Mercedes-AMG has added another variant to the burgeoning lineup of its GT sports car. The 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster is a drop-top coupe that goes as fast as its siblings, whilst looking so much more gorgeous.
Mercedes-Benz is clearly going after the iconic Porsche 911 which has eight variants with most of them spawning even more sub-variants. The formula apparently works, as there is a 911 for every kind of customer. Mercedes wants the same success for its new halo coupe, and has already introduced multiple variants with major differences to each. The car already boasts of as many as four different two-door versions with incremental engine output as well as two convertibles.
The Mercedes-AMG GT S is just one rung below the hardcore GT R and recently gained a convertible cousin, namely the Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster. It sports the same engine powering all AMG GT models: a 4.0-liter biturbo V8 petrol engine that belts out 515hp and 670Nm. All the power and torque is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed DCT transmission. The motor helps the GT S Roadster see 100 kph on the clock in 3.8 seconds, which is slightly slower than the GT C Roadster. However, the S Roadster is two-tenths of a second faster than the base GT Roadster. The car achieves a top speed of 309 kph, which is just 6 klicks shy of the range-topping AMG GT.
The GT S Roadster's mechanicals are heavily updated as well. It now features a rear locking differential, aluminium wishbone axles, high-performance composite brake system and sport suspension. The story does not end here though. For customers who want to extract even more performance out of their Roadster, Mercedes-AMG offers the AMG Dynamic Plus package. This gets you dynamic engine and transmission mounts. The engine is also slightly retuned to deliver a wider peak horsepower band when the Roadster is in 'M' or 'Race' mode. The suspension now sports an improved profile. The interior gets a mild refresh with the instrument cluster receiving yellow highlights, and you can choose from materials like carbon fiber, matte carbon fiber, and silver fibreglass.
The Mercedes-AMG GT S Roadster will hit dealership floors in late 2018 or early 2019 depending on the markets where it will go.