can be found making up the transmission mount, shear panels and front sway bar. The carbon torque tube connecting the engine to the rear axle is 40 percent lighter than the one found in the regular GT.
Connecting the track-ready AMG to the tarmac is a set of 19-inch wheels up front and 20s in the back which can be wrapped in two different versions of Michelin's Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires specifically developed for this car, one made of a harder, longer-lasting compound or another with softer rubber for max grip. Coilover suspension with adjustable spring preload and adaptive damping keep things where they should be while ceramic brakes are, naturally, standard equipment.
Official pricing and production numbers have yet to be announced but considering the GT R Pro that slots underneath this already goes for around $200,000, don't expect the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series to be very economical in any sense of the word.
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