The venerable Mercedes-AMG GT is due for its
mid-life update later this year, and part of the refresh entails a bump in
performance to go with the new looks. However, don’t expect the facelift to
carry a drastically redesigned look, because the automaker has already given it
a nip and tuck in September 2016, when the GT C first broke cover.
Under the hood, the M178 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8
that’s found across the entire model range will be tuned to pack a bigger
punch. As it is, the mill outputs 469 hp/630 Nm in the base GT, and goes up to
577 hp/700 Nm in the top GT R. According to Autocar, one can expect the
standard GT to push close to 500 hp, while the S (514 hp and 670 Nm) and C (549
hp and 680 Nm) models above it should get a similar jump in performance.
The GT R’s output may be limited
by the fitment of a dry sump, said the report. The company may choose to
integrate the wet sump system of the E 63 S – which produces 604 hp and 850 Nm
from the same V8 – to enable a more substantial increase.
The facelifted GT may arrive at the tail end of a
massive AMG range expansion and after the new GT four-door model debuts. It’s
understood that, although the four-door shares the GT moniker in name, it will
be more technically related to the AMG-based E-Class than the GT, explained the
publication.
AMG will also be launching a new
hybrid line-up, beginning with the CLS 53 later this year as a kickstart to the
company’s high-performance hybrid range. That said, there are no plans to
electrify the current GT model.