The Black Series badge is back, and, like its predecessors, it packs a punch. The last Black Series car, the SLS AMG, debuted seven years ago, making the brand’s new AMG GT Black Series feel long overdue. It’s a worthy successor, too, packing a twin-turbocharged V8 with a massive wing and aggressive aerodynamics that adds to its menacing appearance and brutal performance.
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (730hp) | RACE Start & 100-200 km/h acceleration
A new video from the Automann-TV YouTube channel shows off the new car’s brutal acceleration. The flat-plane crank 4.0-liter V8 produces 730 horsepower (544 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque, which routes through a beefed-up seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. It sees a sizable increase in power over the GT R – 153 hp (114 kW) and 74 lb-ft (100 Nm) more. That extra power translates into quicker acceleration times, too.
The video shows the AMG GT Black Series hitting 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 3.4 seconds, rocketing past 124 mph (200 kph) in 8.8 seconds. A run from 62 mph to 124 mph took the supercar 5.4 seconds to complete. The big wing, which adds 880 pounds of downforce at 150 mph (241 kph), certainly helps put the power to the ground. Those are impressive numbers even as the car’s Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, which wrap around staggered 20-inch rear and 19-inch front wheels, struggled to find traction.
The first Black Series car arrived in 2006, and the badge quickly became an icon for the brand. It signaled to both customers and competitors that this AMG meant business, as only certain cars could wear the badge – two-door models capable of handling more power, performance, and the meaner aesthetic. That kind of package doesn’t’ come cheap, either. While Mercedes hasn’t released US pricing for the new Black Series, it starts at €335,240 in Europe (about $394,000 at today’s exchange rate.)
