This feat is amazing for a front-engined vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz wants to find Nurburgring records. The automaker claimed a Nordschleife title recently with its four-door GT63S, although it is a very vague claim to glory as the
It’s not a huge margin. The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ ran 6:44.97 for its record run in late 2018. The AMG GT Black Series ran 6:43.61, a difference of 1.36 seconds that is still enough to set a record for production cars. The car is production-spec, meaning it doesn’t need any modifications that Black Series owners cannot do.
This is notable because the AMG GT Black Series has many settings for suspension. Mercedes-AMG engineers designed the adjustable coilovers, which have a 0.2-inch drop at the front and 0.1 inch at the back. The front had 3.8 degrees of negative camber, while the back had 3.0 degrees. For the most difficult settings, the adjustable sway bars could be adjusted. AMG’s nine-stage, multi-stage traction control settings were used by the driver. He switched between the sixth to seventh position depending on which section of track he was driving. Although some might argue that electronic assist is cheating it’s an integral part of the production vehicle.
The record was set using Michelin Pilot Sport Cup MO tires. These tires are standard equipment on the Black Series. Although the twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine is completely stock, it produces 720 horsepower (530kilowatts) to the rear tires. The Black Series certainly has plenty of power. The Merc’s listed top speed is 202 mph, but the aero package settings kept the Nordschleife’s Dottinger Hohe at “well over 186 mph.” Evidently, high-speed corner grip was exchanged for flat-out speed.
This record is made even more impressive by the AMG GT’s front engine architecture. The Black Series is beating its category among a sea of rear- and mid-engined rivals. It is the only front-engined production vehicle to break the six minute barrier. This beats the Dodge Viper ACR’s 7:01 by almost 20 seconds.