Rear wheel steer works by actively altering the car’s wheelbase in a virtual sense, discretely steering the rear wheels in either direction thus improving manoeuvrability at any given speed. This feature greatly help today’s performance cars increase agility in tight corners, improve grip at high speed or even simply to decrease turning radius at the car park.
It makes all the difference, especially in big GT examples just like how the recent 911s had benefited so much from implementing it namely in the GT3, Turbo and now even in the more regular Carreras. The old conception where big cars can’t turn has suddenly become irrelevant.
But what’s surprising is how relevant AMG cars have now become. For decades, they were known to produce luxury hot rods that were awesome to look at but cumbersome to pilot. Easily allowing BMW M to dominate the market of performance Euros for a time, a long time in fact.
Hot Rod No Longer
It was not until the advent of current 4WD AMG 45 series that the world started to take notice of MB cars’ new found talent. Even so, it took time for critics to be fully convinced of AMG’s new line of formidable luxury hot hatches. Even the AMG63 range that has been prowling the streets for a while now saw major engineering improvements in the recent years, with their engine downsizing, forced induction, transmission and so on.
2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R
Engine: 3,982cc V8 Twin Turbo & Dry Sumped
Power: 585 @ 6,250rpm
Torque: 700nm @ 1,900rpm – 5,500rpm
Zerotohundred: 3.6 seconds
Top Speed: 318km/h
Transmission: 7-speed SPEEDSHIFT Dual Clutch Transaxle
Weight: 1,555kg
Price: Est. RM1.7 million OTR without insurance
Website: Mercedes Benz Malaysia
Mercedes AMG isn’t like before, they are no longer interested in building big engined luxury barges. Today, they are hungry for a chunk in the performance car market, wether it is sales figures or lap times, they want it all. Their appetite for world domination are obvious.
For example, the recent AMG43 releases are unmistakably brilliant driving machines that has both firepower and accuracy. Top features include superb 360hp V6 bi turbo engines that makes equally good music while its chassis, enhanced by way of 4Matic 4WD and electric damping.
What makes the GTR so special?
“The Mercedes-AMG GT R is a street-legal race car which spearheads the the AMG GT family, featuring many desirable characteristics of the GT3. It has exceptional driving dynamics and boasts benchmark performance statistics including a 0-100km/h acceleration of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 318km/h”
“This beast is without a doubt a true testimony to AMG’s racing DNA, the driving performance brand of Mercedes-Benz,” said Mark Raine, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Passenger Cars, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
1 – Airflow Management
Body
- Wide front splitter reduce frontal lift
- Extra air curtains on front fascia calms airflow, improving cd value of the AMG GT R
- Vertical air curtain openings guide air toward wheel arches, optimising airflow in this area.
- wheel arch liners has cooling-air slits to smoothen air flow through double wheel arches
- Fixed rear wing accentuates racing DNA of the AMG GTR
Active Underbody Aero
New active aerodynamics profile in the underbody consists of a carbon spoiler that moves downwards by 40mm at speeds of over 80km/h. This component changes airflow through the underbody substantially and creates a Venturi effect, further sticking the AMG GTR onto the ground. What’s interesting is, the entire component only weighs about 2kg but helps to create 40kg worth of downforce on the front axle at speeds over 250km/h.
Active Louvres
In the front, there are vertical louvres positioned in the lower area just behind the fascia. These active slats are electronically controlled and works by improving airflow to aid not just aero but also cooling. It takes only a second to close or open. It opens only wide and long enough to cool the heat exchangers, where otherwise remain close for the rest of the drive to prioritise aerodynamics.
2 – Digital Suspension
Coilovers
Just as serious as a race car, the AMG GTR runs on coil-over suspension. On top of that, AMG Ride Control allows each of its dampers to be individually and electronically controlled, and can adapt to road conditions, speed and so on.
AMG Dynamic Select Driving Modes
Nurburgring is where the AMG GTR was bred and having achieved its blistering lap time of 7:10.92, it wouldn’t be a surprise if AMG developed a selectable driving mode dedicated to the circuit. Well, they didn’t actually do that but “Sport Mode” is the closest you can get to having a “Nordschleife Mode”. It is one of the 3 dedicated AMG Dynamic Select driving modes available in the AMG GTR and it sits between Sport Plus Mode and Comfort Mode.
Comfort Mode:
Public roads – The most inconspicuous mode to drive the AMG GTR in, glides through city roads or the routine highway commute
Sport Mode:
Made for race circuits like the Nurburgring Nordschleife or where there are undulating surfaces or fast road driving up the chilly hills for example
Sport Plus Mode:
This is perfect for carving Sepang Circuit or modern GP circuits where the overall surface is flat and require high degree of structural rigidity
3 – Rear Wheel Steer
A first for any AMG car, the GTR’s rear wheel steering can change toe angle of the rear wheels by 1.5 degrees, adding plenty of agility and stability when dealing with corners, especially in small and winding circuits with multiple changes in direction. Yes, even at the slalom course apart from what’s been mentioned in my first paragraph.
This is done by removing the conventional rear control arms and replacing them with twin jackscrew electric motor actuators. The actuators push or pull to change the pivot angle of the rear wheels electronically. On top of that, the rear wheels steer feature also improves active safety of the GTR especially in sudden evasive manoeuvres which makes it easier to control at the limit.
Under 100km/h:
Rear wheels are turned in the opposite direction to the front wheels, corresponding to a virtual shortening of the wheelbase improving low speed manoeuvrability.
Above 100km/h:
Rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels, corresponding to a virtual lengthening of the wheelbase and improving handling stability.
4 – Power Delivery
AMG’s hand built twin turbo 4L V8 for the GTR now stands at 585hp and has a peak torque of 700nm. Just like the C63s coupe, the GTR employs the same V8TT but with a major difference in its lubrication system. Like every AMG GT model, the GTR runs on a dry sump system, making it possible for the V8 to sit lower in the engine bay, thus improving overall driving dynamics.
7 Speed Dual Clutch
The GTR’s 7 speed dual clutch transmission, which sits independently off the engine is configured in a transaxle layout and located at the rear axle. Engine power is sent to the rear transaxle transmission via a torque tube, much like a prop shaft in a rear drive car. In this case, the major seperation of engine and transmission actually helps with structural integrity as well as weight management of the GTR.
The AMG GTR’s dual clutch box has also been heavily revised by AMG engineers in both hardware and software to make it perform even better in race circuits.
5 – AMG Traction Control
This is exclusive to the GTR. A yellow knob that sits right at the centre of the dash gives drivers up to 9 levels of traction control. Lifted directly from AMG GT3 racecar, this knob allows allows full control of rear wheel slip, that is independant from the GTR’s own stability control ESP.
That means drivers can set the tail of the GTR to remain tame or wild at will, but still retain stability control in general.
- Level 1 is programmed for driving in the wet and has maximum safety in mind.
- Level 9 allows maximum slip on the rear wheels for maximum drift angles
Additional Media
Steve Sutcliffe thinks the GTR handles as well as the GTR Here:
