Mercedes-AMG GT first generation

The story

For decades the fast 2-door Mercedes had been built for touring more than for lap times, and even the gull-winged SLS that preceded this car never seriously threatened Porsche. The GT was aimed squarely at the 911. The proportions are extreme, with a hood that seems to run for miles and the driver sitting almost over the rear axle. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is assembled by hand and mounted behind the front axle, while the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox sits at the back as a transaxle. In GT S form it made 503 hp and, by Mercedes' reckoning, reached 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.

Over 8 years the range stretched from the 456-hp GT to the 730-hp Black Series, but every version kept the same engine and the same silhouette, as a coupe and, from 2017, a roadster. The GT and GT S are the ones to live with: loud, quick, and civil enough for a commute. Ownership is not cheap, and fewer specialists know them than know a 911. The second-generation car of 2024 grew larger, added rear seats and moved most versions to all-wheel drive, which leaves the original as a more focused chapter of its own.