Mercedes will reveal their ultimate sports car, the AMG GT R Black Series, in mid-2020. And it will have a brand new motor.
Although that motor still sounds an awful lot like the current one.
We last heard of the upcoming Black Series GT R last year with the release of the GT R Pro. Only the best of the best at AMG wear the Black Series moniker, and the best GT R was rumored to produce even more power than the GT R Pro’s 585 horses.
As a reminder, the regular GT R has a 4.0-L twin-turbo V8 with 577 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque. Zero to sixty takes just 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 198 mph.
Speaking to Wheels Magazine on the floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show, AMG head Tobias Moers said that the Black Series GT R will have a totally new V8 engine that is a "momentous step up from GT R Pro.”
Moers went on to say it’s still a 4.0-L twin-turbo V8 that uses the same block as the regular GT, "but it's a different engine.” No details beyond that were provided, other than to add it was "not a typical AMG V8.” Wheels took that to mean that there would be various mechanical improvements, and Moers further added that there would be no electrification with Mercedes’ EQ Boost technology.
Rumors point to an output of around 690 horsepower, which would catapult the GT R Black Series to the same realm as the McLaren 720S, Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
Along with the greater power, the Black Series would also employ various aero tweaks likely derived from the GT R Pro, including new suspension, active aerodynamic elements, and a larger rear wing. Moers said that the AMG One--Mercedes' upcoming hypercar--also contributed with some tire technology.
Expect to see the GT R Black Series sometime in the middle of 2020. Moers has already tested the production model, so it’s closer to finished than not.