New Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series to cost from £335,000

The Black Series has returned in the form of the AMG GT Black Series - but it'll cost you...


by: Jordan Katsianis
3 Aug 2020
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Local pricing for the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series has been revealed, with the flagship AMG model to cost £335,000 when it reaches UK customers this Autumn. The new GT Black Series signals a return to the auspicious label after seven years, last appearing on the GT’s predecessor the SLS in 2013. The division has typically acted almost as a skunkworks set-up within AMG, creating models with the reputation of being extreme, uncompromising and hugely exciting. Based on the information released, the new GT Black Series should be no different.



First and foremost, the new GT Black Series signals a big departure for the brand by revealing a heavily updated version of AMG’s venerable dry-sump M178 twin-turbo V8 packing a huge 720bhp between 6700 and 6900rpm. This represents a 143bhp jump on the AMG GT R’s 577bhp, and 90bhp more than AMG’s GT63 S 4-Door, its most powerful model in the current range. Peak torque is also up over that of the GT R by 84lb ft at 590lb ft, which is available as a plateau between 2000 and 6000rpm.
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Even more interesting than its outright figures is the technical make-up of the engine, which has changed enough for AMG to warrant giving the M178 a new LS2 designation (with no relation to a GM LS2, naturally). That’s because among other upgrades, the GT Black Series’s V8 engine features a flat-plane crank, a style of engine architecture usually reserved for highly strung V8 engines from Ferrari, McLaren, and more recently Ford in its GT350 Mustang.

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What the flat-plane crank does is facilitate the firing order to create more balanced gas columns after the combustion process that increases performance, improves throttle response and allows the engine to rev more cleanly at high revolutions. AMG has also fitted a bespoke camshaft, intake and exhaust system, the last now moved to the internal sides of the V between the cylinder banks, where the two turbos are situated. The turbos themselves are also larger than those on the standard GT R, sharing the same anti-friction bearings as the GT63 S saloon and featuring larger compressor wheels that produce more power without compromising on throttle response. While these components have dramatically increased performance, they also fundamentally change the character of an engine, and in turn so too the character of the new GT Black Series itself.

https://www.evo.co.uk/mercedes/amg-gt/201615/new-mercedes-amg-gt-black-series-to-cost-from-ps335000