2020 Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster: First Drive Review
This V8-powered, drop-top Benz is the perfect blend of luxury and excitement.
As pandemic lockdowns lift to varying degrees across the U.S., the roads begin to beckon again. As if to celebrate that long overdue fact, the good folks at Mercedes-Benz decided to offer a test vehicle perfectly deigned to celebrate every aspect of the driving experience.
No, it’s not a practical car. It’s not a machine for the everyman. It might lean toward seeming irresponsible at times. It’s not overly environmentally conscious or politically egalitarian. It’s not fair. It’s not common. Instead, the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster is the perfect blend of luxury and excitement.
While it’s not the halo build at Mercedes-Benz, the other lesser machines it passed on the road would consider the AMG GT C every bit a supercar. Powered by a state of the art, 4.0-liter, bi-turbo V8 engine , the convertible roadster rides 550 horsepower to a 0-60 time of just a tick longer than three seconds. A seven-speed automatic transmission with sport paddle shifters keeps that power channeled. Four-wheel independent disc brakes from the AMG tuning shop slow the roll.
The MSRP hovers around $120,000, and for that pile of cash the buyer drives home the complete set of Mercedes-Benz safety, comfort and infotainment features. We generalize to save time and space, but figure we’re talking power everything, adjustable everything and top-shelf stereo everything. The Mercedes ME Connect system comes standard, offering the automaker’s bespoke roadside assistance and emergency management service.
The exterior styling will twist heads clean off as its low running lines hunker down into broad haunches — all reminiscence of the now-retired Mercedes-Benz SLS of the mid 2010s. The powered convertible soft top folds and recovers in a matter of seconds — perfect for a vehicle that seems engineered to open roads and sunny days.
The driving experience is nothing short of thrilling. While the nose holds that signature Mercedes-Benz heaviness that gearheads can always feel but struggle to define, the AMG GT C puts its front end weight to good use as the steering bites off corners and sends the car into turns with minimal understeer.
If the-AMG GT C Roadster has any drawbacks, such quibbles surface in the riding comfort. This is a sport-tuned driving machine with very precise handling. The steering and independent suspension systems respond to the slightest input and work to transmit the feel of the road through the wheels to the driver.
The result is a two-seater that lets you know the bumps are out there. Even at its adjustable “Comfort” suspension setting, it doesn’t take long for one’s backside to realize passengers aren’t floating along in some cushioned limousine.
A truly dedicated lover of driver’s cars should easily push that issue aside once in control of the car. The acceleration response is immediate and sharp with power building on power as this Merc gets out there and begins stretching its legs.
The 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster empowers the driver to flip off the last few months of misery as he or she roars that V8 engine and leaves the world behind.
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