Car development is a more complicated matter than most people realize, and often choked by things like R&D budget cuts or corporate oversight. But, every now and again, automakers will throw caution to the proverbial wind and come up with something truly phenomenal. No cost-cutting nonsense, just pure automotive excellence to have us pick our jaws up off the floor.
And, apparently, that’s precisely what Mercedes-AMG is up to with the highly anticipated GT Black Series right now. The model is being developed as a road-legal version of the brand’s GT3 race car, with an official reveal planned next year before it goes into production for 2028.
Mercedes Is Convinced You’ll Love The New AMG GT Black Series
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series And GT3 Race Car TeaserMercedes-Benz
The German manufacturer has a lot of faith in its upcoming supercar, so much so that Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius guaranteed we’ll dig it in a recent interview with Autocar. “Sometimes you must allow the engineers to go crazy, and the next car like that is in the making,” he said. That, right there, is a pretty clear indication of the project’s no-holds-barred nature – exciting stuff, even in the absence of precise details about the mechanical side of things.
“The next AMG Black Series will be insane, and it will be something completely different that nobody expects,” Källenius explained. “And I can guarantee that … readers will love it. You have my personal guarantee.” With the big boss being so confident in the forthcoming Black Series, it seems like Mercedes is throwing everything but the kitchen sink at its development.
What Will The Next-Gen Black Series Bring To The Table?
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series And GT3 Race Car TeaserMercedes-Benz
At this point, any discussion about a car’s technical characteristics is speculation, but one can make a few educated guesses. It will likely feature a flat-plane-crank V8 under the hood, with considerably more power than the GT 63 Pro available at present. That said, topping the previous Black Series’ 720 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque is a pretty tall order, yet the bright minds at AMG should make it happen one way or another.
Another major objective likely to be on the agenda is a Nürburgring lap record. In November 2020, the previous GT Black Series lapped the Green Hell’s full 20.832-kilometer track in 6 minutes, 48.047 seconds, becoming the fastest front-engine, rear-wheel drive production car to ever attempt the Nordschleife record.
And it still holds on to that distinction today, though Ford might seek to topple that once its new GTD Competition is production-set. The winged Mustang already went 6:40 in pre-production form, easily beating the previous Black Series’ time. So AMG’s engineers are presumably foraging for ways to make the next GT even faster. No pressure, right?
Ford Mustang GTD Competition NurburgringFord
Visually, the car looks very similar to the track-only GT3 from what we can tell so far – aggressive bodywork, a generous front lip spoiler, and a big old wing held in place by swan-neck struts at the back. In addition, it rides a little higher off the ground to suit driving conditions on public roads.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
The CEO’s statements go a long way in reassuring us that brutal economics won’t put a damper on the future AMG GT Black Series. On the contrary, the company seems determined to make it an absolute masterpiece, regardless of development costs or other financial considerations. We’ll have to wait and see what that means in practice, but we do appear to be in for quite a treat.
Source: Autocar
