Welcome to the Family: Mercedes Introduces 2019 AMG GT S Roadster

Competes with: Porsche 911, Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan GT-R

Looks like: A miniaturized version of the SLS AMG, which is to say it’s gorgeous all-around, somehow appearing aggressive and refined all at once

Drivetrain: 515-horsepower, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and 494 pounds-feet of torque; seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Late 2018

Mercedes-Benz has announced that the AMG GT family will welcome a 10th road-going member later this year and (drumroll please) … it’s a roadster!

Related: Mercedes-AMG GT R: Germany’s Bad Boy

That makes it three available roadster variants, and the new 2019 AMG GT S Roadster will slot in between the AMG GT Roadster and the AMG GT C Roadster. It shares much in common with the AMG GT S Coupe, including a powertrain, and the same suspension and chassis upgrades over standard AMG GT models.

Exterior

Not much new styling ground is broken with the AMG GT S Roadster. It’s a bit hard to tell apart from the other AMG GT Roadster variants, but there are a few details that set it apart: It has offset wheels, with 19-inch wheels up front and 20-inch wheels in the back. There are also red brake calipers, an extendable rear spoiler and a standard AMG Chrome package, which adds chrome accents to the front splitter, air inlets, fender fins and rear diffuser.

A few available options packages are offered to spruce up the AMG GT S Roadster even more, starting with an AMG Exterior Carbon-Fiber package, which adds a carbon-fiber front splitter, rear diffuser and exterior mirror housings. It also swaps out many of the AMG Chrome accents for black ones.

The AMG Exterior Night package takes the black motif even further, finishing most of the car’s trim pieces in high-gloss black, including the exhaust tailpipes, mirror housings and front splitter.

Interior

AMG Performance seats are standard with extra bolstering to keep occupants in place under heavy cornering loads. The seats also feature Mercedes’ Airscarf neck heating system, which allows you to put the top down on a cool day to enjoy the open air without freezing. Ventilated seats for hot days are optional.

Buyers can also choose between no less than 14 different materials and color combinations for the interior. That’s a lot.

Under the Hood

Nobody will ever accuse the AMG GT S Roadster of skimping in the engine department, not with a hand-built 515-horsepower, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 lurking under the hood. It makes 494 pounds-feet of torque and comes mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Like the rest of the AMG GT family, it’s rear-wheel drive like a [insert British accent] “proper sports car should be.”

The AMG GT S Roadster also gets an adaptive damping system standard, along with an electronically controlled, rear-axle limited-slip differential and performance exhaust system. Drivers may choose between five selectable drive modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, Race and a customizable Individual setting.

Measurables for the AMG GT S Roadster are impressive: zero-to-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph.

No pricing information has been released for the 2019 AMG GT S Roadster, but the other two roadster variants start at roughly $12,000 more than their coupe counterparts, so our best guess is a price of around $145,000 when all is said and done. Mercedes says official pricing will be available closer to the car’s on-sale date in late 2018.

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