And he loved it.
"The start-up Ka-ka-ka-BOOOOOOOOM of the new twin-turbocharged GT S coupe is, if anything, even more cacophonous than the last generation normally aspirated AMG V8s. With the exhaust flaps set to noisy, it booms and fidgets at idle and each little exploratory prod of throttle sees the revs shoot above 4000rpm and is followed by great cracks and crackles of ECU overrun fakery.
Even when stationary, the GT S is more exuberant than a Porsche 911 at full-chat."
"I expected this car to be belter, but it’s actually exceeded expectations. I need to go for a pootle on the road and try the gearbox in slush mode and see what the ride is like with the dampers in pillow mode and then tell you more about the packaging and the cabin and the size of the glovebox, but right now I love the quasi-hot rod character matched against some real track ability – wrapped in a body that works outside the sports-car cliché."
"
The chassis is better still. That short wheelbase brings more agility than in the Gullwing, the car turns accurately and predictably and as a driver you feel more naturally positioned within the car than in the long-nosed SLS. The standard Pilot Super Sports grip really well at the front axle and
traction is really superb – better than the SLS. But what really surprised me, and what confirms all the hard work on eliminating turbo-lag is the way you can adjust the line with the throttle several times in a given turn.
The car feels adjustable and playful."
"With the powertrain set to Sport Plus, the ESP in Sport mode and the dampers in the firmest position,
anyone could drive the GT fast. The ESP and ABS intervention is so smooth and progressive you hardly know they’re working and you take huge liberties trail-braking into turns.
The brakes, optional ceramics on the test car, are immense – no fade after four laps of Laguna. The whole powertrain is suspended on dynamic engine mounts that can stiffen when needed: you can feel them working on the track and it feels more nimble than the 1540kg kerb weight would suggest."
"And it’s a characterful motor – the volume is high, the urge is instant and the over-run crackles get louder the harder you try.
It doesn’t quite have the same response as the last M156 normally aspirated AMG V8, but it counters by offering brutal mid-range and, dare I say it, an even better noise."
https://grrc.goodwood.com/road/drive...ercedes-amg-gt