My new car - a 2016 AMG GTS

I ordered the car more than 5 months ago, just took delivery Friday. I upgraded the leather in silver pearl with black trim, and finished the center console, crossbar and door inserts in a matte silver fiberglass (which looks great). The exterior is Iridium Silver (for me, it was either red or silver, and my last car was red), upgraded to the multi-spoke wheels.

First impressions are that it is not as much as GT as it is German muscle car. The engine noise (not artificially amplified) on start-up and idle is great, with a low rumble I find unusual for a turbocharged car. The tech in the car is amazing, starting with the engine, within which they placed the twin turbos inside the stack to make any lag almost imperceptible. The torque is great, with all 479 ft/lbs at 1750 rpm. Handling is smooth and precise, with no plowing or twitchiness that was the hallmark of the SLS.

Inside, the nav systems and related tech will take awhile to learn with its center dial and trackpad. The layout is very intuitive once I know what the various symbols mean, and the steering/shifting is pretty effortless.

I was looking for a DD & weekend car that would be a little stealthier than an F-car, but with similar power and driving. During the wait, I was second guessing the color, the way I might like it (or not) etc. Now that it's here, that is all over. The photo is right after I had it color corrected and coated with Modesta BC-5 (apologies for the trash receptacles).

As anyone might want, I'll write up my impressions from time to time for others who might be considering one.

Bob H
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Here are a few shots of the interior. It is the upgraded silver pearl/black leather seats, and also the upgraded matte silver fiberglass in the center console and door panels (I really like the look- an alternative to carbon fiber, and it goes with the color scheme of the vehicle quite nicely IMHO. I also upgraded to the race steering wheel, and like the meaty feel of it.

The dealer had at least three people want to buy the car in the 2 days it sat there before I could pick it up, and the iridium looks better in person and photos. In fact, the car's roofline and inward door slant are better in person. The dealer and I joked that if MBZ ever built a Silver Arrow Edition, they'd spec it this way.

I'm still working to learn all the Comand on-screen stuff; the downside of any newer car is the load of interactive tech they put in it (that I'd just as soon be without). The trackpad & control knob essentially replicate one another, and there is a separate control for the instrument cluster. The shift selector is also pretty far back, but it seems normal now that I've used it for a few weeks. Lots to remember when all I really want to do is go fast and look cool...

Part of the AMG purchase is also a basic instructional day on the track at Laguna Seca, so I can abuse one of their learning to drive mine...

I'll do a comp soon with this and an AM Vantage (I test drove the Vantage, DB-9 and Vanquish in the past year - Aston gave AMG a 5% ownership in return for their next-gen engines and drivetrains, so I'm guessing the driving of their cars will improve markedly for the 2018 model year).
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