The GT-C Edition 50 was added last year, unveiled as a limited edition AMG GT-C grade coupé version.

What happened to AMG GT since it’s release roughly 2 years ago?

Originally a Mercedes sports car, sales of the SL were sluggish. To begin with, I think a sense of crisis weakened the sports car image that came with Mercedes. Although the model was bravely given gull wing doors and after called SLS, the car became famous for remaining unfinished. Soon afterwards, the main SL was given a complete overhaul but things did not improve.

In the midst of all of this, I think the purpose of AMG GT was to aim for a position similar to the Porsche 911, pulling Mercedes’ sports car image along with it: a sporty direction that’s a little purer than the SLS.

Finally released, the AMG GT performs wonderfully with a modern style of design and an interior and exterior with extremely high quality, so it is reasonable in terms of rank and performance but the price is not cheap. It was a car that everyone simply said, “I will definitely buy this AMG when it’s out”, before it was released.

But for such a car to even come out, it’s clear looking at the history that it is something unpopular. As a perfectly finished product, AMG GT instead gave the impression that sales fell well-short of Mercedes expectation. The potential popularity would also seem lower than expected, judging from the resale value. Making a car in and around this area is really difficult. It’s difficult for the brand itself to accurately grasp what kind of car a Mercedes customer wants. Even though the car is stunning, it’s unclear whether it will sell.

I think there are many reasons why, but one sticking point may be that the ride feels way too hard. At the end of the day, I wonder if “improving the sports quality by keeping the comfort level of the base model as it is”, is in essence the AMG brand’s popularity. That being the case, working in this area is difficult. If the ride is smoother it will be the same as the SL, and swung in the direction of a pure sports car will not win when up against the 911.

However, AMG GT has just debuted, so there is no rush to beat the 911 just yet. Therefore they may have no choice but take time and build their own image. After all it took the 911 over fifty years to achieve the combination of “rear seat and rear engine”.