Meet the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT R

Next year Mercedes will add a "base" model of the GT in the US to go along with the GT S that arrived for 2016. The year after, this thing will show up. We're getting our first look at the AMG GT R at Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands before a public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

First, let's talk about that color. It's called AMG Green Hell Magno, and its name is a nod to the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where the car was developed. People aren't likely to see the connection without the name accompanying a paint chip, but people will definitely see it. It will be exclusive to the R model.

The R uses the same basic 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 as other GTs; here it makes 577 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque here, up from 503 hp and 479 lb-ft in the GT S and 456 hp and 443 lb-ft in the GT. The extra power comes from a combination of new turbos, modified software, reshaped exhaust ports, and a different compression ratio. Max boost is 19.6 psi versus 17.4. Engine response is improved through a dual-mass flywheel that's 1.5 pounds lighter than the one in the GT S's engine. The AMG Speedshift DCT seven-speed transmission was modified for the R with a taller first gear and shorter ratios for seventh and the final-drive. Transmission cooling also got an upgrade. The dynamic engine and transmission mounts from the other AMG GTs carry over. To get the power from the engine to the transaxle, the GT R uses a 30-pound carbon-fiber torque tube that is about 40 percent lighter than the aluminum piece used on the regular GT. The R takes a claimed 3.5 seconds to hit 60 mph, two tenths quicker than AMG claims for the GT S

If you feel the need to compare it to that other GT-R, even though they're wildly different cars, the Nissan now makes 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque in NISMO trim and can accelerate much quicker. It also has all-wheel drive, weighs more, and is nowhere near as pretty as the AMG. We still expect the name similarity to cause some nonsense discussions, and maybe a little confusion.