Top Off The Pyramid

The 550hp Mercedes-AMG GT C is the fastest of Merc’s convertibles. A lucky Nikhil Bhatia has a go in one.

- Nikhil Bhatia

With canyons in the distance and threatening cactus by the roadside, Arizona in the US offers the sort of setting where you would half expect to see Wile E Coyote giving chase to Road Runner. I’m here in a road runner of my own. It’s called the Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster and it is one mad machine.

The Roadster is the new droptop version of the Mercedes-AMG GT which was so far available only in coupé form. This drive of the Roadster also happens to be our introduction to the updated GT range. In a nutshell, there are a few design changes common to all GTs, more power from the 4.0-litre engine and even more versions on offer. Let’s go one by one, shall we?

The revised GT family is identifiable by the new ‘Panamericana’ grille whose vertical bars serve as a visual link to Mercedes’ Carrera Panamericana race cars of the ’50s. Also hidden behind the grille are new louvres that open/close depending on the cooling requirements of the engine. When there is no need for additional cooling, the louvres stay shut to reduce drag. As for the 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8, it’s been worked on for more power. On the standard GT, it now makes 469hp and 630Nm (up 13hp and 30Nm), while on the GT S it has been uprated to 515hp and 671Nm (up 12hp and 30Nm).

Altogether, the GT range has expanded; brace yourself for information overload. In addition to the GT, GT S and range-topping 577hp GT R Coupes, there’s the new GT Roadster and this all-new GT C Roadster. The GT C Roadster (there will soon be a coupé too) slots in between the GT S and GT R Coupes on the power scale with outputs of 550hp and 680Nm. Visually and mechanically though, the GT C is closer to the full-blown GT R, thanks to its 2.25-inch wider rear fenders, wider track and four-wheel steering system. It is the bee’s knees.

IT WAS ALL YELLOW