For decades, if you're looking to access the raw, untamed wildness of the automobile in its maddest forms, you ought to look no further than those three letters - A, M, and G. While some carmakers show you their crazy side with reserve and some modesty, Mercedes' skunkworks division will throw you into a power-slide straight towards a tree, giggling and plastering a huge grin on your face.
Burnt tyres, soiled trousers, and splashes of petrol in your face are what AMGs do best, and few drivers will ever learn to tame it. This is a preview of the perversions that mad German science has sowed into mankind, though unlike Dr. Frankenstein's monster, AMGs are things to adore and appreciate. At the very peak of its class is the Black Series, a moniker reserved only for the most deranged of AMGs. TopGear summarised it well as, a "skunkworks-within-a-skunkworks".
Since 2006, there has only been 5 cars to grace this badge, and now comes the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series to be the 6th to continue its prestigious bloodline. This is the pinnacle of what Mercedes can be in the realm of extreme performance, if you're not counting the still-delayed Project One hypercar, at least. It's also their champion to challenge their Stuttgart-based rival, Porsche's very own and equally insane GT2 RS.
Hell Hath No Fury.
Credits to: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Notice how many times I've used the synonym for "crazy" so far? Unlike ever other car to wear the its name, the GT is special as it's fully made in-house by AMG - just like the old gullwing-doored SLS - instead of a regular, tuned Merc. This meant that the same division who's managing the world's currently-dominating F1 team is taking the reins at designing, engineering, and fine-tuning it from the ground-up, with every detail.
This allows them the flexibility to make huge changes to the previously reigning-champion of AMG, the GT-R Pro. Key of which has been its engine, making it the most powerful V8-engine'd Mercedes in its 94-year history. At its core, it's still based on the same tried-and-tested 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. It's a fantastic engine in every regard, and balances itself well between the smoothness of natural-aspiration, mixed in with the punchy performance of forced-induction.
Unlike other GTs however, the Black Series pivots to a flat-plane crankshaft, specially designed for it. Summarising quickly, a crankshaft is a lobed shaft at the bottom of the engine that turns the reciprocal-motion of pistons being shot up and down, into rotational-motion that drives the wheels. Most V8s - including the Pro - use cross-plane crankshafts - where a 90° rotation of the crank results in one cylinder firing.
Credits to: Animagraffs - Car Engine
This design delivers power more smoothly, and causes fewer vibrations, but its larger construction requires more space, with added weight. Meanwhile, it uses a flat-plane crankshaft - where a cylinder fires every 180° rotation. It's lighter and more compact, while allowing the engine to rev higher and easier. However, the way it revs is not smooth by nature, with peak power only being accessible higher-up the RPMs.
The flaws can be fixed, and AMG's engineers changed the cylinders' firing-order to improve throttle response, and added horsepower with a smoother progression from the low-end. This is complemented with new camshafts, exhaust manifolds, anti-friction bearings, and bigger turbochargers. That latter is following the same "hot V" configuration, where the turbos are placed in-between the cylinder banks, helping them to spool-up faster.
Credits to: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
All these upgrades should not only remove the already minute illusion that the engine was turbocharged, but it makes the powerplant even more monstrous. It's rated at 730hp and 590lf-bt (800Nm) of torque, which is 145hp and 74lb-ft more than the already super-fast Pro variant. Acceleration is a mind-bendingly 3.2-seconds from 0-100km/h (62mph), and just under 9-seconds from 0-200km/h (124mph), onto a top-speed of 325km/h (202mph).
Those figures are behind the GT2 RS, but it would still be enough to test the limits of even the most skilled, and bold drivers. Within the family itself, it should behave more like moonshine, compared to the Pro's malt whisky. As God intended, it's purely rear-wheel driven, with an updated 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox mounted on the rear-axle for better weight-distribution. Speaking of, this one has a kerb-weight of 1,540kg - 35kg less than the Pro - which still isn't the lightest in its class, but pretty good all around.
The Dark Side.
Credits to: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
They've put the Black Series on a rather strict diet, including forging the driveshaft, transmission-mount, and rear anti-roll bar out of carbon-fibre. Hiding under that special Magmabeam-silver colour, its GT3 and GT4 inspired design is made from a sea of carbon-fibre as well, just poking at the surface. In a plastic surgery more radical than Michael Jackson, that racy body-kit is mostly carbon, as is the super-looooong bonnet, roof, hatchback, and its massive rear-wing.
Oh, and did I mention the windows are made from thinner glass, just to shave off some extra ounces? As it serves well to save on weight, those bits and pieces are also sculpted to make sure 730-horsepower don't go flying off the ground. The front-fascia has a larger grille - which also reminds me of Vader's mask - with a central-inlet for both cooling, and its redesigned bonnet helps to add downforce over the front-axle.
Those inlets help to stop the brakes from melting, and teamed with the shark gill-like vents on the front-wings to ventilate pressure. The poky front-splitter has two manually-adjustable positions, and in its most extreme "Race" setting, it can create a "Venturi Effect" underneath the car. This is basically a vacuum to suck the car closer to the road, thus increasing grip.
Credits to: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Side-skirts sharp enough to cut your feet aid in directing air to the rear, where you'll find a double-diffuser and even more ventilation for the wheel-arches. There are also quad-exhausts, which admittedly doesn't sound as good as it should, personally speaking. Also making sure that there's a total of 400kg of downforce pushing down on the car at 155mph (250km/h), AMG put not one, but three spoilers on the back.
Overall, they sit nearly as high as the car, and certainly wider than the cockpit. On the boot-lid itself is one tiny duck-tail spoiler. Shadowing above it is the gigantic rear-wing, similar to those used in GT and endurance-racing championships. Right on the middle-section of the wing's deck is another spoiler, in the form of a 20° flap that can be automatically-, or manually-adjustable.
A Tough Sell?
Credits to: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
If you're looking to calm down, then at least the interior is mostly devoid of craziness. There's more carbon, along with leather and Alcantara to give an inkling of luxury. Hugging you as life flashes before your eyes are racing-style bucket seats, fitted with 4-point harnesses. On the middle of the dashboard, there's even a small Lego-like knob where you can change the traction-control system - whether you want it slightly off, or very off.
If you crash, roll, and catch on fire, then worry not! A titanium roll-cage is fitted to prevent your skull from crushing, as does a handy lightweight fire-extinguisher for your convenience. Overall, this has the makings of a pretty exciting car, and it could hopefully mark the return to madness of AMG past. I think it's fair to say that there was a bit of disappointment when the Pro launched not too long ago, seemingly a half-hearted endeavour.
Credits to: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Although it was the crazy GT that we prayed for, it wasn't mad enough as it could've been. It felt as though they've intentionally put a leash around its neck, hinting at what could've been - and now we know the reason why. Plus, Mercedes had somewhat ruined the specialty of the AMG brand, after having stuck its name onto so many different cars and trim-levels, diluting its magnificence.
The GT Black Series then should be a joyous sight for many enthusiasts, keen to see the magic of AMGs staying alight even when regulators, politicians, and activists insist that we are to be driven around in autonomous-pods. If you're wanting to have a nibble, it'll cost you about £330,000. Quite a princely sum, and personally, I'd most rather spend it on a Ferrari 812 Superfast, just to enjoy the 12-cylinder goodness. But would you feel the same, or perhaps you might want a GT2 RS instead, or is there something else that tickles your jollies?
Credits to: Mercedes-Benz Canada - Tumblr
