Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance division is developing a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 sports car that will be unveiled at the 2014 German Grand Prix in July.
The two-seat coupe, to be called the GT, will replace the 4-year-old SLS gull-wing sports car at the top of Mercedes' lineup. It will challenge the latest Porsche 911 Turbo at a price insiders say will be in the region of $160,000 when North American sales begin in early 2015.
Mercedes sources say the car will be assembled on the same line used for the soon-to-be-discontinued SLS at AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany.
The GT will use a mostly aluminum spaceframe, elements of which are shared with the SLS. It will have a largely aluminum chassis, and the body will make use of a combination of aluminum and composite panels.
Like the SLS, the GT will have a cab-back profile with a long hood and short rear-deck proportions, a look similar to that of the original 1950s-vintage gull-wing SL. But the new Mercedes will have conventional front-hinged doors.
A liftback-style rear hatch will allow easier access to the luggage compartment than the conventional trunk on the SLS.
Sources put the overall length at 177.2 inches, 5 inches shorter than the SLS.
