Car Feature: 2014 Mercedes-AMG GT-S

Every Wednesday night, I'm out on the campus of Michigan State University for the MSU Racing Club meets. Being that it's directly on a campus known for it's high likelihood of spotting exotic cars, it's no surprise that some of that exotic metal shows up at the meet.

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High-G Racing is a smaller motorsports club consisting largely of Chinese students with nice cars. The guys from High-G are all about track days, so it makes sense that they all drive track-focused cars. This 2014 AMG GT-S is no exception.

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Mercedes released the GT-S as a replacement for the SLS in 2014. I honestly think that the GT-S looks worlds better than the SLS, which, honestly, wasn't an Ugly car. But this car has some lines that are impossible to miss. Look at the grille, vents and lights: Smooth, aggressive and sleek.

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The headlights themselves are impressive. The LED's, the multiple focusing prisms and the shape of the different elements all flow with the rest of the lines on the car.

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You can tell this car is made for the track. The AMG Carbon Ceramic Brakes (a $10,000 option, according to the owner), with 6-piston calipers and 15.4" two-piece rotors up front, and 14.2" rotors in the rear bring all 3627lbs to a stop, with the help of the traction from the Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R tires. 265/35ZR19's in the front and 295/30ZR20's in the rear.

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The lines on the side of the car are gorgeous. They make for a shape almost looking like it was inspired by the Porsche 991.

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The rear of the car is a bit more sedate than the front, though by no means boring.

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The rear of the car is one that drips in class. This car wouldn't look out of place parked among Rolls-Royce Ghosts and Bugati Veyrons, even though the price tag when brand new was just under $140,000.

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I love the signal lamps in the mirrors of most of the modern Mercedes cars. And the Carbon Fiber covers on the GTS just make them that much better.

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The interior continues the curvy nature of the exterior. The center console, the contours on the steering wheel spokes, and the upholstery all bring a bit of that previously mentioned class to the interior.

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The center control console is on another level, though. Just look at the control surfaces, joysticks and knobs...

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Looking at the front fenders gives a bit of a hint as to what is hiding under the hood...

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As I approached the engine bay, I was honestly expecting the 6.25L V8 from the C63 AMG. But, I was wrong.

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Under the hood, I saw what looked like an odd, forward-position engine. On closer inspection, that Carbon Fiber cover is covering up the air box and ducting.

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The engine is actually a 503hp 4.0L FOHC V8 Bi-turbo engine. The two turbos you see on top of the engine aren't the same size. One has a smaller turbine and compressor for making boost at lower RPM's. The other is larger, for higher RPM and peak boost.

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Thanks for reading. Please, share my posts on your social media. And keep checking back often for more content.

-Phil