Walking home in the snow last night maybe me ache for summer and, as if it was sympathetic to my plight, Mercedes revealed the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster—a 577 horsepower convertible with a top speed of 197 mph. You know, for when those hot days return and you need to cool off.
I love convertibles. I especially love a convertible with a wing. The Audi TT RS, 911 Turbo, S2000 CR—all enthusiastic yeses from me. The addition of the wing always adds the touch of visual balance I often find convertibles need, and it’s just convenient that they usually end up being the high performance models.
This high performance convertible is the drop-top sibling to the regular AMG GT-R. It gets a four-liter AMG biturbo V8 with 577 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed just 3 mph shy of 200, according to Mercedes. That’s paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The car gets a lowered, adaptive suspension compared to the regular GT Roadster, with a widened track, electronically controlled locking differential, active engine mounts, a carbon fiber torque tube, rear-wheel steering, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, lightweight soft top construction, a sports exhaust, five drive modes with an additional individual setting and four additional dynamics settings that adjust the stability control system.
The car also has a trick active aerodynamic carbon fiber piece that lowers in certain performance driving conditions under the car, shaping the air flow and creating the Venturi effect for increased downforce at the front of the car.
Inside, the car gets carbon fiber trim, diamond-stitched leather, a digital driver display, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and Airscarf in-seat neck warming and cooling for when you stubbornly refuse to put the roof up.
There’s also two levels of a carbon fiber exterior package and a composite brake option available. Mercedes is only building 750 of these for a yet-unannounced price, and it will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show this week.
To me this is the best the AMG GT has ever looked, at least up to now, with the contrasting roof and wing help break up a design I otherwise always found to be a bit bulbous and slabby. I’m also just a sucker for a fancy, expensive Benz, especially when I can put the roof down.