Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series sets new record at the Nurburgring

How close the new Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series actually is to motorsport has now been impressively demonstrated by GT3 racer Maro Engel on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife.

With an officially measured and notarised certified time of 6:43.616 min for the 20.6km-long track and 6:48.047 min for the 20.832km-long total track, the GT Black Series is placed in the top group of the street-legal 'sports cars' category and number one among the fully standard, unmodified models.

Maro Engel made full use of all the possibilities offered by the new Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series as standard, such as the most powerful AMG V8 series engine ever with 720bhp, the sophisticated aerodynamics and extensive suspension adjustment options.

For example, the front splitter made of visible carbon fibre was extended to the 'Race' position, and the lower and upper wing blades of the rear spoiler were each adjusted in the middle position.

The adjustable AMG coilover suspension with adaptive adjustment damping was lowered by 5mm at the front and 3mm at the rear to further enhance the venturi effect of the front diffuser.

The camber was adjusted to the maximum possible values of negative 3.8 degrees at the front axle and negative 3.0 degrees at the rear.

In the case of the adjustable anti-roll bars, Engel opted for the hardest of the three possible settings, and he adjusted the nine-stage AMG traction control between positions six and seven, depending on the section of the track. AMG GT Black Series customers can also take advantage of all these settings and variations.

This also applies to the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R MO tyres, which are completely standard equipment and were developed in collaboration with development partner Michelin for the AMG GT series.

The highest possible level of safety was ensured not only by the standard AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system, but also by the Track Package with rollover protection system and four-point safety belts offered as standard equipment.

Also, in terms of aerodynamic efficiency, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series has learned a lot from Mercedes motorsport efforts. For example, the carbon fibre bonnet with two large exhaust outlets. These specifically guide the warm air that flows from the slanted radiator setup out of the engine compartment. This increases overall downforce, as does the sophisticated rear wing concept and the largely enclosed underbody.

The video for the record setting lap can be viewed here.