Welcome to my review of the 1:18 AUTOart Mercedes AMG GT R in Green Hell Magno! This is part of the “review in a few” series where I show off all the main features of a model, rather than fully going into the history and background of the real car and posting a limited number of pictures for you to drool over.
Introduced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 24th June 2016, the Mercedes-AMG GT R Coupe was tasked with taking the fight to the Porsche 911 GT3. “Never before has Mercedes‑AMG packed so much motorsport technology into a production vehicle than into the new AMG GT R” (Mercedes-AMG Press Release, 2016). With more power, more effective aerodynamics, less weight and a chassis honed for serious track work, it should be the most complete, compelling and capable car AMG has ever made – it has been dubbed the ‘Beast of the Green Hell’ by AMG themselves and this makes reference to its intense development on the infamous Nürburgring racetrack. The ‘Green Hell’ is the nickname given to the North Loop of the track. It is therefore easy to see the link between the moniker and that striking paintjob on the launch car called ‘AMG Green Hell Magno’, an exclusive matte finish colour just for this Beast.
The front mid-engine layout allows for a rear-biased 47.3 to 52.7 weight distribution. And what an engine it is! A twin-turbo V8 pushing out 585bhp and a tyre shredding 700Nm allows the AMG GT R to do the 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 198mph. Thanks to front and rear wings that have been stretched by 46mm and 57mm respectively in order to cover the GT R’s wider track, the GT R has a lot more visual heft than the GT base car. The new Panamericana front grille from the 2016 GT3 car also features for the first time on an AMG production vehicle. Add rear wheel steer and a unique nine level traction control system that lets the driver pre‑select the slip on the driven rear axle in nine levels and all this adds up to be a serious track day weapon. 911 GT3 eat your heart out!
As soon as a new performance car comes on the market, us scale model collectors start salivating over which brand will release it and in what colours. With the GT R being Mercedes-AMG’s first supercar since the epic 300SL-inspired SLS AMG, I was certainly chomping at the bit to add the ‘Beast of the Green Hell’ to my super/hypercar focussed collection and in the launch specification, no less! We had the likes of Norev (opening diecast), GT Spirit (sealed resin), Minichamps (sealed diecast) and even newcomer Almost Real (opening diecast) all arrive at the party before AUTOart finally released their opening composite version we have here for review. In fact, they were so late in releasing it that Mercedes-AMG had already announced the limited edition and more hardcore AMG GT R Pro to sit at the top of the AMG GT lineup. This certainly took the charm off of AUTOart’s release and left many collectors wishing they would have been a bit quicker to market. So, is it a case of better late than never for AUTOart’s 1:18 Mercedes-AMG GT R? Read on to find out…..
Available in Designo Cardinal Red, AMG Solarbeam Yellow, Brilliant Blue and the all-important AMG Green Hell Magno, it is the latter we have for review. AUTOart absolutely nailed this colour! As they have been progressing and finessing the fit and finish on their composite line of models, the brand have faced plenty of criticism along the way. And rightly so – as collectors we spend our hard-earned cash on this hobby (just don’t tell our partners exactly how much!) and we’re a discerning bunch who don’t like to be short changed, but with this model they have definitely found their feet and I hope this continues with each future release. The matte finish and green hue are, for me, the best effort any manufacturer has managed to reproduce in 1:18 thus far.
I’m so glad AUTOart opted for the 5-twin-spoke AMG forged alloys instead of the AMG Performance ones which feature a much more prominent chrome strip around the edge of the wheel. I feel the Performance wheels reduce the aforementioned visual heft somewhat and the standard forged alloys finished in black have just enough of a silver lip to look the part. The optional ceramic high-performance composite brakes featuring 402mm diameter discs at the front and 360mm at the rear have been fitted to this model and painted a snazzy bronze colour. Look up close and you’ll see the clearly legible AMG logo and ‘CARBON CERAMIC’ text printed on the calipers. This was a particularly welcome detail after Almost Real messed up their model by printing ‘CARBON FAMIC’ on their calipers – not an ideal situation when you’re trying to burst onto the market by offering highly detailed diecast models as others seem to be moving towards resin and plastic-based bodies.
Immense praise must be heaped upon AUTOart for adding branding on the tyre sidewalls, accurately replicating the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres on the 275/35 ZR 19 front and 325/30 ZR 20 rear rubber. For anyone who has read my reviews before, you’ll know all too well just how much I hate it when manufacturers don’t include the branding on the tyre sidewalls – what gives? Of the 5 manufacturers who have replicated the AMG GT R in 1:18 scale, only AUTOart are the ones to have done this and they fully deserve the credit dished out here.
Other exterior points of note are the well-crafted lights and the great use of photoetched badges all around. I can’t remember a time when AUTOart have truly let us down on either of these elements. That large and imposing Panamericana grille with the vertical fins and the slight forwards inclination “create a distinctive ‘shark nose’ impression and make the car appear to sit lower on the road” (Mercedes-AMG Press Release, 2016). Take a closer look at the large air intakes in the lower front bumper and you’ll notice the extra detail AUTOart have added in the form of the silver horizontal radiator fins. This adds real depth to the model and is something Almost Real have missed off completely.
Other exterior aspects of note are the carbon fibre roof, great detailing on the wing mirror-mounted indicators plus tilting rear wing.
One of the main condemnations levelled at AUTOart since they released their composite line is the sheer lack of weight when handling one of their model cars compared to good ol’ diecast. Personally, if it means less weight on my glass shelves, less chance of flat spots on the tyres and the ability for all the opening parts to continue opening 30 years into the future I’m all for it. Not to mention if it eliminates the dreaded zinc rash that has plagued many a diecast model over the years, that represents a big win for the hobby. For all you diehard diecasters out there you’ll be disappointed by the ridiculously lightweight hood covering that thunderous V8 engine. When you have the model in your hand you really come to appreciate the front mid-engine layout because you see just how far back the engine sits in the car. The engine detail itself is not too bad with most modern cars having the majority of their engines covered in big plastic covers and the AMG GT R is no different. What is there, AUTOart have replicated to a satisfactory degree – the large cover with the three-pointed star inset at the bottom and the AMG badges either side of the central carbon section are all present and correct. The carbon section itself could benefit from being glossier, but it is nice to see the plaque that shows who built the engine and which reinforces AMG’s whole ‘one man, one engine’ philosophy is a welcome touch. The blue windscreen washer bottle and the green dipstick for the engine oil are also present, a detail that Almost Real forgot to include. The struts and the requisite warning stickers under the hood are all nicely replicated, although I think Almost Real does a bit better on the hoses and pipes below the engine plenum.
Pry open the extremely light composite doors and drink in all the lovely interior details. It is always nice to have real flocked carpets in a model and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. The excellent yellow contrast stitching works well with the yellow seatbelts and yellow nine level traction control knob in the centre of the dashboard – I just wish AUTOart would have used real fabric belts instead of the rubber ones here (need to check this on the model). I also suspect they stepped up their game on the interior details (especially the stitching) once they saw Almost Real’s efforts that collectors were raving about before this version came to market. Healthy competition can only be good for collectors! Everything else inside looks par for the course for an AUTOart model in the form of well-defined buttons, clear dials and even the yellow AMG logos on the headrests.
Lift up the rear hatch and you’ll see more flocking around the boot and rear bulkhead and even a carbon fibre effect (albeit plastic moulded) cross-brace! And if you glance at the underside of the tailgate you’ll see a couple of interior lights and the grab handle to shut the boot, which is a lovely additional set of details….just try to ignore the little magnets to keep the very light plastic tailgate aligned once closed!
So, if you’re in the market for a 1:18 Mercedes-AMG GT R, should you bother shelling out for AUTOart’s version? If you can’t afford it and must have an opening model then the Norev one is probably for you. If you can splash the extra cash and must have an opening model sitting in your collection do me a favour, bypass the diecast Almost Real and just go ahead and buy AUTOart, even though they’re a similar price point. For those that still care, I implore you to look past the diecast vs composite debate and instead concentrate on what looks better on display and what has the better level of detail. For me, this is an easy win for AUTOart. The shutlines are tight (one of the supposed benefits of going composite), the paint finish is immaculate and the stance of the model is wide and mean. I know AUTOart has had some teething problems with their models since the switch to composite and I’m not sure we’ll ever return to the halcyon days of Pagani Zonda R/Huayra and Nissan R390 level of detail, but they slowly and surely seem to be getting their groove back. If they could just bring down the prices somewhat to a level that is more palatable to collectors and fulfil that promise they made when they announced the switch to composite, I think we’ll all be very happy bunnies indeed! The AUTOart Mercedes-AMG GT R is a very well executed model, especially in this colour and you won’t be disappointed with your decision to purchase one.
Thanks for reading this detailed review of the 1:18 AUTOart Mercedes AMG GT R in Green Hell Magno. Please feel free to give your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
