Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVI

2 3 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I almost a touch of practicality to what is, when all said and done, a true supercar. Taken as a whole, while this AMGGT is a touch shorter than the SLS, it maintains a similarly low, wide and suitably sporting stance and the lithe, almost animalistic appearance of its big brother. It’s a look that promises performance and passion and, given that this car is an AMGMercedes, I’m sure that those looks aren’t deceptive. Moving inside the GT, the interior doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it’s completely stunning. It’s highly appropriate to call the cabin a cockpit, featuring as it does the aviation design theme that Mercedes has applied to its top-end performance cars. This advanced styling places the emphasis on the company’s lightweight and modern approach, utilising all the high-tech materials used in the car to maximum effect. The full-width dashboard has the feel of a jet wing, while the air vents look more like spotlights than simple ventilation ducts. Add into that mix the concave door panels, low seating position and that tall centre console, and you could be forgiven for imagining that you’ve taken the controls of a jet fighter rather than a car. Of course another aspect of the interior that inspires the feeling is the aforementioned centre console. Inspired by a history of motorsport, the AMG Drive Unit controls it houses are arranged to resemble eight cylinders in a V formation. It’s details like this that make this GT such an impressive and truly exhilarating place to be. As you’d expect, this cockpit is constructed fromonly the very finest materials with a quality of fit and finish you’d struggle to find in anything but the world’s best interiors. What seems like an endless swathe of leather covers every surface, from the body-hugging sports seats through the door panels and onto the dashboard to provide a feeling of real luxury and power. All of the black leather inside features stunning red contrast stitching, while almost everything else you can touch is either aluminium, carbon fibre or a combination of the two. I really can’t stress enough how much I love this interior. In fact, were it not for the fact that others need to enjoy this car, I think I’d still be in that driver’s seat now. Pleasingly, Mercedes have made the experience of sitting in this car even more enjoyable by making sure that, once you’re in motion, the ride is much more comfortable than you’d dare to expect from a car that would be as at home on the track as the highway. Thankfully the company has focused on real world driving dynamics to give the driver a combination of supercar excitement with levels of comfort that can make even the longest journey a genuine pleasure. The GT rides on a motorsport-sourced, double-wishbone suspension to the front and rear, with wishbones, steering knuckles and hub carriers constructed entirely out of forged aluminium. This reduces unsprung masses and elastic movements, while maximising safe cornering speeds. Mercedes have also developed a new AMGRide Control sports suspension which comes as standard on the GT S and can fitted as an option on the base model for the ultimate in controllable damping. All in all this makes the AMG GT one of the finest sportscars you can currently buy and a truly worthwhile addition to the Mercedes family. A combination of beauty and brawn that adds up to a car beyond compare. A car that I firmly believe deserves a place in anyone’s garage of all-time greats.