Mercedes-Benz India have brought in the soft-top roadster avatar of the AMG GT. Is it the premium surround-sound system we’ve been waiting for?
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
The thing with a point of view is that everyone has one. And, what’s worse, in close proximity, you’re handed a slice of said opinion whether you want it or not. Thankfully, some points of view are appreciated. Even more so because of how they translate into the real world. What one likes to hear, and what one believes others like to hear are two ideas that do not always share a path. However, some people get it right, sometimes, and the rewards of that effort are great. So what if it’s an entry-level idea.
The beauty of a roadster is its ability to make you smile when the top is down. Yes, open-air motoring is a bliss in itself, but when you have an engine with a soundtrack as good as that 4.0-litre BiTurbo V8, there is little more you could want out of life. What a roadster is supposed to do, primarily, is make the drive experience more alive. The clichéd wind in your hair, open road, and the freedom of motoring are all still being actively pursued for a reason: they feel good. And they do make you feel alive. Besides, having a big ol’ V8 does add to the experience several-fold over some four-cylinder kitchen blender of a powerplant.
Right. So the AMG GT Roadster is here, packing a folding soft-top and the hand-built M178 BiTurbo 3,982-cc V8 that recently underwent an upgrade to 476 PS and 630 Nm. Those aren’t small numbers. They’re just as capable as tickling your excitement buds as they are at raising hell — on road or track. And, for Rs 2.19 crore — a hefty sum, indeed — you could find yourself driving down a mountain road, the wind in your hair, and the rest of your hair standing on end as the GT Roadster does what it does best — bring the thrill in spades, with its own unique soundtrack.
I was not on a mountain road. I was on a Formula One racetrack. And the wind was heavy with the stench of overpopulation and its associated shortcomings. But, even so, as I baked under the 38.5° C sun — with the track temperature presumably over 50° — I found a smile had managed to sprout and grow as I waited my turn to drive the glistening candy-apple red AMG sports car. AMG do it right. They always do it right. The Panamericana grille looks mean. The lines on this GT are curvaceous and seductive and very, very inviting. It’s a naughty little roadster, and the smile with those teeth showing only add to the want of jumping in and just going wild around the closed circuit. And, photos clicked, that’s just what I did.
