Simply Abu Dhabi XXIV

7 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I W hen Mercedes-AMG invited us to the UK for a sneak preview of its hottest creation, the 585bhp, AMG GT R, we of course said yes even though we knew we couldn’t drive it. While getting the chance to steer the GT R was off limits, we did have access to a three-time World Formula One Champion by the name of Lewis Hamilton who had driven it, as he was Simply Abu Dhabi’s guest tester for the day. Like most of us, Lewis likes the finer things in life, so our time wasn’t all cars but also discovering his appreciation for private jets, speedboats andmotorbikes. As a brand ambassador for Bombardier, his custom red and black Challenger 605 is a familiar sight at airports around the globe including our own Al Bateen Executive Terminal not far from the Yas Marina Circuit, the scene of last month’s final round of the 2016 Formula One World Championship. Being such a distinctive jet, it provides a glimpse into his world of fashion and his eye for detail, something which has rubbed off on the new AMG GT R. “Man, has this car got great grip,” the Mercedes AMG Petronas star said as we walked around it after he’d completed a few tyre-smoking laps of the old Brooklands circuit. “It’s probably one of the best cars AMG has ever done. This is a project I wanted to be involved in from the start as I have a lot of cars including an AMG SL65 Black Series that I got as a gift from Abu Dhabi a few years back on the Grand Prix weekend plus a Pagani Huayra that’s also AMG- powered. “Besides, I drive the fastest car Mercedes makes nearly every weekend so it’s been good to get involved with the GT R project. I love its wide bodied stance but it’s also the power and the sound that I really love about this,” he added. Blasting to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds and holding a 318km/h top speed, the GT R is the fastest production Mercedes ever produced and despite its heavy use of hand-fabricated components, AMG has declared that it won’t be a limited run but will be produced in numbers guided by market demand. To the casual observer, the GT R may look similar to the AMG GT S, but thanks to its global GT3 motor racing programme which kicked off with the Dubai 24-hour endurance race last January, the GT R is a major step up that includes a rework of its aero kit, suspension, engine and use of lightweight materials. “Mercedes told me they were doing this AMG GT R project and asked if I’d like to get involved,” Hamilton said. “By that stage some of it had already been designed so I still have more ideas for the next one. There’s no doubting this is pretty awesome, but I’ve also been thinking about speccing my own version too,” the triple world champion said. It’s offered in an eye-watering shade of green known as AMG Green Hell Mango, a reference to the Nordeschliefe circuit of the Nurburgring known as the GreenHell whereMercedes dominated this year’s 24-hour classic by taking the top four places with the AMG GT in May. “I love this car so much, but I’m already thinking ahead and for the next one I’ve asked Mercedes if I can get involved from the very start. So we’ve now spoken about doing a limited edition LH Series which I would be very hands- on with,” Hamilton said. LewisHamilton AMGGTR