New Mercedes-AMG GT C Coupe broadens supercar’s range

Supercars may be expensive cars with a limited customer base, but Mercedes-AMG reckons there’s space in its AMG GT range for another model. The new Mercedes-AMG GT C comes with a 549bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo engine and bridges the gap between the 515bhp AMG GT S and the 577bhp AMG GT R.

Mercedes-AMG already offers a ‘C’ version of the convertible AMG GT Roadster and this latest car means the Porsche 911, Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R rival is now available in six different forms. The GT C Coupe will go from 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 196mph.

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The new Mercedes-AMG GT C will initially be offered in limited ‘Edition 50’ trim, conceived to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AMG’s founding. The company started when two former Mercedes engineers decided to set up shop on their own, tuning stock Mercedes cars for extra power and racing pedigree. Mercedes liked what AMG was doing so much it bought the company in 1999.

New Mercedes-AMG GT C: design & engineering

Like the GT C Roadster, the AMG GT C Coupe benefits from a range of tweaks over the standard car. The distance between the rear wheels has been increased by 57mm for extra grip and handling prowess, while the automatically adjusting suspension and rear-wheel steering ensure corners can be dealt with even more quickly.

As with the AMG GT C Roadster, the GT S and GT R, the GT C coupe comes with an electronic limited-slip differential, which allows varying degrees of power to be deployed by the rear wheels, depending on how much grip is available.

AMG GT C Edition 50: trim highlights

Early GT C customers will be treated to – or limited to, depending on your perspective – Edition 50 trim. Two exclusive paint colours are offered with this package: ‘designo cashmere white magno’ (white) or ‘designo graphite grey magno’ (dark silver).

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Dark chrome is the theme of the day for external trimmings: the exhaust tips, rear diffuser, side skirts, myriad air vents and forged alloy wheels are all edged or clad in this material. Inside, soft Napa leather adorns the seats, while ‘Edition’ logos sit on the steering wheel and headrests.

Updates for Mercedes-AMG GT range

The AMG-GT range as a whole has benefitted from a wide range of improvements for 2017. All cars get a new ‘Panamericana’ radiator grille with vertical chrome bars, while active air vents remain closed at low speed for better aerodynamics, opening up in one second to improve engine cooling when required.

Power is up for some models, too: the standard AMG GT now produces 469bhp (a 14bhp increase), while the AMG GT S gets a further 12bhp, bringing its total output to 515bhp.

New Mercedes-AMG GT C Coupe: price & on-sale date

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There’s no official word yet on pricing for the new Mercedes-AMG GT C Coupe, but given the Roadster version goes for a shade under £137,000 (and typically costs £12,000 more than the Coupe), a £125,000 asking price seems likely for the GT C Coupe. Deliveries are expected this summer.