The 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT keeps costs down with vinyl seats

There's something to be said for the "cheap" version of an inherently expensive car. Like a Porsche 911 with manual-adjust seats, or a Rolls-Royce in a paint color that wasn't custom-matched to the wallpaper in your third home. For 2017, Mercedes-AMG will add the "base" GT alongside the GT S to help fill out the lineup and save you a couple bucks.

That assumes you have the $112,125 to pay for the new GT model. That's a not-insubstantial $20,000 less than an AMG GT S, by the way. The plain GT gets by without a few things that come on the GT S, some of which can be added back in as options. Both cars use a version of AMG's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8; the GT's is detuned to 456 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, down from 503 and 479 in the GT S. In normal driving, you probably wouldn't notice the difference.

Visual differences are somewhat few and of course include the lack of an S badge on the back. The GT gets silver brake calipers while the GT S has red ones and the upcoming GT R's are yellow. You may or may not be able to tell the difference between the synthetic MB-Tex seats in the GT and the Nappa leather surfaces in the GT S. Both models get the huggy AMG Performance Seats as standard equipment.

As for functional stuff, there's no Race mode for the GT's AMG Dynamic Select system. There's no AMG Adaptive Suspension or Adaptive Exhaust, either. The GT also weighs about 70 pounds less than the GT S, likely due to the reduced standard feature set. Anything that's optional on the GT S can be added to the GT, like the Exterior Carbon Fiber Package, AMG Night Package, ceramic brakes, Burmester High-End Surround System, and AMG Dynamic Plus Package. The less-expensive GT goes on sale late this summer.

Other 2017 changes include an optional AMG Aerodynamic package for GT and GT S, which includes a fixed rear spoiler, and you can get an onboard trickle charger if you plan to park the car a lot and want to make sure the battery doesn't die between outings. Or, you could just drive the car more.

In 2018, Mercedes-AMG will add the GT R model, which was just unveiled. And now we know there will be more AMG GT models yet. Expect a steady cadence of new models to spring from this lineup for some time.



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