Nurburgring Record
Stats such as acceleration to 60 mph, time to complete the quarter mile or top speed are often touted to showcase a sports car’s performance. Although these figures provide decent insights to a particular car’s capabilities, most enthusiasts agree that the time it takes to complete a circuit of the famed Nurburgring-Nordschleife racetrack in Germany is the ultimate measure of a sports car. Based on that measure, the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series now resides at the top of the production car podium.
Fastest Production Car
Sporting the most powerful AMG V8 engine ever offered, a 720-horsepower Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series completed the 12.8-mile circuit in 6:43.616, making it the fastest production car in the world. This recent time beats the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ that recorded a time of 6:44.97 — a record that held since July 2018. The Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series achieved a time of 6:48.047 for the 12.944-mile full lap — also a record.
Impressive Ride
Professional GT3 race driver Maro Engel piloted the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series to its record-breaking run. “That was a really impressive ride,” said Engel after completing the record lap. “With speeds of up to almost 168 mph in the Kesselchen section of the track and well over 186 mph on the long Dottinger Hohe straight, the AMG GT Black Series is significantly faster than my GT3 race car,” Engel enthused.
Turbocharged V8
At the heart of the AMG GT Black Series lurks a hand-built 4.0-liter biturbo V8 engine generating 720 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Power gets delivered to the rear wheels via an AMG Speedshift 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. That massive power gets this sexy sports coupe to 60 mph in a mere 3.1 seconds and on to an eventual top speed listed at 202 mph.
Aerodynamics
Granted, a 720-horsepower engine certainly contributes its fair share to a lap record, but it takes more than simply brute power to achieve a top time at the Nurburgring. The AMG GT Black Series features a sophisticated aerodynamics setup that can be adjusted depending on the situation. For this record-breaking run, engineers extended the carbon fiber front splitter to its Race position, while the massive rear spoiler was set to its middle position. Large air vents in the carbon fiber hood guide air out of the engine compartment for cooling and increased downforce.
Downforce
“It’s really impressive how much downforce the Black Series generates and how confident and reliably it can be driven, even at the absolute limit. My hat is off to the developers from Affalterbach for what they have put on wheels here. And I’m very pleased that I was able to demonstrate these fascinating engineering skills with this great lap time,” said Engel.
Suspension
The AMG GT Black Series permits extensive suspension adjustments that allow the car to sit lower to the road surface, thus improving the effects of the front diffuser. Anti-roll bars are also adjustable — for his run, Engel set these to the hardest of the three settings. The AMG traction control offers nine separate settings, which Engel adjusted on the fly during his record run ‘round the ‘Ring.
Tires
The AMG GT Black Series rides on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tires developed in partnership with the French tire manufacturer specifically for this top-tier sports car. AMG Ceramic high-performance composite brakes are also part of the setup to rein in the rocketlike speeds of the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series at the Nurburgring.
Certified
Lap times for the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series record run at the ‘Ring were measured by neutral experts from wige SOLUTIONS GmbH, while an independent notary certified the condition and specs of the vehicle prior to the attempt.
Available to the Public
Even though the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series looks, sounds and performs like a race car, it is street legal and will be available for purchase early next year. Exact pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
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