PARIS - The world premiere of the new Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster* was the highlight of the Mercedes-Benz Media Night.

The new benchmark for open-air driving pleasure

The world premiere of the new Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster* was the highlight of the Mercedes-Benz Media Night on the eve of the “Mondial de l’Automobile 2016”. The open-top two-seater will be available in two versions from market launch in February 2017. In the AMG GT Roadster* base model, the AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo produces 350 kW (476 hp). 

The even more dynamic and visually distinct Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster* combines its peak output of 410 kW (557 hp) with highly exclusive equipment and appointments. 

Developed entirely in-house by the sports car and performance brand, the open-top two-seater marks an expansion of the successful GT family. 

At Paris’ world-famous Piscine Molitor swimming pool, Mercedes-AMG also unveiled a sneak preview of the new GLC 43 4MATIC Coupé**, which has its world premiere at the Motor Show.

“AMG customers love the GT – no wonder we keep expanding the model family,” said Ola Källenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales. With the dual debut of these two roadsters, Mercedes-AMG is following hot on the heels of the world premiere of the AMG GT R. The top-of-the-range coupé was unveiled in the United Kingdom at the end of June. Together with the AMG GT and AMG GT S Coupés and the AMG GT3 race car, the GT family now boasts no fewer than six members.

“With an output of 557 hp and maximum torque of 680 Nm, the AMG GT C Roadster is positioned between the AMG GT S and AMG GT R. Its AMG GT R genes are instantly recognisable – from the Panamericana grille to the powerful rear end. This roadster offers both – power cruising at its best and driving performance at the highest level,” said Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

The performance of the Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster delivers on the promise made by its design and backed by a host of technology highlights from the Mercedes-AMG GT R. Among the most noteworthy are the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension with widened track at the rear, active rear-axle steering and electronically controlled rear differential lock. This combination enables maximum roadster handling, even higher cornering speeds and exceptional traction. The authentic V8 sound delivered by the AMG GT C Roadster comes courtesy of the switchable performance exhaust system.

The AMG GT C Roadster also comes with a highly exclusive equipment package, including standard-fit interior features such as nappa leather upholstery, the AMG Performance steering wheel in nappa leather/DINAMICA microfibre and the additional RACE programme. The AMG Performance seats are available as options and, for the first time, with the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system and seat ventilation for year-round open-air enjoyment. In both variants, the top opens and closes in eleven seconds, even when driving at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

The new Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC Coupé

Paris also marks the premiere of the new Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC Coupé, which pairs elegantly sporty design with the brand’s trademark Driving Performance. Added to that are the classic SUV strengths of seating position, interior versatility and traction both on and off the beaten track.

The 270 kW (367 hp) 3.0-litre V6 biturbo engine, the 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission with shortened shift times and the rear-biased AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive form the basis for an exceptionally agile on-road driving experience. One major contributor is the standalone sports suspension based on the AIR BODY CONTROL multi-chamber air suspension with adaptive damping system.

Major model offensive from Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG is continuing the expansion of its model line-up. “Starting this year, we will offer the widest model range in the entire performance segment,” said Tobias Moers, continuing: “In fact, we will top up our portfolio by at least ten newcomers. With that, we will offer a choice of no less than 48 different AMG performance cars.”

Mercedes-AMG sold almost 70,000 cars in 2015, more than doubling its sales in the space of just two years. The drivers of this growth – besides the GT family – were primarily the performance versions of the C-Class, the compact cars and the new 43 series models, which are being introduced across a number of model ranges. These include the new Mercedes-AMG E 43 4MATIC Estate, which is celebrating its show premiere in Paris. “This is how Mercedes-AMG is making a sustained contribution to the success of Mercedes-Benz,” said Ola Källenius. “Over the first eight months of this year, we sold over 1.3 million Mercedes-Benz vehicles – more than ever before. That’s a plus of around 12 percent compared with last year.”

Mercedes-AMG: Emotion – Performance – Performance Hybrid

“Mercedes-AMG creates some of the most emotional cars on the planet,” said Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “The secret of this success lies in the intelligent combination of high Mercedes-Benz standards and outstanding AMG technology combined with its racing experience – clearly a winning formula.” A further highlight was also announced in Paris: “Under the lead of Mercedes-AMG, our performance companies will join forces and create the most efficient and, at the same time, most dynamic and most spectacular AMG of all time – some might even call it a hyper car. It will show how we will take our performance brand into the future with extremely efficient and intelligent drivetrain technology.”