AMG GT R revealed

AMG has revealed its fastest and most technically advanced car ever – the track-focused, Porsche 911 GT3 RS-fighting GT R.

Officially shown for the first time at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the GT R sits at the top of the rapidly expanding AMG GT family, and debuts a number of technical firsts for Mercedes’ in-house performance arm.

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Leading the list is active aerodynamics and four-wheel steering; additions designed to make the GT R the fastest track-focused AMG to date.

There’s more power too, with new turbochargers and more boost helping the GT R’s 4.0-litre V8 to produce 430kW/700Nm. That’s a 55kW/50Nm hike over the existing AMG GT S that we get here in Australia.

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All that grunt is sent solely to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which now boasts revised ratios and a shorter final drive.

Combine this with sticky, racing-spec Michelin tyres and the GT R can rocket from 0-100km/h in 3.6seconds – two tenths faster than the GT S.

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Top speed is 318km/h, but AMG says the GT R is more about bending the laws of physics through the corners, than brutal straight-line performance.

Helping that cause is revised body work; it’s not only wider and more aggressive, but generates 155kg more downforce than the standard GT.

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There’s also new suspension, comprising adjustable coil-overs and adaptive dampers, which results in a much stiffer set-up for improved cornering.

So what about price? Mercedes Australia isn’t saying, but expect the GT R to cost between $350-400K when it lands here in mid-2017.