2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro: Not for Amateurs

Lest the local valet wonder which Mercedes-AMG GT to park astern of the other, the German luxury brand has refreshed its performance coupe and roadster to differentiate the new from the ever-so-slightly old. Updated with styling tweaks, a refreshed interior and a hardcore performance variant, the 2020 AMG GT hits dealers in late 2019 — but visitors to the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show can see it starting this week as it makes its debut.

Like the cars it competes with — the Porsche 911 and Audi R8, among others — the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT comes in ascending levels of performance. For the coupe, that's the base, C, R and new-for-2020 R Pro. Meanwhile, the AMG GT roadster (that is, the convertible) comes in base and C variants. The AMG GT S, which slotted between the base and C for 2019, is gone.

2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Specs & Reviews
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Rejiggered LED headlights differentiate the nose, which looks otherwise similar to the 2016-19 AMG GT. In back, four tailpipes replace the prior two, though they occupy the same space as before. Coupes now have circular pipes, while the roadster keeps the trapezoidal ones. R models, meanwhile, retain a giant center-mounted exhaust with dual outboard pipes for additional sound.

Inside, the two-door AMG GT gets a new steering wheel and some, but not all, of the interior changes introduced in March on its four-door, not-so-related sibling. The tabletlike dashboard display is now 10.25 inches versus the prior 8.4 inches, with racetrack data logging that can record more than 80 metrics as you apex away. A new all-digital instrument display flanks the center display, but the two aren't conjoined on an ultrawide panel like they are on the four-door AMG GT. The center console trades buttons and knobs for the slimmed-down controls from the four-door AMG GT, but the air vents above them retain the current protruding design rather than the four-door car's flatter, CLS-style layout.

Beyond the AMG GT's six driving modes — Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, Race and a mix-and-match Individual mode — is a new AMG Dynamics system that dials back the car's electronic driving aids as you dial up more hardcore driving modes. The most extreme AMG Dynamics settings aren't even available on lesser versions of the AMG GT; Mercedes restricts them to the C and R variants.

Speaking of which, the AMG-GT R Pro turns what was already a track-ready car into something even more hardcore. With adjustment dials on the suspension itself, drivers can mechanically alter preload lengths for the springs, and the compression and rebound rates for the shock absorbers. The front suspension gets uprated bearings for its upper wishbones, while additional downforce comes from a redesigned bumper with an extended air splitter and air slots in the fenders.

Carbon-fiber elements that are optional on the AMG GT R are standard here. Retuned engine and transmission mounts, standard ceramic brakes, and unique colors for the wheels and brake calipers round out the changes. All of it comes in exclusive gray paint with light-green racing stripes, though Mercedes says you can skip that if you want to go more incognito.

Straight-line performance carries over, with the AMG GT (469 horsepower, 465 pounds-feet of torque) hitting 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, per Mercedes. The GT C (550 hp, 502 pounds-feet) drops the sprint to 3.6 seconds, while the GT R and GT R Pro (577 hp, 516 pounds-feet) trims that to 3.5 seconds.

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