It was previewed in concept form only in March but prototypes for Mercedes-AMG’s standalone sedan are already at a late stage of development.
We’re talking about the production version of AMG’s GT sedan concept that was unveiled in March at the 2017 Geneva auto show, and judging by the latest spy shots and video the production model will closely resemble the scintillating concept.
Look for the car, which is rumored to be called a GT 4, to go on sale in 2018. This means we’ll likely see it arrive as a 2019 model. It will be AMG’s third standalone model after the GT sports car and Project One hypercar which will have been launched by then.
The design is derived from the sexy lines of the GT sports car, although the headlights take on a more angular shape and the length of the hood has been shortened. Of course, the wheelbase has also been stretched and an extra pair of doors added.
The massive rear spoiler has been tacked on to hide the true shape of the fastback profile.
We only need look at the concept to gauge what the designers are planning.
Instead of utilizing a stretched version of the GT sports car’s aluminum spaceframe architecture, the sedan is more likely to ride on the MRA rear-wheel-drive architecture common to regular Mercedes-Benz models like the latest C- and E-Class. It’s possible AMG will make modifications to strengthen the architecture and perhaps reduce some weight.
Under the hood will sit AMG’s familiar 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 delivering in the vicinity of 500 horsepower. We’re not expecting the hybrid system previewed in the concept to be available at launch. The system, which pairs the V-8 with an electric motor mounted at the rear, delivers 805 hp and thus will likely be reserved for a range-topping variant.
Interestingly, Mercedes will be launching a new generation of its CLS around the same time that AMG’s GT 4 will be arriving, so there will be a bit of internal rivalry going on.
