specs – Page 2 – All about car

The flagship version of Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster, the hardcore, limited-run R model, is now on sale priced from £178,675. Representing a £34,400 price increase over the AMG GT C Roadster and a £30,000 increase over the hard-top GT R, it’s available to order now with first deliveries expected in the autumn. Revealed back at the Geneva motor show and limited to just 750 units, the Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster will share its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine with the GT R coupé, producing 577bhp and 516lb ft sent via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The firm now quotes a WLTP combined figure of 22.6mpg, while the car emits 284g/km of CO2. It can hit 62mph from rest in just 3.6sec and reach a top speed of 197mph. That 0-62mph time matches that of the GT R coupé, and the top speed is just 1mph shy of its fixed-roof sibling. The aggressive styling of the coupé also translates to the Roadster, including the large fixed rear wing, while the likes of the coil-over suspension and adjustable dampers, tuneable through several different driving modes, and rear-wheel active steering, also feature, giving the GT R Roadster a very similar dynamic spec to that of the coupé. The aerodynamic package also carries over, including the front lip spoiler, active aero front grille and large rear double diffuser that houses the exhausts. The wider track over the GT C Roadster on which the car is based allow for fitment of the larger lightweight 19in front/20in rear alloys, shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and sized 273/35 front and 325/30 rear, while also improving stability. The three-layered fabric roof from the rest of the GT Roadster range carries over unchanged to the GT R Roadster. The model weighs 1710kg, an increase of 80kg over the GT R coupé. Rigidity improvements to mitigate the loss of strength in the GT’s conversion from coupé to Roadster include thicker sill elements, an additional dashboard support and an aluminium cross-member integrated into the rear bulkhead that supports the fixed roll-over bars. Lightweight options include composite brakes and a two-stage carbonfibre pack for various trim elements. Each of the 750 models sold will have a bespoke badge on the centre console depicting that car’s number in the production run. The Porsche 911-rivalling GT range now runs to 16 versions including hard and soft-top road cars, and racing
Origin: Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster: UK prices and specs revealed

Bräutigam added that he felt the time taken between the Defender going off sale in 2016 and relaunching could be a positive for the new car, including the likelihood that it will be offered with electrified powertrains as well as petrol and diesel units. “If we had wanted to recreate the existing car then we could have moved quicker, but it is our view that for an icon to remain an icon it cannot only look backwards, but must move forwards too. The new Defender will move the game on again, and having the benefit for some perspective in order to achieve that should be to our advantage. “The one thing I can promise you is that the new Defender will do all that our customers expect of it, without being a copycat of what has gone before. It is a car for the modern world, and that means that it must move the game on if it is to be relevant.” According to the DVLA database, the vehicle registered with the numberplate seen in our spy shots is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine. In one of the spy shots captured by our photographer, the window is wound down and a driver can be seen. It appears to be Nick Rogers, Jaguar Land Rover’s executive director of product engineering, although the firm refused to comment. The reborn Defender is being developed in at least two forms: a short wheelbase 90-badged model, and a larger 110 version. Autocar has previously revealed that the two wheelbase sizes will allow the firm to develop a whole family of vehicles, ranging from basic utilitarian machines up to luxurious high-end models. With prototypes now having been seen on public roads, at the track and in extreme weather environments, test mules of the new Defender are likely to be a regular sight on public roads as Land Rover hones the vehicle. The aim for the new machine is to offer the “biggest breadth of capability of any model to wear the badge”, with prices tipped to range from over £45,000 to £70,000. The previous Defender went out of production in January 2016, and the firm has been working since then to develop a successor. The original Land Rover Series I, from which the Defender is derived, launched over 70 years ago in
Origin: New Land Rover Defender 2019: Release date, pictures, specs & price