When I first saw the Mercedes-AMG GT R, I was astonished. It was bright green, looked mean and was nicknamed the "Beast of the Green Hell."
But was that all just a wee bit too much of marketing hype? Turns out the answer to that is a resounding "No!"
That's because the folks at Sport Auto just set an independent time of 7:10.9. To put that in perspective, the Dodge Viper ACR does 7:12.13 and the Ferrari 488 GTB does 7:21.63
Cars faster than the AMG GT R include the sub-seven second monsters like the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, Lamborghini Aventador SV and Nissan GT-R NISMO, which completed a lap in 7:08.68.
Check out the monumental lap in the video clip below!
Mercedes-Benz's press release follows:
Mercedes-AMG GT R: outstanding Nordschleife lap time for the "Beast of the Green Hell"
December 09, 2016 - Stuttgart/Nürburg
Just ahead of winter, the new Mercedes-AMG GT R has set the fastest-ever lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a test drive independently conducted by the magazine "sport auto." In a time of 7:10.9, the new pinnacle of the AMG model range was faster through the "Green Hell" than any other road-going sports car ever tested by the motoring magazine.
With a laptime of just 7:10.9, the Mercedes-AMG GT R was faster than any other road-going sports car ever tested. Hence, the 577 hp "Beast of the Green Hell" has more than lived up to its name.
A lap of the legendary Nordschleife, which ranks as the world's toughest race track, is the ultimate test of a sports car and is where the Mercedes-AMG GT R spent a large proportion of its development time. Numerous innovations and modifications bear witness that the road-going sports car has racing DNA in its blood. The foundations for such exceptional driving dynamics come courtesy of the front mid- engine layout with transaxle, a 577 hp 4.0L V8 biturbo engine, extensively modified suspension, sophisticated aerodynamics, active rear-axle steering, bespoke tires and intelligent lightweight design.
Car: Mercedes-AMG GT R; Driver: sport auto's Test Driver Christian Gebhardt; Track: Nordschleife; Laptime: 7.10,92 min (rounded up: 7.11 min); Tyre: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2; World's exclusive first test Mercedes-AMG GT R: More in sport auto 1/2017