After a little over a year of absence from the American market, the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe is finally returning. The second-generation GT is essentially a hardtop version of the new SL, and the GT55 and GT63 are a few thousand dollars cheaper than their equivalent roadsters. Mercedes announced Monday that pricing for the 469-horsepower GT55 starts at $136,050, including a $1,150 destination charge. For the 577-horsepower GT63, the MSRP rises to $177,050.
The second-generation GT Coupe is less of a hardcore sports car than the original, and more of a GT car. It no longer has a custom platform, rear-mounted dual-clutch transaxle, dry-sump engine, or two-seat cab. Now the GT is a 2+2 with standard all-wheel drive. Both the GT55 and GT63 are powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 paired with a nine-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission.
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Although the GT’s mission has changed a bit, its main rival is still the Porsche 911. In terms of price, the GT55 is a bit cheaper than the 911 Carrera 4S at $140,250, but like the AMG weighs 4 343 pounds, its performance should be more in line with the $123,350 Carrera 4. The GT63 sits between the 911 Carrera 4 GTS and the Turbo, but this is probably a closer comparison to the former rather than the latter.
As for other GT cars, the Lexus LC500 is much cheaper at $100,300, but the new (and much more powerful) Aston Martin Vantage will be closer to $200,000. Meanwhile, the Aston Martin DB12, Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari Roma all cost around $250,000.
Mercedes says the first second-generation GTs are expected to arrive in U.S. dealerships this spring.
