2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series busts in with 720 hp and GT3-derived aero
The latest GT Black Series swaps in a flat-plane crankshaft to boost power, and yeah, it's totally still a race car for the street.
Subtlety isn't exactly what the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is about. It's more like a GT3-spec race car for the street, and who doesn't like that?
On Tuesday, the German brand revealed its latest creation, which is chock-full of power and primped with a load of aerodynamic tricks to make it a slick machine in the wind. Rumor has it the car could produce a Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time under 7 minutes.
Aero means nothing without proper motivation, and the folks inside AMG didn't disappoint. While there's still a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, it's been extensively reworked and now features a flat-plane crankshaft. Without diving too deeply into the engineering, a flat-plane crank let engineers create uniformly oscillating gas columns on the exhaust and intake side of things. New camshafts and exhaust manifolds also fit a new firing order and improved the gas cycle. Thus, AMG was easily able to boost performance and create a Black Series more eager to accelerate.
Larger turbos with the boost cranked up more than a GT R, along with the new crankshaft design, create 720 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Torque starts to create its oomph factor low at 2,000 rpm and peaks before 6,000 rpm. The GT Black Series will absolutely feel like a freaking rocket. Drivers will see 0-60 mph happen in 3.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 202 mph.
Eengineers reworked a familiar seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to handle all the torque the renovated twin-turbo V8 produces. AMG also noted that it upgraded the transmission cooling system so that it could handle track sessions with ease.
Now, about all the canards, the big wing and aero: It's all wild. AMG took a close look at its current GT3 race car and drew a lot from it, starting with the larger, sort of Darth Vader-looking grille. It lets more air in and also handles airflow to the wheel arch coolers, which let engineers delete two other air inlets on the front bumper. A couple of flics improve downforce up front and cool the brakes, while air curtains control movement toward the wheels. Up front, it all comes together with a carbon-fiber splitter with manual adjustments for the street and track.
And the big outlets? They of course serve more than one purpose. Not only do they push warm air out of the engine compartment, but they funnel air around the A-pillars back to the new rear wing to maximize downforce. Speaking of the rear, it's spruced up with a new bumper and tailpipes, but the wing is the main talking point. Drivers can mechanically adjust it for any track and an electronic flap in the upper blade works with various driving modes to reduce drag or improve braking performance and cornering stability, depending on its position.
A health dose of carbon fiber in numerous parts of the car -- including a fully carbon-fiber hood -- and AMG's adaptive suspension are no-brainers to round out the GT Black Series. Three suspension settings keep things on the more comfortable side, or prepare the car for an assault on the racecourse.
All of the aero bits make for an aggressive-looking machine, but AMG didn't skimp on the cockpit. AMG Performance seats are standard, as is a Performance steering wheel with microfiber trim. The cabin also features Nappa leather with bright orange contrasts that seriously pop. And traditional door handles? Gone. Instead, loop-pull handles sit in their place. This is a race car, duh.
Mercedes-AMG didn't say how many it plans to make, nor how much one will cost, but it's highly likely we're looking at just a couple thousand of these for production. Expect a price over $200,000, should you have a blank check ready and waiting.
