Check out the Magazine of the Mercedes-AMG GT: Driving performance for sports car enthusiasts

1. h a n d c r a f t e d b y r a c e r s
year
status
m a g a z i n e
here i am2014
wild
gt

2. i
h e r e

3. t h e
m e r c e d e s - a m g g t
am
here i am

4. t h e c a r
Mercedes -aMG gt

5. t h e m i d d l e o f n o w h e r e
here i am

6. m o m e n t
o f
t r u t h
Mercedes -aMG gt

7. q u i e t p l e a s e
here i am

8. 3 – 2 – 1
Mercedes -aMG gt

9. r o o o o a a a a a a a a a a a a r r r r r r r r !
here i am

10. u l t i m a t e
p e r f o r m a n c e
Mercedes -aMG gt

11. a
s t a r
i s
b o r n
here i am

12. h a n d c r a f t e d
b y
r a c e r s
Mercedes -aMG gt

13. t h i s i s i t
here i am

14. Interview
frank mühling
edwin Baaske
Photography
markus Bolsinger
“ the gt
s tands for
every thing
Mercedes -aMG gt
12

15. mercedes-amg ceo tobia moers (48)
speaks in an interview about the fascinating
development of the gt,
his impatience leading up to the first test drive
and how he would describe
the new sports car to a customer
we at amg
unders tand
by ‘driving
performance’. ”
tobias moers
13

16. Mercedes -aMG gt

17. why?
As the Chief Engineer back then, my pri­
mary focus was still on dynamics and han­
dling – at the end of the day, the new GT,
more than any other sports car, has to match
up to the AMG brand claim of “Driving
Performance”. The GT made a really strong
impression on me from the start – even
though the development team naturally still
had a lot of work to do. But I could already
feel, on those first few metres, that our deci­
sion to develop this thoroughbred sports car
in exactly this way was absolutely the right
one.
it’s because of the mercedes-amg
gt that you took the sls amg off
the market. it’s an icon, the
poster boy for the brand.
why did you do that?
Believe me; we debated for a long time about
when we would pull the SLS AMG from the
market. It was our fundamental strategy from
the beginning only to offer the SLS AMG for a
limited time. And it’s good that we took this
decision. We’re proud of the SLS AMG. It’s a
real success story, first and foremost because
the SLS AMG paved the way for AMG into the
sports car sector. And now we have the
Mercedes­AMG GT, which will drive our brand
a long way forward in the sports car sector.
It’s always important to me to look forward all
the time. So I’m more excited about what
comes now, how the GT will distinguish itself,
how the customers will react.
mr. moers, do you recall the
moment when you took the
internal decision to start the
mercedes-amg gt project?
Very well, in fact. We brought all the devel­
opment engineers to the table, i.e. AMG’s
combined development expertise. Then we
began a long, intensive and enormously pro­
ductive discussion on the characteristics our
new sports car should have. When we finally
got the go­ahead, it was bit like finding out
you’re going to be father – it was simply phe­
nomenal.
did this enthusiasm persist all
the way, until you were able to
see the first prototypes last
june?
Sure, although it certainly tested our patience.
We waited weeks for this first prototype. But
when the loading ramp slowly opened and the
Mercedes­AMG GT rolled into our develop­
ment workshop for the first time, we all got
goose bumps and I just couldn’t wait to drive
the first few metres in our new sports car.
Although, I should point out that I had already
driven our engine mule in 2012.
… as boss,
did you get the first shot?
That’s one of the privileges you enjoy in this
position. Yes, I was the first one to drive it.
And it was an unbelievable feeling, even the
first time ­ one that remains a very clear and
very happy memory.
you have positioned the
mercedes-amg gt below the sls
amg. normally, the approach is
always: higher, faster, farther
– i.e. onwards and upwards.
or was the sls the upper limit
for amg?
We simply asked ourselves the question:
Where do we want to go with our line­up?
How many cars do we want to sell per year
going forward? When it comes to volumes,
we still have room for growth. Therefore, it
wasn’t a question of creating something
even more exclusive than the SLS AMG,
which was and still is enormously important
as a beacon for the brand, but of conceiving
a vehicle with a lot of potential in the classic
sports car segment. The GT now provides us
with a far broader basis for success here.
And it fits amazingly well to Mercedes­AMG
– it’s a really authentic sports car.
“when i drove the first
test kilometres on the racetrack in the gt,
all i could honestly
think was: we’ve done everything right!”
tobias moers
Mercedes-aMG ceo
the Boss at the wheel Tobias Moers has covered countless kilometres on various test routes
in the new Mercedes-aMG GT.
tobias moers
15

18. what do you see as the usp of
your gt among this competition?
We have one very clear and distinctive USP:
The GT can do everything demanded of a
race­bred driving machine. It is an all­round­
er with an extremely sporting character. But
that doesn’t mean that the car isn’t comfort­
able and can’t be driven every day. Quite the
reverse. With the GT, we want to offer an ex­
citing, thoroughbred model in the sports car
segment. We have more than achieved this,
partly because the new AMG V8 biturbo is
simply sensational.
what was the fundamental
motivation for the development
of the mercedes-amg gt?
mercedes-benz would hardly
have demanded that amg launch
an attack on the sports car
segment.
The motivation naturally came from us –
from the passion for racing that drives AMG.
A small group of us thought about what we
wanted our next model to be. Even while we
were launching the SLS AMG Roadster, we
had begun to think about the next one. This
was augmented by the work on the new en­
gine.
but you can’t deny that the
sports car segment – in contrast
to suvs – is not currently
blessed with significant growth
when you look at it on a global
scale. where does mercedes-amg
find the courage nevertheless to
take on a project as ambitious as
the gt?
If you want to prove yourself as an authentic
sports car maker, you clearly also have to enter
this kind of highly competitive environment.
We are, of course, aware that this segment is
already occupied by some very strong compe­
tition – but we see that as sporting and are
certain that the GT will find and assert its po­
sition among them. We can actually say with
a great deal of confidence that we know the
kind of fascinating potential that our car
holds. It sets its own benchmarks. It’s an ex­
clamation mark for the brand!
driving performance The new GT will justify the aMG brand claim more than any other sports car.
as
an
authentic
sports
car
maker …
16

19. knowing amg as we do, can we
expect further variants of the
mercedes-amg gt? are customers
already asking about a roadster
or a black series variant?
Yes, the demand for more models is constant
and has even exceeded my own expecta­
tions. One thing is certain: Customers can
look forward to GT news from Affalterbach.
We have a few things in the pipeline.
can we also expect a gt3 for
customer sport?
The car is so sporty and made for the race
track – I think it’s pretty self­evident that
we’ve already started development work on a
GT3 vehicle.
what did company founder
hans-werner aufrecht say about
the new gt?
Firstly, he congratulated the AMG team and
me. But, as former bosses are, he immediate­
ly asked me about future versions and gave
me some very clear instructions (laughs).
what challenges caused you
sleepless nights during the
development process?
We wanted to create a sports car with a high
degree of everyday usability – fit for both
road and track. This leads to some conflict­
ing requirements that we then had to – and
did – resolve. That really is worth a few
sleepless nights.
you’ve covered quite a few test
kilometres yourself in the gt.
do you still recall the first lap
on the nordschleife?
Honestly, all I could think was: We’ve done
everything right!
is the gt also conceivable as a
variant such as the sls amg
electric drive – or even as a
hybrid sports car like some
competitors?
We have our eye on developments and are
keeping all our options open. In the long­
term we are, of course, also thinking about
performance­oriented hybrid technology in
order to keep driving down fuel consump­
tion and CO2
emissions.
… you
have
to
enter
this
kind
of
highly
competitive
environment
17

20. Mercedes -aMG gt

21. tobias moers
Mercedes-aMG ceo
Born 1966 in Freiburg
with aMG since 1994
Tobias Moers was appointed as an engineer
for aMG in 1994 by Hans-werner aufrecht.
He became Head of Total Vehicle develop-
ment in 2002. every aMG bears Moers’ sig-
nature. His greatest works are the sLs aMG
super sports car and the new Mercedes-aMG
GT. Moers has been ceo of aMG since 2013
and continues to place particular emphasis
on the dynamics of his models – including
the Mercedes-aMG GT. another project close
to Tobias Moers’ heart is to make aMG the
most desirable performance brand in the
automotive sector.
mr dynamic
the gt can do
everything
demanded
today from
a racy driving
machine
what do you think people will
say about the mercedes-amg gt
30 years from now? what will it
stand for then?
In 30 years, the AMG GT and the SLS AMG
super sports car will stand for the break­
through of our brand in the sports car seg­
ment. Not least, the GT will make clear to our
customers and potential customers in
Germany, as well as the USA and China,
what it is the brand stands for.
speaking of which, if put on the
spot, could you sell a mercedes-
amg gt to a customer?
Sure. As I said, I drove the GT myself during
its development. From the engine sound to
the steering­wheel vibration – I know a few
things I could tell a customer (laughs). •••
combined fuel consumption: 9.6-9.3 l/100 km
combined co2
emissions: 224-216 g/km; efficiency class G
additional information on fuel consumption and co2
emissions can be found on page 128.
tobias moers
19

22. table
of
contents
A
New
Era
Mercedes-AMG Gt
the Man with the Match Plan
Jochen Hermann is the Head of Total vehicle Engineering at AMG
Here I Am
Tobias Moers pushes the GT to the limit on a deserted salt lake
Back in time
Time travel through the history of Mercedes-AMG
the AMG cV
The most important Mercedes-AMG milestones
Limits? there Are No Limits!
Christian Enderle is the man behind the GT’s innovative engine
Powertrain Essentials
The facts about the drivetrain at a glance
What A Ride
A visually stunning road movie from the Nordschleife to Monte Carlo
Motorsport Essentials
AMG’s greatest successes on the racetrack
030
001
022
028
036
042
044
056
man
man
p o w e r
p o w e r
20
mercedes -amG gt

23. Going Against the Flow
Germany’s coolest club, Uebel & Gefährlich, can’t be pigeonholed
the Brand creator
Mario Spitzner is the creative mind behind the AMG brand
Game On
The GT is digitally recreated down to the last detail in the hit racing game Driveclub
cockpit with character
The interior design of the GT is distilled racing passion
A Look Inside
Fashion icon Roshi Porkar on design, luxury and the exceptional as a statement
Interior Essentials
The inner values of the GT at a glance
No Mercy
The GT in the consummate endurance test from Lapland to South Africa
It’s coming
The curtain rises for the GT world premiere
Key Facts
The core characteristics traits of the GT, the thoroughbred driving machine
designer to the Stars
Mercedes-Benz head designer Gorden Wagener on the GT
Design Essentials
The most important facts about the design of the GT at a glance
Driving Essentials
The facts about the GT’s perfectly tuned suspension
066
074
080
096
086
094
100
122
130
114
120
064
Life at the Limits
Markus Hofbauer ensures that the GT has top dynamics
058
man
man
man
p o w e r
p o w e r
p o w e r
21
table of contents

24. in
time
to put exceptional engineering ideas into
practice, AMG would not exist today. The his­
tory of AMG is defined by absolute commit­
ment and a relentless drive for innovation.
In 1971 the “Red Sow” caused a sensation on
the circuit at Spa, drawing attention around
the world to the AMG logo. Further racing
cars and further victories would follow. In a
parallel development, AMG began to special­
ise in offering road­going vehicles based on
their racing cars to private customers in
search of a very special Mercedes ­ a success­
ful business model.
The enthusiastic response from performance­
hungry Mercedes fans and the great success
ultimately led to the company’s move to its
current location in Affalterbach in 1976.
This is where AMG ­ now an integral part of
When Daimler­Benz gave up its motorsport
activities in 1964, test bench engineer Hans­
Werner Aufrecht saw little option other than
to continue to try and realise his dreams as
a sideline. “My big, personal ambition had
always been to play an active part in motor
racing.” It was an ambition shared by Erhard
Melcher, an engineer working alongside him
at Daimler­Benz. While at Daimler, he had
come to value Aufrecht as the “king of
performance“. Their different temperaments
were united by a common goal. And so it was
that, in 1966, they established their own
little company in the Swabian town of
Burgstall: AMG – the now legendary letters
stand for Aufrecht, Melcher and Grossaspach.
AMG continued to remain true to the ideals
of its founding fathers. Without their stead­
fast enthusiasm for motor racing and ability
Daimler AG ­ designs and builds its own en­
gines, develops vehicles of its own from
scratch, such as the SLS AMG and the new
Mercedes­AMG GT, and serves as the com­
pany’s high­performance division, produc­
ing “hot” AMG variants of Mercedes­Benz
models. AMG has matured over many years
to become an exclusive brand offering a
broad range of high­performance vehicle
models. But the years have not impinged up­
on its intrinsic character. The brand claim
rightly promises “Driving Performance”, re­
flecting that abiding combination of innova­
tive spirit and competitive drive. This pas­
sion is also epitomised by the new Mercedes­
AMG GT: “handcrafted by racers”
– as its proud makers make clear. •••
back 1971
Red Sow
1976
Moving
to
Affalterbach
In the end was the beginning
Talking racing: Hans-werner aufrecht
and clemens schickentanz discuss
the best racing setup. Pit stop
during the 24 Hours of spa (right)
aMG finds a home in affalterbach -
the first small workshop gives little inkling
of the success that was to come.
The alfa romeo GTa may be lighter,
but does not stand a chance
against the overwhelming power
of the aMG 300 seL 6.8.
Text
hans Schilder
Photography
mercedes-Benz
Mercedes -aMG gt
22

25. 1984
AMG V8
1986
Hammer
1988
190 race car
1993
c 36 AMG
Mercedes-Benz 300 e 5.6 aMG, “The Hammer”. as the Us magazine
“car and driver” enthused: “(It) crushes them all in terms of comfort,
practicality and, most importantly, the absolutely unadulterated,
instantly available ability to rocket across the face of the earth.”
The first car to emerge from
the development collaboration
between Mercedes-Benz and
Mercedes-aMG: the c 36 aMG.
dTM 1988: Mercedes-Benz and aMG launch
an official racing partnership with the
aMG Mercedes 190 e 2.3-16, thus laying
the foundation for an unmatched motor
racing story.
The 5.0-litre V8 engine
with a four-valve cylinder
head developed in-house
shows on the test bed
what a masterpiece it is.
amg heritage
23

26. 1999
Wedding
2001
SL 55 AMG
The s-class Pullman prestige saloon
is developed by aMG in close
cooperation with Mercedes-Benz.
working away under the bonnet of the sL 55 aMG
is a V8 engine producing 368 kw (500 hp),
winner of the “engine of the year” award - if so desired,
the roadster can drive at more than 300 km/h.
1999
S 63 AMG Pullman
1998
cLK GtR
The prototype model aMG cLk-GTr,
which had been competing successfully
in motor racing since 1998, was
followed in 2002 by five examples
of the aMG cLk-GTr roadster.
Jürgen erich schrempp, chairman
of the Board of Management
of daimlerchrysler aG, signs the
cooperation agreement with
aMG in 1999.
Mercedes -aMG gt
24

27. 2006
6.3-litre V8
2009
SLS AMG
2006
G 55 AMG
developed 100 percent in
affalterbach: The new
gullwing model, the sLs aMG,
casts its spell on all
sports car enthusiasts.
one man, one engine – a hand-signed metal
plate documents the fact that each engine is
fully assembled by just one specialist worker.
The G 55 aMG holds special status as a character performer in the off-road
driving scene, offering as it does 368 kw (500 hp) of tractive power.
amg heritage
25

28. 2011
Electrifying
2012
Formula 1
The sLs aMG roadster joins the elite category of high-performance cabriolets. The sLs aMG e-ceLL,
the first super sports car to feature an electric drive system, opens up a new dimension of motoring.
Mercedes-aMG enters the exclusive sport of customer racing with the sLs aMG GT3.
Fast Forward
Through a partnership with the engine manufacturer Mercedes aMG High Performance
Powertrains, aMG has now arrived among the premier league of motorsports.
2013
AMG A-class
at the Formula one Grand Prix in sochi, Lewis
Hamilton and nico rosberg win the contructors’ world
championship with a double victory for the Mercedes
aMG Petronas F1 team.
The first four-cylinder engine to be “made by aMG” gives the a-class
power and spirit and attracts new customers to the aMG brand.
2014
champions
Mercedes -aMG gt
26

29. driving Performance par excellence: Mercedes-aMG GT –
the new arrival in a new era for the sports car.
2014
Mercedes-AMG Gt
amg heritage
27

30. 1965A Mercedes-Benz 300 SE prepared by Aufrecht
and Melcher wins ten races in the
German Touring Car Championship (DTM)
1988AMG constructs the first Mercedes-Benz 190 E
racing car and manages its deployment
in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM).
AMG becomes an official partner
in Mercedes-Benz motorsport activities
1976AMG and its dozen or so employees move from Burgstall
to the company’s current location in Affalterbach
1990A cooperation agreement defines
the closer collaboration between
AMG and Daimler-Benz
1986AMG offers a mid-size saloon with an output of 265 kW
(360 hp) and a top speed of 303 km/h in the guise of the
300E. The car is known as “the Hammer” in the US,
where it comes to epitomise AMG
1967Aufrecht and Melcher establish the engineering
consultancy AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Grossaspach)
in Grossaspach, Melcher’s home town
1964Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher
meet at Daimler
From engineering
consultancy
to high-performance
brand
1971Following a class victory and second place
overall in the 24-hour race at Spa,
AMG becomes a household name overnight
1984Melcher develops a cylinder head featuring state-of-the-art
four-valve technology for the 5.0-litre V8 in the Mercedes-Benz
500 SEC, thus making AMG an engine manufacturer
Mercedes -aMG gt
28

31. 2011The SLS AMG Roadster joins the elite category of high-performance
cabriolets. The SLS AMG E-cELL, the first super sports car
to feature an electric drive system, opens up a new dimension
of motoring. Mercedes-AMG enters the exclusive sport of
customer racing with the SLS AMG Gt3
2005Mercedes-AMG becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler AG.
From this point on, AMG will be involved with new Mercedes-Benz
products right from the start, playing a decisive role
in the planning of new models
2009Mercedes-AMG presents the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, the first model to be
completely developed by the company in-house. The Affalterbach-based company
has thus reached a new stage of its evolution: AMG is now officially
the performance brand for Mercedes-Benz Cars
2012Mercedes-AMG becomes active in Formula 1
through the company “Mercedes AMG
High Performance Powertrains”
2014the new Mercedes-AMG Gt celebrates its world premiere
in Affalterbach. A new era has begun
1991AMG develops and manufactures sportily configured
Mercedes-Benz cars, known as complete vehicles, which are
sold through the official Mercedes-Benz dealer network
1999Mercedes-AMG is now owned
51 percent by daimlerchrysler
2013The Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG and cLA 45 AMG
models are the first current AMG
models to feature four-cylinder engines
1996AMG provides the official Formula 1 Safety car for
the first time, a c 36 AMG, thus establishing a tradition:
to this day, the Safety Cars and Medical Cars in this
elite field are all provided by Mercedes-AMG
2006The first engine to be developed and produced
entirely by Mercedes-AMG is the now
legendary 6.3-litre V8
amg milestones
29

32. text
hans Schilder
photography
markus BolSinger
mercedes-Benz



 
with the
mercedes -amG gt
30

33.          
      
       
       
        
       
man
p o w e r
manpower . Jochen Hermann
31

34. Jochen Hermann was always good with a
ball, as he is happy to demonstrate on a rough football
field close to the autumnal slopes of the Swabian Alb.
The 46 year­old likes to attribute his ball skills to re­
gional traditions. Jochen Hermann grew up in the in par­
ticularly fertile football environment of the Swabian
town of Geislingen – an experience that had a lifelong
impact. Jürgen Klinsmann comes from there, as does
Hoffenheim trainer Markus Gisdol and former profes­
sional players Karl Allgöwer and Klaus Perfetto – all
successful footballers with whom Hermann spent a lot of
time on the pitch during his youth.
“Our experience on the pitch brought out our passion,
dedication and ambition,” says Jochen Hermann, describ­
ing the common characteristics of the footie pals that
were shaped in the 1970s on the football pitches of the
Swabian provinces. These are characteristics that still
drive AMG’s Head of Total Vehicle Development to this
day – not least in the creation of the GT. “I had to keep a
lot of balls in the air at the same time for that,” smiles
the qualified aeronautics and aerospace engineer, draw­
ing parallels to football. He developed the talent of
analysing complex technical systems, understanding
them and allowing them to mature as a young scientist
working with German space­shuttle astronaut Ernst
Messerschmid at Stuttgart University. He then perfected
this skill for a further year in the US aerospace industry,
before moving back to his familiar Swabian surround­
ings because of the cars that come from the area. “I
didn’t really want to build satellites. I prefer cool cars,”
admits Hermann, revealing his true passion for the big­
gest name in engineering from the land of his birth.
j
exquiSite Body-in-white technology space frame with almost 90 percent aluminium.
name
as a child what did you want to be?
occupation
mercedes -amG gt
32

35. It was a goal he had already realised with Daimler,
where, as Head of Development Driver Assistance Sys­
tems and Active Safety, he also worked extensively on
advanced automotive topics such as autonomous driving
and augmented reality. However, his move at the end of
2013 to performance brand AMG in Affalterbach as Head
of Development Total Vehicle, taking over responsibility
for the Mercedes­AMG GT, presented a whole new and
exciting challenge. “With the GT, AMG is entering a
completely new, top­level sports car segment, where we
will have to and want to measure up to some extremely
tough competition,” says Hermann. “I am absolutely cer­
tain that we will inspire sports car enthusiasts all over
the world.”
heartBeat the heart of the Gt has eight cylinders.
“during the creation of the gt,
i had to keep a lot of balls in the air
at the same time”
passion
dedication
ambition
When the development of the GT began three years ago,
the objectives were clear: “The GT should combine AMG
race­track performance with typical Mercedes everyday
usability.” The AMG engineers were able to make use of
their experience with systems and processes from the
first vehicle developed in­house by AMG, the SLS. Never­
theless, all they actually transferred over to the GT were
concepts from the body­in­white components of the SLS.
They fundamentally redesigned the transmission, torque
tube and axle components, incorporating technologies
such as the transmission with ECO START/STOP func­
tion and gliding mode. This makes the GT a completely
new, standalone vehicle with phenomenal performance,
yet considerably improved everyday usability compared
with the SLS.

37. The body­in­white and the bodyshell of the GT feature
some exquisite technology. The former is is based on a
weight­optimised space frame, consisting more than 90
percent of aluminium. Mercedes­AMG designed the body­
shell using an intelligent material mix. The body, includ­
ing the greenhouse, is made from aluminium, the tail­
gate from steel and the front deck from magnesium. As a
result, the body­in­white weighs just 231 kilograms,
marking a best­in­class for the sports car segment.
The aluminium space frame is incredibly rigid, with a
high level of flexural and torsional stiffness, providing
the optimum prerequisites for agile and precisely de­
fined handling characteristics. The outstanding features
of the body­in­white include excellent passive safety –
with class­leading results in crash tests.
The AMG engineers also conceived this structural layout
specifically to accommodate the proven front mid­engine
concept with transaxle. This means the front mid­engine
is connected to the transmission at the rear via a torque
tube inside which the transaxle rotates. “Together with
the intelligent aluminium lightweight design, this re­
sults in optimum weight distribution and thus the basis
for a ride that is both comfortable and extremely dynam­
ic,” sums up Hermann, pointing out one particular detail
of the running gear. “The rear axle dampers are very
directly actuated, meaning that wheel movements can be
extremely well controlled.”
the gt combines
sporting character
and
long-distance comfort
in one vehicle
After multiple development iterations, the first prototype
finally took to the roads around Affalterbach in June
2013. Around 100 further prototypes were ultimately
built during the development period, although the test
phase was primarily about ensuring the individual ele­
ments were perfectly tuned to one another. Around 50
test engineers covered hundreds of thousands of kilo­
metres in the GT on test tracks and public roads all
over the world. “We drove 33,696 kilometres on the
Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife alone,” explains
Jochen Hermann. “Many details and much of the fine
tuning were successively optimised until the GT was
able to convince us with its performance on both the
race track and in everyday use on open roads.” Hermann
was at the wheel himself for around 10,000 kilometres
of the test drives worldwide – showing just how enthusi­
astic this man is about the GT.
The outcome in the words of Jochen Hermann: “The GT
combines sporting character and long­distance comfort
in one vehicle.” The flexible character of a sports car that
is also fully usable in everyday life is underscored by the
likes of the powerful 4.0­litre V8 engine and the many
assistance systems such as COLLISION PREVENTION
ASSIST PLUS, ADAPTIVE BRAKE and ATTENTION
ASSIST. Hermann continues, “AMG customers simply
aren’t Sunday drivers. They want to make the best use of
their car in every situation – and the GT offers the per­
fect qualities for this. The GT’s brand claim describes it
very well: ‘Handcrafted by Racers’.” •••
what drives you?
your motto?
what do you like best about the gt?
running gear the driving feel in the Gt is both
highly dynamic and comfortable.
35
manpower . Jochen Hermann

38. text
frank mühling
photography
heiko simayer
mercedes-Benz


There are

36

39.       
       
       
         
  
Man
P o w e r
37
ManPower . christian enderle

40. hot inside v intake air on the outside and turbochargers on the inside create a compact engine package.
name
The yellow modern classic drifts
past just a few centimetres from the concrete wall. The
tyres squeal, the engine screams and yells at the top of its
voice. Christian Enderle watches as his son Julian grapples
the wheel with a look of deep concentration on his face.
“Drifting is hard,” says his father. “It’s all about precise
control of an instable driving condition. Lightning fast re­
actions, the right viewing techniques and a good seat­of­
the­pants feel – you can only be really good if you can
bring all that together.”
Christian Enderle enjoys this day at the Hockenheim­
ring. He wanders unrecognised through the pits, chats
with the participants, smiles happily. Nobody here knows
that, as Head of Development Engine and Drivetrain at
Mercedes­AMG, the 56 year­old is in charge of almost
300 employees. For the last three years, his son Julian has
been driving in the IDS drifting championship. Enderle
senior enjoys helping the 24 year­old with technical is­
sues, partly because it all reminds him of his own youth.
“When I was at school and university, I tinkered around
on my cars, too, constantly in search of a few extra low­
cost horsepower,” smiles the native of Recklinghausen in
the Ruhr Valley, who graduated from the renowned
RWTH Aachen University in 1984.
For Christian Enderle, wandering around amongst these
potent used cars with highly tuned engines and fat tyres
is an ideal counterbalance to his responsible job with
Mercedes­AMG in Affalterbach. The M178 has only just
been completed – the 4.0­litre V8 birturbo engine for the
new Mercedes­AMG GT. “It all started with the infamous
white sheet of paper. All we carried over from our
four­cylinder turbo engine was the bore/stroke ratio.
Everything else is new. We built several hundred engines
for testing – all by hand.” The sports car engine, which
generates up to 375 kW (510 hp), is the first ever to com­
bine dry sump lubrication with a hot inside V. “This ena­
bles us to mount the engine even lower and further be­
hind the front axle,” explains Enderle, “something we
simulated back in the digital development phase.” The
even lower centre­of­gravity and the ideal weight distri­
bution of 47 to 53 percent between front and rear axle
optimises the vehicle’s handling, balance and lateral
dynamics. Even more significant is the relocation of the
turbochargers from outside the engine banks to between
T
o
n
e
M
a
n
occupation
as a child what did you want to be?
mercedes -amG GT
38

41. torque tuBe with transaxle shaft running inside, connecting the engine to the gearbox.
them, as this also benefits response characteristics, fuel
consumption and exhaust emissions. In the 1990s,
Christian Enderle worked with his team at Daimler on a
V10 engine with five­valve technology. “Unfortunately,
that project never made it into series production,” he
says, beaming like a little boy. “Here at AMG, I get to put
all of my experience into practice.” And the pace is fre­
netic. “Tobias Moers is a really dynamic boss. He is al­
ways driving the team to new performance highs. The
simple will to develop and bring to market the very best
is something you can sense in everybody every single
day. I’ve never experienced such a strong spirit before.”
When Enderle was asked towards the end of 2012 if he
would like to be the new Head of Engine and Drivetrain,
he had exactly one night to think about it. “I didn’t sleep
at all that night. I was really happy with my job in
Sindelfingen. But when I was sitting at breakfast, I real­
ised the decision was inevitable.” Has he ever regretted
it? “Not for a second,” grins Enderle, turning his atten­
tion back to his boy’s drifting.
All the things he takes from this day at the drifting chal­
lenge on the Hockenheimring give Enderle the chance to
“clear his mind”, while at the same time delivering new
food for thought. “It’s impressive to see how the young
people give their absolute best on such a low budget and
throw such energy into improvisation. That’s quite a
contrast to my daily, completely structured work in
Affalterbach.” Talking shop, delving into details, offering a
tip here or there – the AMG man is obviously having fun.
The AMG engine boss regularly draws further input from
his counterpart in Brixworth, England ­ Andy Cowell, the
Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High Performance
Powertrains (HPP). “The interaction with Andy is really
important. It’s not by accident that our AMG lettering is
on the Formula 1 cars driven by Lewis Hamilton and
Nico Rosberg. We are always examining which Formula
1 technologies can be transferred to series production at
Mercedes­AMG.”
Christian Enderle sees the drivability of the complete
drivetrain as a good example of the knowledge and tech­
nology transfer. As in Formula 1, this topic was crucial
during the development and fine­tuning of the Mercedes­
AMG GT. “The response characteristics of the biturbo en­
gine were extremely important to us. Our benchmark in
this case was the M156, the big naturally aspirated V8
in the SLS AMG. Our applications engineers did a great
job developing the linear power delivery.” The interac­
tion of the engine and the dual­clutch gearbox, which
was completely redesigned for use in the new GT, com­
manded the full attention of the development engineers.
Safe in the knowledge that his team mastered these
challenges with enormous dedication, Christian Enderle
is able to enjoy his day off and focus on his 24 year­old
son, who returns to the pits following a drifting ses­
sion. Sweaty and pumped with adrenalin, he removes
his helmet and opens the bonnet. Father and son
stick their heads over the hot, humming inline six and
engage in some animated petrol talk. “So far, we have
invested 10,000 euros in this hobby, including the car,”
o
n
e
e
n
G
i
n
e

43. says Enderle of his son’s inexpensive involvement in mo­
torsport. “For me, it’s an ideal opportunity to spend time
with my grown­up son.” The used car’s engine has al­
ready been revised in the workshop at home – naturally,
under the expert eye of the AMG engineer. “I’m pleased
that Julian is interested in this. Having completed his
first set of studies, he has now begun a second course in
automotive technology at Esslingen College.”
Just like the highly developed technology under the bon­
nets of current and future AMG cars, there are plenty of
high­revving V8 engines with 600 hp in the pits behind
the Mercedes grandstand. If you look closely, you can
see some surprising approaches. “I’ve seen a Japanese
six­cylinder turbo transplanted beneath the bonnet of a
German coupé,” says Enderle, admiring the improvisa­
tion skills of these hobby engineers. “And nothing is left
to chance when it comes to engine cooling. The engines
of these drift vehicles are always running right up
against the rev limiter. And there’s barely any headwind
to cool them down.”
Enderle also sees parallels here to his work on the GT,
because thermal management was a big issue on the
M178, too. “The two turbos in the cylinder V generate a
lot of heat, so my team had to spend a great deal of time
on this topic.” First in simulations, then on the test
stands and finally, of course, on all possible test tracks.
A special cooling channel is responsible for dealing with
the high thermal loads on the turbochargers. A powerful
fan blows cool air into it when the car is stationary.
The indirect air­water intercooler for the intake air was
also in the specification, as was the water cooling circuit
and the cooling of engine and transmission oil. Enderle
does not attempt to conceal that, during the development
process, the occasional plastic part met with an untimely
heat­related demise, “That’s why we do our jobs. During
the test phase, we just have to go beyond certain limits.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t get anywhere.”
The driveline expert sees the trend towards turbocharged
petrol engines as logical. “My team already created a
benchmark engine in terms of power, torque and fuel
consumption when they designed the M157. This 2.0­litre
turbo engine is the most powerful production four­cylin­
der in the world. Now we have the M178 for the GT and
its close technical sibling the M177 for the C 63 AMG.
Anyone familiar with AMG knows that we can bring effi­
ciency perfectly in tune with fascination.”
Coming back to the much­quoted technology transfer
from motorsport to production, Enderle is unequivocal,
“In Formula 1, our 1.6­litre V6 turbo engine is the most
powerful and most fuel efficient engine there is. AMG
can learn a lot from this. The trend towards the turbo­
charger is clearly identifiable, be it in production or motor­
sport. I think there will be movements in this direction
in the DTM, too.” •••
T
e
a
M
w
o
r
k
dry sump luBrication lowers the centre of gravity
and enables high lateral acceleration.
transaxle the gearbox sits on the rear
axle for perfect weight distribution.
what drives you?
your motto?
what do you like best about the gt?
scan the Qr code and
learn more about the
mercedes-amG Gt.
ManPower . christian enderle
41

44. The definition of what an AMG sports car layout looks like
was established by the SLS AMG: a V8 power pack as a front
mid-engine, set well behind the front axle and mounted low
down, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in a transaxle
layout at the rear axle, both rigidly connected via a torque
tube. A slight rear emphasis to the weight distribution and a
low centre of gravity – that is what sets the GT apart. AMG’s
typical sports car DNA results in a powertrain resolutely de-
signed for dynamic performance. The world’s first sports car
engine with internally mounted turbochargers (hot inside V)
and dry sump lubrication is built by hand at AMG in two power
variants – as the GT with 340 kW (462 hp) and as the GT S with
375 kW (510 hp).
The interface between the powertrain and the driven rear
wheels is supplied by a locking differential. It is integrated
into the transmission housing and improves traction, hand-
ling and safety in equal measure. On the GT, the differential
lock is mechanical, on the GT S electronic.
the
dNA of AMG
Powertrain Essentials
mercedes -amG GT
42

45. 250 LitresThe oil suction pump in the dry
sump lubrication system circulates
up to 250 litres per minute
186,000
The turbochargers reach
a maximum speed of 186,000 rpm
209 kGWith a dry weight of 209 kg,
the AMG eight-cylinder is the lightest
V8 engine in its class
83.0 × 92.0 MM
The bore/stroke ratio guarantees
high-revving pleasure
7 Gears
And up to five drive programmes are on
offer from the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed
sports transmission
12 LitresThe M178’s dry sump lubrication consists
of an oil suction pump, a pressure pump and
a twelve-litre external oil tank
100-200 barThe electronically controlled fuel supply system
is fully variable, with a fuel pressure of
between 100 and 200 Bar
420 LitresThe water pump shifts a
maximum of 420 litres per minute
510 hpThe GT S Top Model delivers no less than
375 KW and 650 Newton metres
Euro 6The state-of-the-art V8 Biturbo fulfils the stringent Euro 6
emissions standard, including the regulations for
maximum particulate emissions not applicable until 2016
462 hpThe GT delivers 340 kW and 600
Newton metres of torque
twice as HardThe cylinder walls feature NANOSLIDE ®
technology, which makes them twice as hard as
conventional cast-iron liners
0.001 Seconds
is the reaction rime of the
dynamic engine and transmission mounts
PowerTrain essenTials
43

46. The Mercedes-aMG GT doesn’T jusT wanT
To be adMired, iT wanTs To be driven.
we were Glad To obliGe and Took iT
on a unique Tour
– froM The nordschleife,
ThrouGh The eau rouGe,
w h a T
Mercedes -aMG GT
44

47. a r i d e
Text
adam Baumgärtner
Photography
markus Bolsinger
heiko simayer
The GT loved iT …
over The GoTThard Pass,
– and down To MonTe carlo.
uP The col de Turini
45
roadMovie

48. w
I stare at the cloudless night sky, a comet de­
scends through the Milky Way, nothing but
blackness all around. But a few metres be­
hind me the asphalt glows: a narrow strip on
which motor racing history was made, but
on which also virtually every sporty car of
the past 50 years was developed. Road tests
on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring are
part of the standard programme of the auto­
mobile manufacturers. If a car doesn’t work
here, it’s shredder fodder. If it shines here,
it’ll be a king all over the world.
Supposedly, some manufacturers have tried
to recreate parts of this track in their back­
yard – but ultimately they all returned here.
Because the Eifel cannot be put in a box. Its
magic, its weather, its melancholy and its
cheerful gloom are what make it the secret
force, the formative element of the “Ring”. If
you have always wondered where the end of
the world was – it is here. At the Nürburgring.
The Machine
All of a sudden there’s fog. Like a thin veil, it
creeps through the hills in the grey of dawn.
I am getting chilled to the bone and start
shivering all over. I quickly walk over to the
GT sitting there on the asphalt, the head­
lamps cutting strips of light into the dark,
the cockpit gauges glowing likes eyes. I open
the door, drop inside, briefly inhale the
earthy scent of leather and a hint of hot brake
discs, and then start the four­litre twin­turbo
V8. The engine fires up, throaty and growl­
ing at first, then bellowing sharply – this
driving machine is not afraid of the Ring. Its
ancestors have already pulverised the leagues
of competition here, Mercedes­Benz Silver
Arrows, AMG power touring cars – the GT is
a veritable centre of competence on wheels.
Wet feet. For several minutes now I
have been rooted to the spot in the grass next
to the track, a cold night wind seeps through
the material of my racing suit and turns the
thin film of sweat on my back clammy. The
fingers of my right hand clasp the heavy hel­
met. Any moment, now I will feel the dew
settling on me, I will have reached the same
temperature as the dark hills around me, my
heart will start to beat slower and slower.
By the, I will have reached the profound
rhythm of the Eifel. Volcanoes, millions of
years old, cold, black, still. Eternity in the in­
frasound frequency range. Overgrown with
green forest, hedges and heather, covered by
herbs and grass and undegrowth.
Chlorophyll country. Exhale.
nürburGrinG
Actually I should move on, the matt silver
Mercedes­AMG GT is supposed to be in Monte
Carlo by tomorrow evening, and I am the
driver. But the Eifel, this Wild West of
Germany, has hypnotised me. No wonder, I am
after all standing in a place where a 21 km
crack runs through the dense vegetation of
the low mountain range. This here is the epi­
centre of the Eifel, and has been since 1927.
It is often claimed that the Nürburgring was
built at the time to create jobs in the dirt­
poor region between the Ardennes and the
Rhine, between the Lower Rhine region and
the Mosel River. Which may well be true.
But I believe the Nürburgring has always
been in the Eifel and only needed to be chis­
elled out. Anyone who has once seen, let
alone driven this sinister roller coaster with
its scornful turns, dizzying jumps and
treacherous topography, suspects that an
entire human lifetime has been dug into
the character of this track: coming into
being and passing, anger and peace, joy and
sorrow. One lap on the Nürburgring – we are
talking about what is still left of the old
man­eating Nürburgring in the form of the
“Nordschleife” – replaces years of maturing.
The “Ring” makes men and women, and spits
out boys and girls without so much as a
second thought.
it’s all in the genes
of course the navigation system of the GT is familiar
with the nürburgring nordschleife.
nürBurgring automobile racing history has been written here since 1927.
Mercedes -aMG GT
46

49. fluorescenT
dawn
The r inG
21 kiloMeTres

50. c hiPs
for
breakfas T
in
sPa -francorc haMPs

51. For a brief moment the GT compresses at the
lowest point with the weight of a battleship,
I pound into the wall with frightening speed ­
Our Father who art in Heaven. Up is down
and left is right, and the car is quasi unsteer­
able between entry and exit point. But this
time I got it right. I end up exactly the width
of one finger from the right­side kerb of the
right­hand corner on the hill, I have control
over the car again.
But if you clenched for just a millisecond, it
won’t end well at all. Then you find yourself
pointing up a nasty steep hill with your en­
gine speed in the basement and compact
cars with more courageous drivers and 200
fewer horsepower start knocking from be­
hind. No, not even your Mercedes­AMG GT
will help you then. And you also won’t sail
over the crest at the highest point and carry
afterburner speed to the straight that fol­
lows. Au revoir, Francorchamps. Au revoir,
Eau Rouge. I set off on the long way south.
in The MariTiMe alPs
One day later, I cross the border from Italy
into France in the Mercedes­AMG GT. I am
tired, exhausted, but saturated with the im­
pressions from the trans­European ride that
lies behind me: after leaving Belgium, I hit
the German autobahn and am totally amazed
by how serenely and superbly the GT mas­
ters even long stages of the journey for
hours on end. Crossed over into Switzerland
near Basel and dropped into bed near
Andermatt with the last ray of sunlight.
Over the Gotthard Pass to Airolo at dawn,
where the Eifel fog caught up with me again
and joined forces with the clouds at the top
of the pass to form a damp, sticky element.
Cold and tranquillity, high up below the sky.
Down to Airolo, winding bend after winding
bend in the sure­footed GT over the centu­
ries­old cobblestones of the old pass road.
Lugano, Milano, the endless boring motor­
way stretches through northern Italy’s Po
Valley under a bleak sky obscured by low
stratus clouds. Then along the ocean, tun­
nels and bridges next to grey waters. By the
time I’m close to Monte Carlo, I am tired of
autobahns, autostradas, and autoroutes. Near
Menton I turn north and follow the D2566
road into the interior. The GT climbs higher
and higher, works his way into the valleys of
the Maritime Alps with effortless elegance.
The car moves like a beast of prey, resolute­
ly, simply magnificently. Behind Sospel, I fi­
nally see road signs pointing to the Col de
Turini, the pass of desire of the Monte Carlo
Rally.
We have felt our way around the track in the
dark, faster and faster through the lightless
tunnel, the cliffs and black holes of the track
ahead in the dazzling bright light of the
headlamps. The GT is now raging over the
Döttinger Höhe section, at the end of the fin­
ishing straight we escape the fog through a
hole in the fence. I throw the helmet on the
passenger’s seat, hastily take off my gloves
and accelerate hard. The acceleration is so
vehement that I have to lift off the throttle
briefly: vertigo courtesy of a temporary lack
of blood in the brain. I take a deep breath,
stabilise the blood pressure and then attack
again.
I plough through the Eifel, shoot through un­
familiar territory, cross sleepy villages with
the first grey of dawn. At some point the
landscape becomes more charming, black and
white cows graze on the meadows, and the
names of towns suddenly have the soft lilt of
the French language.
circuiT de sPa-francorchaMPs
I enjoy the day’s first cup of coffee at the
counter of a small Belgian snack bar, then I
roll in anticipation to Europe’s arguably
most famous corner: the name of this super­
fast bend, this G­force hell, is “Eau Rouge”.
You’ll find it on the race track of Spa­
Francorchamps. Here, too, modern safety re­
quirements have domesticated a once feared
classic race track – but the Eau Rouge has
remained the eye of the needle through
which big hearts go to racing driver heaven
and where timid souls are destined to fail
miserably.
Acceleration discharge past the modern pit
lane, hard braking, crisply through an epi­
cally wide corner. As you dive down along
the old pit lane, it seems as if you can almost
hear the uninhibited, bloodthirsty screech­
ing of the crowd – and then the track kinks
to the left, a veritable wall towers in front of
you. And then there is this spot, no wider
than a hand, that you have to hit in order to
take the Eau Rouge flat out. I’m not sure if
I have hit it now.
the eye of the needle
europe’s arguably most famous corner lies on the
circuit de spa-Francorchamps – the eau rouge.
eating the miles Between Belgium and
southern France lies straight-ahead country: autobahn,
autostrada, autoroute.
eau rouGe, This
ulTra-fasT
Panic kink,
This
G-force hell
49
roadMovie

52. MorninG cold aT The sT. GoTThard
In the Mercedes-aMG GT, the journey leads unblinkingly over the ancient cobblestones down to airolo.
The GT is an uncoMProMisinG driver’s car
Tired and exhausted, but saturated with impressions from the fantastic trans-european ride.
enjoyinG The view
It is only with the heart that one can see clearly: rugged mountain setting at the Gotthard Pass, magnificent solitude –
and somewhere the sun is shining an ice-cold blue
Mercedes -aMG GT
50

53. c ol
de
Turini
Precise
cuT
on
The
racinG
line
aT
The

54. Breather The col de la Madone bites its way
adventurously through the cliffs of the Maritime alps.
secreT
race Track
ProGraMMe,
The GT can
no lonGer be
sToPPed
Black and white or faded 1960s Kodachrome
images flicker through my mind: turtleneck
sweaters, bell­bottom trousers, sunglasses,
full­throttle jet set, uninhibited pedal­to­the­
metal rally heroes. In the early 1960s,
Mercedes­Benz triumphed here in a 220 SE,
and shortly afterwards the Monte became a
catalyst for desire that still inspires entire ral­
ly generations to this very day, even though
the hot years seem to be a thing of the past.
The GT casually snarls through the winding
bends below the top of the pass. But by the
time I reach the sign telling me that I made
it to the top, I am deeply disappointed: the
Col de Turini is drab and boring, an insignif­
icant junction in the hinterland. Well then,
down to the glitz of Monte Carlo after all.
The end of the long road from up north to
the Mediterranean is approaching quickly.
MonTe carlo
On arriving in Menton, I don’t steer the GT
directly west on the autoroute, but choose
the back entrance to Monaco: I join the D22
road to Sainte­Agnés. The small mountain
village picturesquely clings to the rocks and
is another regular landing spot for the rally.
The GT rolls hesitantly across the large fore­
court where three cardinal directions meet,
the deep guttural growl of the V8 drifts
through the valley basin. I would love to
stop in one of the nice little cafés up in the
town, but the GT keeps moving on. I con­
tinue on the D22 to the Col de la Madone, the
road narrows, lavender and gorse are grow­
ing over its edges. The mountain throws
rocks at us, below the pinnacles the GT scur­
ries grimly past, hisses through dark tun­
nels and cuts along the racing line with the
precision of a scalpel. Then the road spits us
out again. Below Peille, the GT explodes back
onto the D53; from here on out we drop down
to the sea.
I catch the first glimpse of Monte Carlo near
La Turbie: an army of apartment blocks that
crowd into the narrow bay, stacked on top of
each other and one after another, a quarry of
structures, a giant’s box of building blocks.
Monte Carlo keeps changing from year to
year. Every time you think there is absolute­
ly no way to fit another skyscraper onto the
hotly contested square centimetres, another
apartment block will have sprung up by the
time you return, guaranteed.
The legendary Formula One track cuts
through the heart of the city jungle. If the
Grand Prix didn’t exist, the real estate mo­
guls of the city would certainly have come
up with a plan to replace the streets of the
city with buildings. The Grand Prix puts its
mark on Monaco. It gives stability to this
over­the­top town between Prozac and cham­
pagne, anti­depressants and fashion, obses­
sion and exuberance. And it gives it pride
and class. Hard to imagine what it would be
like if racing would no longer be possible
here. But today, I point the GT down the cor­
niches, the Cinemascope panorama turns
above the city, and then I pound into the
surging urban traffic.
full throttle from here on
one of the most famous rally perspectives:
the view from the col de la Madone route
to sainte-agnés.
Mercedes -aMG GT
52

55. in
The
My Thical
l and
of
The
MonTe carlo
rally

56. Grand Prix
At some point, the GT and I end up at the
Casino, but keep rolling on to Mirabeau:
somewhere in the machine, a secret race track
programme seems to start up; the GT can no
longer be stopped. Greedily, it glides through
the famous Grand Hotel hairpin turn, then
the rumbling of the V8 reverberates through
the tunnel down by the sea. Chicane, accel­
erate, fish vans, motor scooters, greengrocers
chewing on cigar stumps, then the sweep from
the swimming pool to Rascasse.
Only now do we awake from our state of
hypnosis, the race is over. We are here. Sadly,
I let the GT roll left to a stop at the marina,
and actually find a place to park near the gi­
gantic luxury yachts – engine off. I remain
at the wheel as if stuck to the seat. The entire
journey flickers through my synapses for a
few delicious and highly intense moments.
Then my battery is empty. I get out, take a deep
breath. Up in the mountains a few patches of
fog are seeping over the ridges, moving
south, over the sea. Then they dissipate. •••
the race is over
I enjoy a little life on the cote d’azur.
chicane,
acceleraTe,
fish vans –
Then The sweeP
froM The
swiMMinG Pool
To rascasse
ecstasy in the cockpit Mercedes-aMG GT
meets hairpin turn at the Grand Hotel.
Mercedes -aMG GT
54

57. l as T
exiT
Monac o

58. It was enthusiasm for motorsport that led to the birth of
AMG. Since then, this passion for racing has shaped the core
of this unique brand and been the engine of its innovation.
AMG blasted onto the scene in 1971. The small tuning company
shocked the lightweight competition at the 24-hour race in Spa,
Belgium, with a heavy, bright red, modified luxury saloon. It
was an unexpected class victory by a Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL
6.8 – affectionately named the “red sow” – that made the AMG
brand world famous overnight. Ever since, racing without
AMG would be unimaginable. The list of DTM winners is packed
with AMG driver champions and brand titles; for the last 18
years, AMG has supplied the safety and medical cars for
Formula 1 and was the engine manufacturer that provided the
power for Mercedes’ superb title victory in the 2014 Formula 1
season.
The Pulse
of
A Brand
Motorsport Essentials
mercedes -amG GT
56

59. all 11All 11 races in the FIA GT Championship are won by a CLK-GTR;
the AMG-Mercedes team wins the driver and constructor titles
since 2012Engine manufacturer Mercedes AMG High Performance
Powertrains has been represented in Formula 1
with the Mercedes AMG Petronas team since 2012
9DTM driver titles
13brand championships in the DTM
5With 5 championships, Mercedes-AMG driver
Bernd Schneider is the most successful
driver in the history of the DTM
gT3With the SLS AMG GT3, Mercedes-AMG offers private customer
teams an uncompromising racing version of the gullwing for sprint
and endurance racing in compliance with the FIA GT3 regulations
1971Breakthrough on the race track – class victory
at the 24-hour race in Spa for the
Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 modified by AMG
F1 champsMercedes AMG Petronas secures the
Formula 1 constructor Title in 2014
dtmMercedes-Benz has participated in
the DTM with race touring cars
since 1994. As early as 1988, private teams rolled to
the starting grid of the DTM in the 190 E 2.3-16
just 128 days
AMG builds the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR in just 128 days
and immediately wins the brand new FIA GT Championship
with Bernd Schneider in 1997
2013The SLS AMG GT3 is the first Mercedes-Benz vehicle to win the
legendary 24-Hour Race on the Nürburgring. The same year brings
overall victories at the 24-Hour Races in Spa Francorchamps, Dubai
and Barcelona and the 12-Hour Races in Bathurst and Abu Dhabi
moTorsporT essenTials
57

60. at the


Text
adam Baumgärtner
Photography
heiko simayer
mercedes-Benz
Mercedes -AMG gt
58

61.       
     
       
      
      

man
p o w e r
59
manpower . markus HOFBaUer

62. Markus Hofbauer kneels down and strokes
the rear tyre of his Buell XB12 almost tenderly.
Completely smooth rubber, zero miles. “They’ve just been
put on,” smiles Hofbauer. “The new Metzeler tyres are
rather cumbersome to drive when cold. But as soon as
they’re up to temperature, they generate phenomenal
grip and run really smoothly. It’s amazing.” The develop­
ment engineer in charge of handling integration for the
Mercedes­AMG GT straightens up, grabs the compact
motorcycle by the handlebars and lifts the machine with
the 1200 cc V2 from its side stand. Ingenious motorbike
magician Erik Buell has done an amazing job: stiff mono­
coque frame, oil tank in the swinging fork, ultra­steep
suspension geometry and a V2 that only has the very
basics in common with the legendary chopper giant from
Milwaukee. It is high­revving, punchy, brutal. Markus
Hofbauer lets the Buell tilt slightly from side to side,
“I love how the torquey engine accelerates powerfully out
of the tightest corners and responds without the slightest
hesitation – that’s essential for a sporty ride, be it with
motorbikes or cars.”
Markus Hofbauer rode his first laps at the age of eleven
on a Honda Monkey, since when he has been utterly ad­
dicted to racing. Nevertheless, cups and trophies are dis­
played only sporadically in the sitting room at home, on
account of his typical Swabian modesty. The fact that
Hofbauer is faster during development drives on the in­
famous Nürburgring Nordschleife than many racing pro­
fessionals is also something we only find out from proud
colleagues and impressed bosses. In conversation, the 48
year­old plays down his special skills as a racer, “I’m an
engineer, not a professional race driver.”
Markus Hofbauer prefers to talk about his time working
on the DTM in the mid nineties. “In 1994, I was the vehi­
cle manager for the AMG­Mercedes driven by Ellen Lohr
and for Jan Magnussen’s car in 1995. Just a few days
there is all it takes to learn things that would take
months to achieve off the track. Or maybe even never,”
says Hofbauer, with a look that implies he is unmoved
by these stories. Yet, you can tell immediately that the
impassive expression hides a raging spirit. Markus
Hofbauer has an absolute passion for the extremes of speed
and performance.
m
reduction of unsprung masses Wishbones, steering knuckles and wheel mounts made from forged aluminium.
name
age
as a child what did you want to be?
Mercedes -AMG gt
60

63. They say that truly great race drivers are the ones that
manage, alongside driving, to take the technology serious­
ly and to work hard with the engineers – 80 percent race
driver, 20 percent technician. Markus Hofbauer is exact­
ly the opposite – 80 percent engineer, 20 percent racer –
a potent combination. The experienced vehicle develop­
ment engineer was brought back on board at Mercedes­
AMG for the SLS AMG Black Series, not least because
the powers that be wanted the as­yet undeveloped GT
sports car to be a raging success, too: best­in­class, with
exceptional dynamics and handling. It was a job for
Hofbauer.
“Mercedes­AMG in 2012,” says Hofbauer with a smile,
“was far removed from the company I had worked for in
the nineties. Then as now, AMG was extremely success­
ful in racing. But AMG now also built these amazing
performance vehicles. Because I loved my old job so
much, I didn’t know at the time if I had taken the right
predictaBility at the limits of tyre grip shock absorber connected directly to the rear wheel mount.
decision to come back to AMG. But the GT was hugely
tempting.” Hofbauer says he decided to try it for a few
months and see how it went. If it wasn’t right for him, he
could still leave. He has to laugh now and shakes his
head – what an absurd idea in retrospect. “I’m really
proud of the GT,” says Hofbauer. “It was hard work for all
of us, but the car sits perfectly. And that’s exactly what
they brought me here to do.”
For a moment, Hofbauer seems bothered by his self­
confident phrasing. He pauses for a moment before ex­
plaining, “During the creation of the SLS AMG, it simply
became evident that you need holistic thinking for total
vehicle development.” A great many parameters are at
play in dynamics and handling: the springs, dampers,
anti­roll bars, the associated bearings and mounts, the
kinematics of the axles themselves, weight distribution
and aerodynamics, steering and tyres and even the
driveability of the powertrain. “You have to pull all the
pieces together to achieve an excellent result.” Having
pushed the Buell into the courtyard, Hofbauer grabs his
motorcycle helmet, jacket and gloves and swings himself
onto the saddle. Before donning his helmet, he adds,
“Imagine a problem comes up during the development of
a car. Naturally, everybody wants to do what they can to
solve it and to help as much as possible from their point
of view. But what can happen then is very contra­produc­
tive. Instead of addressing the cause of the problem, the
issue is simply covered up. Perhaps the car feels dull
and unwilling, so the steering engineers make the steer­
ing extra keen and sharp in response. But the problem
may have been one of weight distribution – so what you
“my job is
to get to the root
of problems in
order to eliminate
them.”
markus hofBauer
Lead engineer for Handling integration
on the Mercedes-AMG GT

65. have now is a car with poor balance and jittery steering.”
Markus puts on his helmet and his final comment comes
somewhat muffled through the visor while he clicks the
fastener at his neck, “My job is to get to the root of prob­
lems, to eliminate them.” A brief push on the ignition
button. “Let’s go!” The Buell rumbles off with a thunder­
ing bass.
Following a trip through the hills of the Swabian Alb,
the two­wheeler ends up back in the garage and we take
a seat on the sunny terrace behind the building. Markus
Hofbauer returns once again to the technology of the GT:
“The platform and the double­wishbone front axle are de­
rived largely from the SLS AMG – they were simply the
best for the job. However, at the rear axle, we wanted to
significantly optimise vibration and unwanted shifting
of wheel load.” A brief look at questioning faces and
Hofbauer grins, “You do that to achieve a high degree of
neutrality and defined, predictable reactions at the limits
of tyre grip. Finely tuned feedback means traction and
thus forward propulsion.”
It seems we’re pondering too much for Hofbauer’s liking.
He launches into another explanation, “Good performance
is never brutal. It is more about precision and silky
smoothness. The driver doesn’t need uncompromising,
harsh feedback. He doesn’t need to be informed about
every single hair on the road, i.e. sheer quantities of feed­
back ...” Hofbauer lets the last sentence sink in for a mo­
ment, before continuing with energetic gesticulation, “He
has to receive exactly the right quality of feedback from
the car in order to be able to move it quickly and safely.”
The concentrated gaze of the AMG engineer falls on a
row of racing helmets gracing a shelf, before quickly pur­
suing his point once more, “In many racing classes, a
car’s output will actually be dialled back in certain situa­
tions to improve its driveability, thus enabling the driver
to hold it more consistently at the limits, which ultimate­
ly makes the car faster.” A similar principle applies to the
development of the running gear. A car that is nervous
and jumpy delivers a fast aha effect. But only profession­
al racing drivers are able to extract that potential for
minutes on end. In everyday driving or in an endurance
race, for instance, the negative effects are considerably
more noticeable. The philosophy of the Mercedes­AMG GT
is therefore not characterised by sharp extremes, but by
complete homogeneity.” Got it Mr. Race Engineer, we nod
enthusiastically. Markus Hofbauer’s expression relaxes –
handling integration achieved! •••
what drives you?
your motto?
what qualities do you most value in yourself?
taming physics
The electronically regulated rear axle differential lock.
80 percent engineer,
20 percent racer
– a potent
combination
scan the Qr code and
learn more about the
Mercedes-AMG GT.
63
manpower . markus HOFBaUer

66. A powerful engine alone is not enough to make a car fast.
Alongside engine and transmission, significant factors in-
clude suspension and steering, as well as the stiffness of the
bodyshell and weight distribution, not to mention tyres,
brakes and aerodynamics. Be it response characteristics, shift
speed, steering feedback, brake pressure point or stability in
fast corners – everything is interconnected and makes the
work of development engineers incredibly complex.
Integrated regulation and fine-tuning of the mechanical and
electronic systems is the key to success in the Mercedes-AMG
GT. A great deal of emphasis was placed on this during con-
ception, development and testing, because only through skil-
ful detail work combined with the systematic networking of
all relevant subject areas leads to the achievement of the
ultimate aim – a fascinating sports-car feel, characterised by
clear feedback and outstanding precision. Finally, the cock-
pit ergonomics have to be right. The driver must feel at ease
and have faith in his/her car – only then is it gloriously easy
to drive really fast.
The Mix
Makes
The Difference
Driving Essentials
mercedes -amG GT
64

67. 5.1 kgOne rear brake disc on the High-performance ceramic-composite
brake system weighs just 5.1 kilograms
5The driver can choose from 5 different
AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive programmes
to influence the characteristics of
the GT according to preference
3There are 3 settings available
for the 3-stage ESP ®
402 mmThe front brake discs of the
High-performance ceramic-composite
brake system measure
402 millimetres
40%The Ceramic-composite brake discs in the GT are
40% lighter than conventional brake discs
3.08 kgis the weight per hp of the GT S
47/53%weight distribution
Between the front and rear axle – this beneficial,
slightly rear-biased set-up delivers incredibly
agile handling and permits high cornering speeds
drivinG essenTials
65

68. going
against
the
flow
Mercedes -AMG gt
66

69. germany’smostlaid-backclub
isnotlocatedinberlin.
the“uebel&gefährlich”(“nasty
anddangerous”)inhamburgisan
institutionthatcannotbepigeon-
holed-andnordoesitwanttobe.
thatispreciselyits
unbeatablerecipeforsuccess
Text
thomaslötZ
Photography
katjaruge
67
uebel & gefährlich

71. i
Stefanie has built a career in the “Uebel”,
one that is not untypical. Having left her
previous job in ocean­cruising she joined
the club as a trainee, prolonged her stay,
worked extremely hard and soon proved so
convincing that after five months, club foun­
der Tino Hanekamp laconically revealed im­
pending changes as they were replenishing
the drinks refrigerator in the backstage area
together. Stefanie dedicated herself to the
Uebel, giving up her job as the drummer for
indy­rock band “Die Heiterkeit”. While her
colleague Felix Mörl handles events and
bookings, Stefanie is now responsible for
day­to­day management and production.
How does one successfully run a very unusual
music club?
“We don’t define success by the money, by
the number of banknotes we count,” says
Stefanie. “It’s the family feeling – and I don’t
mean some form of modern hippie culture.”
She means the special spirit that makes the
Uebel unique. Not only for those who work
there, but also for the guests and artists. The
well­known DJ Laurent Garnier appears
there once a year, for example. “He likes the
club because of its friendliness,” says Felix
Mörl. “And that is based on the fact that we
have no hierarchies.” As idealistic as that
might sound, it is quite simply true and no­
ticeable. As long as you are not racist, sexist,
homophobic or don’t discriminate against
people in any way, you are welcome at the
Uebel & Gefährlich. What’s more, the basic
democratic principles for guests also apply
to the artists. “Even if a band comes here in
the evening having sold only 50 tickets – we
take care of them the same as we would if
we had a full house, and always a friendly
attitude,” says Stefanie.
It is two thirty at night. The queue
of people in the shadow of the enormous,
dark concrete air­raid bunker is 200 metres
long. Nobody wants to go home. They all
want to get high up in the old flak tower be­
fore the night is over. To the fourth floor.
Where the bass is sending its pulsating
four­four rhythm into the pit of each stom­
ach. Where people are smiling and moving
to the driving, energetic electro­sound being
played by the two DJs on the stage. That is
where they all want to be. They want to be
part of the action, be part of Germany´s most
laid­back club.
“Uebel & Gefährlich” is in many respects an
unusual place. It is rough, and very differ­
ent. It is political. It is dream and reality. It
is not like the city it calls home: Hamburg.
The “gateway to the world”, a city which is
hierarchically so well­ordered that the bank­
ers reside around the Alster lake, the hip­
sters in St. Pauli and families in Eimsbüttel.
The “Uebel” cannot be pigeon­holed. It
ploughs its own furrow. It is a place for in­
dy­rock, disco, techno and hip­hop music,
but also for children’s ballet and literature.
The Uebel & Gefährlich has been described
as a “world club”. Its fans simply call it the
“Uebel”. It is tantamount to a brand. While
the “Uebel” certainly has visitors, it above
all has fans. Stefanie Hochmuth, for example.
“uebel&gefährlich”isn’tyour
averageplace.itisrough,itisdifferent.
itispolitical.
itisdreamandreality.
spinning & staging The Uebel crew
pulls off the evening transformation from live concert
venue into club in an hour and a half.
69
uebel & gefährlich

72. A music TV station had booked the Uebel for
a show and the TV people brought a biscuit
manufacturer along as a sponsor on the un­
derstanding that there would be no overt
branding in the fourth­floor venue. But when
Stefanie came down to the bunker’s main
entrance, she got quite a shock: “It looked
like some kind of theme park, with brightly
coloured posters hung everywhere, and then
I saw a 2­metre biscuit welcoming the guests
with a handshake. I certainly learned my lesson,”
says Stefanie, “we’ll never, ever allow that to
happen again.”
Naturally the special status of the club is al­
so in some measure due to the building it oc­
cupies. The massive flak tower IV was con­
structed during the Second World War to
serve as an air­raid bunker for the public
and to protect the city of Hamburg with the
anti­aircraft guns mounted on it. Today the
Uebel staff often take the artists up to the
top of the tower before their appearances, as
the view from there is stunning. A panora­
ma that includes the harbour, the river Elbe,
the Alster lake, the Michaelis church and
the Elb­Philharmonia concert hall notorious
for its explosively escalating construction
costs.
Both Felix and Stefanie work an 80­hour
week, and occasionally up to 100 in peak pe­
riods. More than 300 events need to be
planned, coordinated and held each year. If
Stefanie, Felix and all the other staff were
not completely dedicated to their jobs, the
Uebel would not exist. It would merely be
just another soulless club like so many oth­
ers in this city, in Germany and around the
world. As superfluous as casting shows on
commercial television, or an off­the­rack
sports car produced without passion. Or like
the establishment that previously occupied
the space in which the Uebel, founded in
2006, operates. In “J’s”, an overly suntanned
fellow named Michael Ammer organised
loud parties with lots of girls, vodka and
champagne for Hamburg TV and film celeb­
rities and those who liked to be seen with
them. One evening in 2000 a hand grenade
deposited in the VIP area of J’s exploded,
severely injuring several people. And that
was that.
The continued existence of the Uebel is
threatened by other, more content­related
dangers. When the agency acting for a win­
ner of the Eurovision Song Contest enquired
whether it would be possible for her to give a
public concert in the club, for instance, it
was met with a friendly but firm refusal.
This was to prevent a reputation carefully
established over almost a decade from being
ruined in one evening of mainstream cul­
ture. But as circumspect and careful as the
people at the Uebel might be, their worst
fears nearly came true quite recently.
themassiveflaktowerivwasconstructed
duringthesecondworldwar
toserveasabunkerforthepublicand
protecthamburgfromairraids.
successful & creative
The crowd in front of Uebel is huge. contributing
factors aren’t just the great dJs, bands and guests,
but also the unique soul of the place.
Mercedes -AMG gt
70

75. The sound system is of an older vintage, a
classic D&B from Backnang near Stuttgart.
Sunny not only ensures that the club has the
right sound, he also accompanies the two
Hamburg bands Tocotronic and Blumfeld on
tour as a sound mixer. “The sound in the
Uebel is simply warmer, more earthy.” And
the additional oomph needed on DJ evenings
comes from the two 18­inch infrabass speak­
ers installed beneath the stage. In an adja­
cent room, the Uebel also has a sound studio
with a large number of analogue synthe­
sisers, a fully wired­up studio which has
meanwhile gained such a reputation that not
only numerous top people from the interna­
tional techno­scene, but also the English pop
band Hurts have come to Hamburg to record
individual album tracks in the studio.
Back in the club, the dancefloor is packed.
The bass is pounding to a different rhythm
now, but the evening has not yet reached its
climax and the night will be a long one. The
last guests will not leave until around six or
six­thirty a.m., when a new morning has al­
ready broken outside. Felix Mörl has with­
drawn to the terrace to enjoy a bit of fresh
air. Once again, the air conditioning system
down in the Uebel is working to absolute ca­
pacity. Felix, tell me what you live for. “The
moment,” says Felix, looking across at St.
Pauli by night. “You know, only the moment
is important. The moment where time and
space are one, and the people lose them­
selves in the sound. The moment when
everything inside here seems to stand still.
And everything outside is of no importance
whatsoever.” •••
When the English artist Peter Doherty, un­
fortunately more famous for his excesses
and ex­girlfriend Kate Moss than for his ex­
cellent guitar music, was treated to this pan­
orama for the first time, he was visibly im­
pressed, not only by the view, but by the
building’s history in particular. In the lift on
the way down Doherty, the son of a British
officer, asked Stefanie, “Your grandpa wasn’t
a Nazi, was he?” – “No, my grandpa was a
staunch communist,” she answered. “I grew
up in East Germany.” As did her bookings
colleague Felix and the illustrious founder of
the club, Tino Hanekamp, who has published
his nightlife experiences in a bestselling
book turned into a successful stage­play per­
formed by the renowned “Deutsches Schau­
spielhaus” theatre.
Hanekamp’s guiding principle has always
been to stick resolutely to individuality and
uniqueness. And in the Uebel this is not only
reflected in the treatment of guests, artists
and the programme of events, but also at a
level that is a very decisive factor for a music
club. “We go completely against the flow
with our sound,” says Sunny, who is respon­
sible for the acoustics in the Uebel. Whereas
digitally controlled systems have long been
used exclusively in other venues, the Uebel’s
event programme self­confidently proclaims:
“We stay analogue”.
onlythemomentisimportant.themoment
wheretimeandspaceareone,andthepeople
losethemselvesinthesound.themoment
wheneverythinginsidehereseemstostandstill.
vintage & vistas in Uebel they swear
by the analogue sound — and the incomparable views
of st. Pauli and the rest of the city.
73
uebel & gefährlich

76. Text
Bastian fuhrmann
Photography
heiko simayer
mercedes-Benz

of


Mercedes -AMG gt
74

77. man
p o w e r
       
       
      
      
manpower . Mario sPiTzner
75

78. “For the sports car segment, the Mercedes­
AMG GT is something of a makeover,” says Mario
Spitzner. “‘There’s a new sheriff in town.’ That was our
private — but very fitting — claim for the Mercedes­AMG
GT.” He and his team skilfully transmuted the philoso­
phy behind the Mercedes­AMG GT into images and mes­
sages. The native Swabian has been with AMG since
1990 and has been responsible since then for the global
branding and marketing of the performance brand of
Mercedes­Benz: AMG. The marketing department in
Affalterbach is actively involved in vehicle development
from an early stage. “Right from the early design phase.
After all, we’re our customers’ most powerful lobby!”
Spitzner says. “In doing so, we engage in a close consult­
ation process with core markets in order to integrate
market­specific requirements into the vehicle concept
early on.”
Mario Spitzner has a personal rapport with AMG enthu­
siasts the world over, establishing longstanding relation­
ships with his contacts. And should it happen that he
doesn’t hear the phone ringing or an e­mail arriving,
he’s most likely wearing a helmet and enjoying his MV
Augusta Brutale 1090 RR. Spitzner discovered his love of
motorcycles through his father. “My father always was a
motorcycle fan and I could hear him coming before I
could see him coming,” recalls the biker, who has now
become a passionate motorcyclist himself. Someone who
every now and again needs top speed to slow down — yet
someone who is concerned with safety above all else.
Spitzner shifts gears with lightning speed, looks over at
the new Mercedes­AMG GT and grins: “But when you
double the number of wheels, for me only one brand
measures up: AMG.”
f
world premiere in affalterBach
in black: daimler leadership with nico rosberg.
in solarbeam: the new GT.
the
campaign
and
claim
were
created
in
cooperation
with
mercedes-benz
„handcrafted
by racers“
Mercedes -AMG gt
76

79. For the marketing expert, these three letters have be­
come a passion that began in the summer of 1971 and
never truly let go of him. “As a teenager I saw the great
success of the 300 SEL 6.8 AMG in Spa on the news —
and became a committed AMG fan from then on,” recalls
Spitzner. “You have to imagine it. That was a four­door
saloon, an S­Class, that won first place in its class!”
Following his first job with Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG,
then a period of study in America and an interim posi­
tion at a sporting goods company, Mario Spitzner wound
up at his favourite company in the end. Spitzner says,
“From my very first day, things with AMG have always
gone in only one direction: up. That’s very gratifying, of
course, but at the same time it’s also a big responsibility
since it is necessary to safeguard such positive volume
growth over the long term.”
With the introduction of the Mercedes­AMG GT as its
brand champion, Mercedes­AMG is securing this
self­professed corporate objective in a particularly dy­
namic way. “The response following the world premiere
of the GT has been huge, not only in the media, but also
primarily with — potential — customers,” says Spitzner.
anything But self-image neurosis
The GT campaign image in the look & feel of AMG and Mercedes-Benz.
“handcrafted By racers”
is the crux of the GT.
the
world
has
waited for
this gt
scan the Qr code and
learn more about the
Mercedes-AMG GT.
77
manpower . mario spitzner

80. The Mercedes-AMG GT campaign is a multimedia
spectacle without equal.
from prototype
run to model
cut-out
Mercedes -AMG gt
78

81. A show of customer trust that those in Affalterbach
know to prize and to protect. As with the “one man, one
engine” principle: Highly specialized AMG technicians
assemble “their” AMG engine entirely by hand, thus giv­
ing it a “soul”.
For the introduction of the Mercedes­AMG GT, the highly
motivated team around Mario Spitzner developed com­
munication methods to bring the “driving machine” to
the starting line with as much impact as possible. Such
as the prototype’s journey through the centre of the
trendy city of Barcelona, wrapped in a poison green film
with black, blazing flames – allowing them to test the
first “audience” reactions. Shortly afterwards, came a
stunning online clip in which the Mercedes­AMG GT
lets its bright green shroud fall away on a parched salt
lake in Bonneville, Utah and completely beguiles with its
yellow­hued Solarbeam finish. Only at the end does the
driver raise his helmet and none other than Tobias
Moers, CEO of Mercedes­AMG, appears behind the
wheel. And finally, the innovatively designed web special,
where you can dive deeper into the wonderful world
of GT: Four stages — divided into innovation, handling,
performance and design — cast light on the Mercedes­
AMG GT from all sides. A multimedia presentation that
leaves just one last desire at the end: When can I finally
get hold of it? When can I finally drive it?
On 9 September 2014, it was finally time. The Mercedes­
AMG GT was officially introduced during its world
premiere at the Mercedes­AMG headquarters in
Affalterbach. For now the culmination of a minutely
planned and perfectly implemented campaign by com­
munication experts. •••
man meets machine
As soon as four wheels are in play, for him there are only three letters.
scan the Qr code and
learn more about the
Mercedes-AMG GT.
one man -
one engine.
one gt
there
is
a
new
sheriff
in
town
79
manpower . Mario sPiTzner

82. g a m e
the real world is not enough
for a mercedes-amg gt.
timed to coincide with the official
release of the thoroughbred driving
machine comes a meticulously
recreated replica,
mercedes -amG gt

83. text
clemens gleich
photography
heiko Simayer
Sony
all ready to download in one of
the hottest racing games
currently around. completely
virtual – and something
for anyone who has ever
coveted a car like this
o n
driveclub

84. game developers at Evolution Studios, near
Liverpool in England. The studio has been
part of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
since 2007 and, just a year ago, marked the
launch of the fourth­generation PlayStation
with a real hit: Driveclub. But the team at
Evolution Studios were far from being satis­
fied with what they had produced.
“It looked okay”, says Design Director Paul
Rustchynsky, “but there was a lack of depth
to the game.” Which was not really surpris­
ing, considering Evolution Studios had start­
ed work on the game before even the hard­
ware for the PlayStation 4 was ready. Paul
Rustchynsky and his team were therefore
then given another full year in which to
work on refining Driveclub. “We’ve used that
time to improve pretty well everything,” ex­
plains Paul. “We were able to turn the game
into what we thought it should be.”
After all that additional work, Driveclub is
now above all one thing: accessible. Anyone
who’s at all interested can sit down to play
and start having fun, straight away. “That’s
what it’s all about,” says Paul. “We’ll leave
the arguing over tenths of a second to the
driving simulators. Driveclub is for everyone.”
it’s quite true
Isn’t it? As youngsters, we all dreamt of
these super­fast, thoroughly classy racing
cars. And we made up for a lack of cash with
which to purchase our dream car with our
passion, our love for these exceptional cars.
As kids, we enjoyed the thrill of collecting
Matchbox cars or of taking charge of the
controller for an exciting race round the
Scalextric track at home. It‘s all rather dif­
ferent today.
These days, the developers of video games
invest a tremendous amount of time and
money into making the virtual race circuit
at home a place where the kids of today can
afford to drive the objects of their automo­
tive desire under convincingly real condi­
tions. In “Driveclub“, a racing game for the
PlayStation 4, the Mercedes­AMG GT is not
just the first car that can be additionally
downloaded, it has been recreated in such
meticulous detail that it can hardly be differ­
entiated from the original. In order to rein­
force this effect still further, the virtual copy
will also not be available until shortly after
the start of sales of the GT out in the real
world (8 October 2014).
the (not quite perfect)
hit
Responsibility for the sophisticated transpo­
sition of the GT into the virtual world was in
the hands of true experts in their field, the
welcome
to the club
And that’s how the name came about.
Players connect via the internet to form
clubs of between two and six gamers, who
are then able to play together to collect
points for their club, with which they can
then gain access to additional game content.
In the process, not every team member has
to drive to win, by any means. Someone who
rarely wins, for example, but who performs
the longest drifts, contributes to the overall
success of the team just as much as a serial
race winner.
“Driveclub is a sort of service to enable peo­
ple to have fun with racing games,” says
Paul. “You can pass on challenges within the
network. You can see what your club has
been doing while you’ve been on holiday. You
can stream your best driving scenes as a video
or share them as a photo, and we are con­
stantly loading new features on to the server
driveclub
is there to lift your spirits
Joyrider in driveclub, sports car dreams
become virtual reality.
mercedes -amG gt
82

85. for people to discover.” A good proportion of
the 120 developers working at Evolution are
going to be working on this project for an­
other full year. The idea is to increase the
availability of cars, circuits and functions in
Driveclub, as has now happened in the case
of the Mercedes­AMG GT. But how did the
GT get into this game, anyway?
These days, every vehicle manufacturer uses
so­called CAD (”Computer Aided Design”)
software to design in 3D on the computer
what will ultimately become the final vehi­
cle. These 3D data are millimetre­precise,
can be directly converted into 3D modelling
data for the game and explain why the
Mercedes­AMG GT in Driveclub looks so
amazingly real. Incidentally, this is true not
only of the exterior, but also of the interior,
which is shown each time the driver climbs
aboard before the start of a race. It, too, re­
sembles the actual interior, because ulti­
mately the same data are used to render it
on the screen. “The only real difficulty we
have is with the dashboards,” says Paul
Rustchynsky, going on to explain: “Because
we have to recreate all the words and anima­
tions on the TFT screens ourselves from
scratch so that they will work as displays for
the game.”
In nine out of ten cases, the manufacturers
provide Evolution Studios with the CAD data.
For the remaining ten percent the technical
experts use laser scanners to scan an actual
vehicle and compile a 3D model from the
data. Just how much work is involved in in­
tegrating a car realistically into the game
depends largely on the helpfulness of the
manufacturer. “Mercedes­Benz is the most
cooperative of all the manufacturers,” ac­
cording to Paul. “The amount of data that
they let us have, the access they give us to
the vehicles, the test drives and the input
from their professional test drivers is all ex­
tremely useful.” As well as simplifying the
developers’ working processes, Mercedes­
Benz’s willing cooperation also ensures that
the vehicles sporting the three­pointed star
are portrayed with as much meticulous pre­
cision as current state­of­the­art technology
allows.
perfectly tuned thanks to the early cooperation with mercedes-Benz,
the Gt in driveclub almost seems real. 83

86. inspired by amg
scan the Qr code and
learn more about the
mercedes-amG Gt.
mercedes -amG gt

87. indistinguishable
sound
Of course, this precision of detail is not re­
stricted to the graphics. “We offer the best
sound of all racing games,” says Paul, with
conviction. In order to make the sound in the
game as close to that of a real GT as possible,
a sound crew records the car as it drives,
using more than a dozen microphones at once.
This is the only way they can subsequently
achieve a clean separation between the sound
of the engine running and wind and tyre
noise. The effort certainly pays off: “I remem­
ber how we recorded the SLS AMG, then pro­
cessed and integrated the sound track,” Paul
relates. “Then we played the game sound back
to AMG. They thought it was just a recording
of the car, but in fact it was the in­game
sound. The vehicles in Driveclub sound practi­
cally the same as their real­life equivalents.”
Although Driveclub aims to be a fun­racer
rather than a simulation game, the developers
still pay meticulous attention to every single
detail. “We don’t miss anything,” says Paul. For
along with the sound and the look of the car,
the game also aims to replicate convincingly
its typical driving characteristics, as driven by
a professional on the race circuit: weight bal­
ance, torque output, wheel­load shift during
cornering – all this is tracked on the moving
vehicle by a measuring device, so that the pro­
grammer can later feed the data into the
Driveclub virtual model. Anyone who has ex­
perienced the Mercedes­AMG GT in Driveclub
should be able to recognise it in a real­life driv­
ing situation. “Our car has all the characteris­
tics of the real thing,” promises Paul. “The only
difference is that, in Driveclub, you’re allowed
to hammer the engine a bit more than you
would in real life.” •••
input from driVing proS amG driving academy instructor reinhold renger
provided important background for integrating the Gt into driveclub.
driveclub
85

88. Mercedes -aMG gt
86

89. a
l o o k
i n s i d e
fashion
shooting s tar
roshi
p orkar
on
design ,
luxury
and
values
Text
ole zimmer
Photography
thorsten doerK
interior . roshi Pork ar
87

90. and Photography, she received the coveted
Prix Chloé in April 2014. The high­end fash­
ion magazine Elle and Mercedes­Benz sub­
sequently gave the young designer the op­
portunity to present her first collection at
the Mercedes­Benz Fashion Week Berlin.
Since then, everything has changed for Roshi.
She is free to choose what she does in fu­
ture, what direction she would like to take.
For a lot of people that is exactly the notion
of freedom.
It’s just before 8 o’clock on a mild autumn
day, a quiet Saturday morning, when we
meet up in the Café Siebenstern in Vienna’s
4th district. Just around the corner, Roshi
had her first studio; the area still brings
back fond memories of home. The first cus­
tomers don’t normally arrive until ten; the
owner opened up earlier specially for us. In
the air hangs the reminder of last night;
cold smoke which is only slowly being
masked by the aroma of freshly brewed cof­
fee from the large machine. Roshi shivers.
The first impression is certainly
different. At least different from what you’d
have expected from a new star on the fash­
ion stage. The photo crew were left standing
all alone around the Mercedes­AMG GT S,
discussing the perfect position for the next
shots, admiring the fine matt finish of the
paintwork, the domed roof line and the
frameless doors. Suddenly a young woman
in a tailored­fit blue wool coat appears next
to the passenger door and says in a friendly
voice “Morning, I’m Roshi”. No huge entrance,
no two kisses; Roshi Porkar is simply there.
Over the past few months, things weren’t
quiet and relaxed around Roshi too often.
Meteors make a bang whether they want to
or not. And the rise of the young Vienna­
based designer in the fashion business has
certainly been meteoric. At just 26, she was
already working for fashion stylist Karl
Templer in New York and fashion label
Lanvin in Paris. She studied fashion at the
University of Applied Arts in Vienna.
Straight after graduating, she developed her
own first collection from the subject of her
dissertation – and it went down a bomb. At
the Hyères International Festival of Fashion
She devoted over two years to her first col­
lection. Her subject: the Bactrian princesses –
more than 3000­year­old stone figurines,
barely 20 centimetres tall. To explain her de­
signs from the early days she grabs her pen
and notebook from the table in the café and
starts to draw.
“The first collection was an experiment for
me,” she explains. “I wanted to create this
special silhouette. It was meant to be some­
thing personal. Whether the clothes would
then also be wearable wasn’t that important
to me. It was about a statement on the cat­
walk, about an overall picture.” But now it
was time for something totally new. And
then she looks at her sketch, laughs to her­
self and says, “To be honest”, after such a
long, intense time she “was slowly beginning
to dislike seeing” the princesses. The subject
matter was done and dusted. Not just for her
work, for fashion and design overall it is im­
portant to try out new things. “You have to
try to break through the norm, slowly turn­
ing in another direction. Only that way can
the design also change and develop.”
don’t compromise,
challenge yourself and go
your own way:
that’s how good design
arises
feel!
“Luxury is first and foremost always also well made.” accomplished styling
meets fine materials and craftsmanship in the Mercedes-aMG GT s.
See! with the eye of the designer, roshi Porkar
discovers even the smallest details.
t
Mercedes -aMG gt
88

92. Anyone can put on a pair of standard off­
the­peg jeans, “you’re doing nothing wrong,
but nothing right, either.” But anyone that
consciously opts for something special, “has
made a conscious decision.” That applies to
the Mercedes­AMG GT S just as much as to
high fashion. It doesn’t necessarily suit every­
one, it isn’t necessarily to everyone’s taste,
but, for those who can and want to wear it,
it suites them incredibly well and can also
totally change the way others see them.
“Regardless of whether it’s high­end fashion
or the AMG GT S – it’s always a clear state­
ment of not being satisfied with something
off­the­peg, says Roshi, as she fiddles around
to find her smartphone in her coat pocket
and takes a selfie in the cockpit.
A little later, Roshi is sitting in the new
Mercedes­AMG GT S, caressing the dash­
board, the dominant centre console with the
ergonomically arranged pushbuttons in the
V8 design, the steering wheel with spokes in
“full Galvano” design. She lets the design
wash over her. A sports car like the GT S
and good designer fashion are, after all, very
similar, ponders Roshi. Ultimately “you de­
cide consciously for something special”.
Of course that’s luxury, says Roshi. But she’s
not just referring to the price of a product.
“I’m talking about quality and design and
the kind of sensations that a product trig­
gers and conveys. Luxury is always also well
made.” As she’s speaking, she’s discovering
more about the cockpit, dreamily running
her fingers across the high­quality Black
Diamond surfaces. With a small laugh, Roshi
notices the silver controllers for the sporty
centre spot nozzles for the air conditioning.
Last night, she burned the midnight oil; the
silver buttons remind her of an extremely
beautiful thimble.
clarity
and
sensuality –
the gt s
has it
Mercedes -aMG gt