With the original SLS Mercedes found themselves with a car that no one could really classify. Looking like a retro iteration of the suave original SL, complete with gullwing doors and stupendously long bonnet, yet with the pace to trouble the Ferrari 458, although possibly only in a straight line, the car was a mix of ideas and styles. However, the looks combined with the intoxicating blend of power and the thunderous noise of the hand-built AMG engine made the car a very desirable prospect. The hints of classic Mercedes lines and design inspiration made the muddle of the car’s objective forgivable and the announcement of the end of production for the SLS was a disappointing one. 
Not one to disappoint, Mercedes followed the news with the promise of a new model that was no longer a modern interpretation of the classic SL, but an entirely new model called the AMG-GT. Effectively a more manageable and easier to drive prospect on a daily basis or cross country trip than the outgoing SLS, more of the luxury cruiser that they had vaguely attempted with the outgoing model, not that a ferocious AMG engine would be lacking of course.
The styling of the new GT is more of a fastback, retaining the familiar long bonnet yet allowing for the Grand Tourer ethos to accommodate a larger boot for those weekend getaways and continental jaunts. The smaller turbocharged V8 should help reduce the weight and lower the centre of gravity, allowing for much improved handling than the wayward and often tail happy SLS.
From the front, the GT adopts a more familiar Mercedes appearance yet the angled lights and gaping grille give more of a sense of purpose and intent of the pace that lies within the car. 
Although the silhouette may look familiar, with the exception of the fastback boot, the design looks far more sophisticated and in keeping with the style that a Mercedes should. The SLS, although a car with menacing presence, could never have been described as beautiful or stunning, yet the new car is a work of art. The fastback body shape means that the freshly restyled front end leading into the lines of the never ending bonnet and the lower angled windscreen give a look that oozes GT car. As a basic shape that has evolved as a symbol of luxury cruising and European touring since the days of the Bugatti Type 57, the classic long bonnet short rear biased cabin appearance. The driver sits low and back well towards the rear third of the car giving a look reminiscent of vintage racers and luxury cars from yesteryear. The squat rear end tapers sharply almost to a point and the retractable spoiler is tucked neatly away until required, adding to the clean lines of the car. 
As a package Mercedes have given the GT enough styling tweaks and special touches to make the car feel like a limited edition machine. The interior is awash with luxurious details and designs bespoke to the car, making it feel like a very special place to be and not just another expensive Mercedes. Externally, although it carries the familiar Merc face, the GT looks far more desirable and exotic and is very fitting to the racing heritage nickname of ‘silver arrow’, obviously when specified in silver. It is in many ways a better looking car than the outgoing SLS and rather than attempting to improve on the looks and practicality of the reworked classic it replaces, AMG have developed a much more complete car and the ultimate luxury GT car that the legend of the original SL so richly deserved. 
HYPE Automotive 