AMG GT R - Der Tag

I had an R8 V10 Plus gen 1. This is far more special and much more sharp and exciting but the R8 was a great car too. Different approaches.
 
What are your thoughts on the standard AMG GT vs the R8 V10?
I’d take the R8.

Too add...

I am not super experienced in the normal AMG GT's, but from my brief time in one and from feedback from people who have had normal and GTR/Pro/Black they are very different cars. You tend to find a lot of people have driven the GT versions, we have had a few on here I think who then go on to think driving one is driving them all and therefore they don't like the GTR.

That's fine, each to their own, but the GTR is a very different drive to the normal versions in the main and finding one is a touch harder too. The R8 V10+ I had was a great drive and better than a standard AMG GT by some way. Sharper, better to drive and more sorted. The GTR is a step on again in terms of performance, not least on track.
 
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I love your GT-R and the R8 you had.

I am looking at the R8 V10 as the realistic dream car, that V10 is something else.
I think the Generation 1 V10 Plus will become the one to day outside of the very limited editions. I loved mine when I found other ones I drove a bit Meh (a relative term based on the cars I have had access to of course). I think a good V10 Plus is a superb car.
 
Having had the car for a smidge over 12 months, it is perhaps time for an ownership update. The car today sits with 15,624 miles on the clock, meaning I have covered around 12,000 miles in the car, which up until a few weeks back when my 530D arrived, was my only car. It is booked in for a service at the end of this month and a new windscreen and will then I head off to Spa and the Nurburgring in May for some long road and track miles.

Since buying the car I have done two road trips of note. The first an epic run across Scotland, the second and more recent a two day blast across Wales. Both times the car has been faultless and perfectly suited to such use, bar the odd tight road and bridge crossing in Wales with necessitated some deep intakes of breath and some "you're alright, you're alright" type commentaries from friends. :eek:

In my time it has one annual service, a smidge under £900 and the next as mentioned in a week or so a smidge over £900, which for such a car is reasonable. It had a new set of tyres £1500 a few months back and other than that it has been fuel or warranty work, new suspension sensors £4500 and some recall work, such as fitting grills to the front radiators, which sould have been on from day one really. I have mentioned electronics foibles which happen on occassion but they are easily resolved with a turn it off and on again approach.

I love the car and is the best car I have owned. No car before has had such a road presense that sees the vast majority of people just get out the way, often with the drivers window coming down so they can hear it. It is a fabulous thing to drive, getting out of the 530D into it reminds me of the differences between special and normal so much, not least as the 530D is exceptional in its own right. I can't think of another car I want more at the 100K mark (as I would have it) and it will be hard to replace. I think a 720 is what I want most (765 out of my range) and I might look at swapping it as we head into winter but for now, superb.
 
That looks menacing. Take it there's no regrets and the R8 is now a distant memory?
It’s a significant step up from the R8. I did Spa yesterday and the Ring today and it is incredible. It surprises everyone as it seems people see it as a big, heavy and cumbersome GT3 RS wannabe and then when they get inside it at pace and see how it can happily live with properly quick RS’s it’s a real surprise.

The engine and sound are the first thing and I was pulling 185mph on the Dottingerhoe (badly spelt I’m sure but the long straight) and I am told it sounds incredible. I also have a video of the 185mph :)
 
How's the beats running matey? Been out and about in the nicer weather?
It’s running well thanks and now close to 18000 miles. Not done much in it since I came back from Spa and Nurburgring, just the odd evening blast really. Popped down to see my mum this weekend in Devon (450 mile round trip) but decided to bring the BMW at the 11th hour as it was wet and miserable.

I have a space at cars in the park next weekend at Lichfield so will need to get it cleaned and shiny before then.
 
Another suspension fault messaged popped up yesterday. Couldn’t make it up. 530D off road waiting a tyre so I take the GT-R out and 3 miles down the road I get a problem message!!

This one clears off (the last one did not) so I’m hoping a reset will fix it. Car drives fine and I can adjust dampers still so will book it in to a dealer.

Now to find a new dealer as I’m not using Macclesfield again.
 
So Mercedes came out to the car yesterday and plugged in the diagnostic kit. It seems another engine mount issue like the one I had when I first bought the car. That saw all of the engine mounts replaced at the time, so this is a 12 month oldish engine mount. Car is booked into a different dealer for 28th and they now have the full diagnostics from Mercedes, so should be a replacement job.

Everything else with the car was prefect according to the diagnostics.
 
WOW, whatever way we peel that, that's either faulty part OR just poorly made, that shouldn't be going like that... it come under a warranty mate? What they making these things out of cheese?
They are a flawed part it seems as happens on several cars. 991 GT3 had had similar issues
 
Time for an update as I have just MOT'd the car and had some fun it around Silverstone.

I have had this car for just over 3 years and have added around 21,500 miles in that time. It has been a superb car and by and large very reliable. A consistency has been the disappointing service offered by now 4 Mercedes dealers, which just as you think they have it sorted, they mess up. Good news as it goes in for a service shortly....so I am sure it will be find this time.....

Major issues were damper replacement early days and engine mounts later days, which were covered by warranty and down to sensor issues in the main. Llast year I had a front seatbelt buckle replaced which was due to an airbag sensor coming on passenger side telling me there was an airbag issue. I felt at the time this was unlikely to be the cause, but computer said yes, so that too was done under warranty. Few weeks later, error message is back which is intermittent so seems I was right. Collecting the car after said repair I found the fire extinguisher sitting in the footwell not in its cradle.....and the seatbelt not attached to the side of the seat a few weeks later when the first passenger got in. See paragraph above...that was dealer 4.

It is a fantastic fast car that is very very fast on road and track. It needs warm weather, but when up to temperature the Cup tyres come to life and it removes any traction issues you associate with RWD and 600bhp and just goes. The torque levels are immense so means from low down it just pulls and means it's easy to exploit compared to something like a GT3 which you need to be on the revs to get it to come to life. Overtaking puts a smile on your face at how easy it is and though 0-60 of around 3.5 is nothing to shout about these days.....0-100 in 6.8 shows what how fast it really is.

The nose goes where you point it road and track and the 4WS really make it feel super sharp, but does need getting use to. On track after 3-4 laps at pace the Cup's can start to show their heat and I saw them rise by 6-7 psi which needs managing else it goes all slip slide. Brakes too are exceptional and these don't fade, but heat transfer into the wheels which when on it mean to hot to touch, can throw off wheel weights!

I love the low down driving position, love the bucket seats, love the ability to set up dampers, throttle, gearbox and traction and have it well sorted for road use (soft dampers, manual, sports traction). It also sounds incredible and how it got legal sign off is still beyond me. It will make people jump, it really cracks and banks on overrun and bellows like NA V8 under hard acceleration. Tyres where inside out and need to be watched as from a quick check will look fine and can be cords inside.

Things I don't like is it can be a bit creaky first thing. Roll bar and door rubbers the worst offenders but when warmed up it's all fine. In the heavy rain it's dangerous frankly and needs careful care all round and in torrential parking and coffee. It drinks fuel when used hard, Silverstone saw around 4mpg but on a long run to Devon 26mpg which is fantastic really. It will super cruise so in comfort sort of puts itself in neutral on downhill throttle of situations. Services are sensible too, cheapest being less Thant 400 quid, most expensive 1400ish (as I recall) and warranty is around £1,400 which has more than paid for itself. Tyres circa £1500 for a set.

In terms of road presence and interest to others like no car Ive had before. Lots of windows down and thumbs up and lots of "wow looks at that" faces from people coming the other way. It does tend to get a few idiot boy racers who want to sit 1 inch from your bumper thumbs up when I just want them to @@@@ off and get back a few feet.

So all in all great fun and more fun to come. Ring in July, road trip this Friday for a friends 50th and more smiles as 2024 goes on. No plans to change or sell, but let's see what tomorrow brings.
 
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Driving position needs getting used to as you do sit far back but that soon becomes normal and you do get used to it and have no issue slotting down the tightest roads. It is a wide car by any measure and also very low but again no biggie but can put people off on first experience. Needs time in the car to get used to how it does what it does.
 
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