“Just as it did with the SLS AMG, Mercedes-AMG has finally introduced a topless version of its GT sports car. And, as previously reported, the Roadster line-up is broken down into two distinct models.”
Dubbed the GT Roadster, the initial model is actually a topless version of the GT coupe and since it is the smallest in the pair, it boasts a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine tuned to deliver 349kW and 630Nm of torque (an increase of 9kW and 29Nm over the GT Coupe). Such power gives the roadster a run to 100km/h in the same 3.9 seconds of its hardtop sibling. The much more tamed GT C gains 410kW and 680Nm– that’s 35kW and 31Nm more than the GT S Coupe, delivering the same 3.7-second 0-100km/h time and goes on to a top speed of 302km/h.
Both models come equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission controlled by shift paddles and a limited-slip differential. However, the GT C features an electronically controlled differential (as opposed to a mechanical unit) and it offers an additional RACE driving mode.
The two roadster models use a three-layer cloth soft top, a setup chosen over a folding hard top because engineers were asked to keep the GT Roadster as light as possible. The top opens or closes in 11 seconds at speeds of up to about 50 km/h and it’s available in black, red, or beige.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster and GT C Roadster will greet the public for the first time in a couple of weeks during the Paris Auto Show. They’re both scheduled to arrive in showrooms next year, though pricing information has not been announced yet.