Originally Posted by Frenetic

I saw one of these at the dealership recently and really liked how they looked. I was also thinking about getting a base 911 next but even that model has stupid markups and not many dealers willing to allocate a base on a new build. The 55 would be my daily driver. While I really like the 63, it’s just too rich for me and more than I’m willing to spend on a car.

Were you able to negotiate below MSRP? I imagine the 55 would be harder for dealers to move so I’m wondering if deals can be made. Also, I intended to buy my next car, which would have been another S class. I don’t know if I would buy this. I’m just worried I may not like the harsh ride after a year or two. I may just lease again. Did you lease or buy?

Originally Posted by IL Pete

Yes, I was just typing up a reply here talking about the Options on my car, and realized that I forgot to mention the rear trunk space, I think that is a huge differentiator of the GT's versus 911's.

And yes - very difficult to find 55's and 63's both used and new with this option. That knocks more than 50% of them out if that is a must-have for anyone.

Here is what I was half-way done typing up when I saw your reply:


Okay, so here are the Options on my car:

Options:
* Drivers Assistance Package ($1,950)
* Night Package ($750)
* AMG Aerodynamics Package ($2,850)
* AMG Night Package Plus ($550)
* Dashcam ($200)
* Multicontour Front Seats with Massage Function ($1,100)
* Heated & Ventilated Front Seats ($450)
* Fixed Panorama Roof ($2,100)
* Rear Seats with Folding Backrests ($0)
* MANUFACTUR Black DINAMICA Headliner ($1,600)
* AMG Fuel Cap ($110)
* AMG Interior Carbon Fiber Trim ($2,850)
* AMG Performance Steering Wheel in DINAMICA/Carbon Fiber ($900)
* GUARD 360 Vehicle Protection Plus ($50)
* Energizing Comfort Package Plus ($200)
* 21” AMG Forged Split Spoke Wheels in Black ($3,300)
* Augmented Video for Navigation ($350)
* Cargo Organizer System ($300)

Night Package and Night Package Plus were must-haves for me. A lot of the used ones out there didn't even have the basic Night Package, that was a show-stopper for me.

The rear seats were a must-have for me. My 3 kids are all grown up, I don't need them for rear seats, but if you want that extra length in the rear hatch, you need those. If you Golf, you absolutely need those. I don't Golf, but I do play Electric Guitar, and I am constantly taking Guitars to my Tech to swap strings, change tunings and do setups. I need that extra length for transporting guitars. The fantastic room in the rear hatch is a criteria to consider when comparing this car to any 911.

There is an idiosyncrasy I discovered. I thought I would leave the rear seat down on the time. You get a cleaner rear view with the seat bench down. With the seat bench up, you can see the two humps for the built-in headrest sort of things. But with the seat down, the front seats are aware of the bench being down, and your ability to move the front seats back and also the level of recline is restricted. I am 5'9", so my driving position is not affected, but for taller drivers it might be. Where I noticed it was in getting the Passenger Seat to a comfortable position. My 21 year old son likes his seat back and also his seat reclined a decent amount. He wouldn't be able to put the seat where he wants it with the rear bench down. This is important to me, as we go to the track together 1-2 times per weekend 7 months per year, and this would probably be the main car for driving back and forth to the track. Not a big deal, though, I would just leave the seat up when not needing the extra length, and still the hatch area with the seat is plenty of room for all the track gear, helmets, track suits, gloves, boots, laptop bags (we both bring our Laptops each day to analyze the track data).

I really wanted the Panorama Roof, both for the exterior look of that, and the option to let more light in if I wanted to.

I wanted the Aero Package if possible. I think it looks great without it, but for my tastes, I prefer it. This eliminated almost all of the used ones, and most of the new ones!

For colors I really just wanted to consider Selenite Grey or Cirrus Silver. I love all the great colors available in this car, I also like the Patagonia Red, and the Metallic Blue, but I know myself well enough to know that longer term I would be most happy with Selenite Grey or Cirrus Sliver. I usually go GT Silver in Porsches, which is a Silver that has like no Blue whatsoever in it, it has a little Gold/Brown in it. The Cirrus Silver has a little Blue in it, which is more noticeable in certain lighting. And I wasn't able to see a Cirrus Silver GT 55 or 63 in person. I might have been more happy with Cirrus Silver with the Selenite Grey, I just couldn't be sure, and I knew I liked the Selenite Grey, so I didn't want to take the risk. The previous Gen GT-R above I drove was Selenite, as was one of the GT 55's, and so was the C63S I owned briefly, and I liked the Selenite on all three of those cars. It is very understated and stealthy, which I like. I know when I see a Cirrus Silver one in person, I will have Silver envy!

I wanted the Split Spoke Wheels as well, I love those.

I wanted the Carbon Fiber Interior Package, but most of them out there were optioned with that, especially the new 2025's.

I was torn on the Seats - the standard Sport Seat versus the Performance Seats. I had driven cars with both recently. I was concerned I would regret not holding out for one with the Performance Seats (or custom ordering one with those), that was actually my biggest concern about buying this one remotely without checking it out in person. But now that I have it and have driven it, I am very happy with the Sport Seats, more on that later.

So with all of that criteria, I had found this car in a GT 55, and also there were a couple of GT 63's like this in Selenite Grey. This was $160K, and the 63's were like $205K or $213K or something like that (the more expensive one had Ceramics). Given the price delta, I went for this one. (I couldn't find any used ones in either the 55 or 63 that were even close.)

Originally Posted by IL Pete

Well, like I said, the power difference is DEFINITELY noticeable. The 63 is beastly, almost too much power for the Street. But in a good way!

The 55 is still very quick, and probably good enough for me, I think. You can always easily tune the 55 to be as fast as the 63, but then you put yourself at risk re the factory warranty if you do so. I probably won't. (Famous last words...)

There is a configuration idiosyncrasy I discovered between the 55 and 63. The "Multicontour Front Seats with Massage Function" is Optional for the 55, and Standard on the 63.

See here:


This option is IMO a must-have!! I think many dealers miss that difference and don't spec the feature on their orders, there are a LOT of 55's out there in dealer inventories without that feature.

It is a must-have for both the Lumbar and for the lateral support. The lateral support is incredibly configurable! I am pretty thin, a 30 inch waist but with fairly broad Lats and Shoulders, so I usually go for the highly bolstered seats in any Sporty Car. But with this option with the Standard Sport Seats I can crank the Bolsters in to the tightest setting (10) and also do the Lumbar. When I do that, these seats are extremely supportive for spirited driving, and VERY comfortable. Like the best combination of all the attributes of seats I have ever experienced. (My salesperson at the dealer I worked with said this to me, but I was highly skeptical. But he was spot on!)

Without the ability to do this regarding the lateral support on the thigh and lateral bolsters, I think I would absolutely hate these Sport Seats.

Also, my wife hasn't driven in this car yet, but I am sure she will appreciate the configurability of the passenger seat in that same regard, she will dial it in to her liking and set a memory setting for it. She hasn't generally loved the highly bolstered 18 Way Sport Seats in my many 718's.

Now that I understand all of this, I am glad that I got these seats with this option, versus the Performance Seats.

So I highly recommend to anyone getting a 55 - make sure it has this option!

BTW, also if you do get the Performance Seats, you should probably also make sure that you get this option:




If Performance Seats are selected, this is an Option for both the 55 and 63. Like the above option for the Sport Seats, many dealers miss spec'ing this when selecting Performance Seats.

The GT 55 I test drove had that issue, it had the Performance Seats without this Option. I found them to be quite comfortable and supportive, perhaps a bit on the firm side, but I was annoyed to learn that it didn't have adjustable Lumbar support.

Originally Posted by Macastel

regarding the tune.. you can always get a piggyback Tune from Renntech which does not void any warranty.

Mine comes performance seat and yes the additional setting. Looking forward to it!

Originally Posted by IL Pete

Following up here on my 1 year anniversary of the car.

I still like it, a lot. Sure, there are some idiosyncrasies, like the Brake Dust (I am upgrading to Carbon Ceramic Rotors and Pads per my other post), the A-Pillar Wind Noise (not sure that can be resolved, maybe it is just poor aero design?), the low battery alerts, and the lack of good options for All Season Tires (I am getting some custom 20" Wheels made for that).

But still, there is not a lot else I would rather have. I do wish I would have bought the 63 over the 55. I would upgrade, but the depreciation in the first year is BRUTAL, it wouldn't make any sense to do that, it would be like setting money on fire and throwing it out the window, since I would just be getting another one.

I love the looks, the Selenite Grey Color, the Aerokit, the V8 sounds and feel, and the practicality of the hatchback with the rear seats that fold down. I get complements on the car wherever I go.

I bought the 2026 M2 CS for my "other car" to use for the Winters here in Chicago. It is fantastic, probably the best M car made today, I like the smaller package relative to the M3 or M4. But the M3/M4 Comp and CS's are great from the perspective of having the AWD, it depends what you want.

That said, I probably am going to sell the M2 CS and get a 2026 Carrera T, and then use the GT 55 for the Winters going forward (with All Season Tires on 20's as mentioned above). There is a lot of overlap in the 911 and GT 55, but I don't mind having two 2-Seaters, my wife has an SUV when we need the space. For me a 911 and the GT 55 makes sense when the 911 is a Manual. My wife really likes riding in and driving the GT 55, which is huge as she never likes my cars, and hates the Carbon Buckets in the M2 CS. So GT 55 for the year-round daily driver that my wife likes, and the 911 Carrera T for a fun Manual sportscar. (For those not aware - the 992.2 Carreras now all have the 992.1 Carrera GTS Turbos, so now you can go from the stock 388 HP in a Base or T Carrera to 600 HP with just a Tune from M Engineering.)

Originally Posted by IL Pete

Following up here on my 1 year anniversary of the car.

I still like it, a lot. Sure, there are some idiosyncrasies, like the Brake Dust (I am upgrading to Carbon Ceramic Rotors and Pads per my other post), the A-Pillar Wind Noise (not sure that can be resolved, maybe it is just poor aero design?), the low battery alerts, and the lack of good options for All Season Tires (I am getting some custom 20" Wheels made for that).

But still, there is not a lot else I would rather have. I do wish I would have bought the 63 over the 55. I would upgrade, but the depreciation in the first year is BRUTAL, it wouldn't make any sense to do that, it would be like setting money on fire and throwing it out the window, since I would just be getting another one.

I love the looks, the Selenite Grey Color, the Aerokit, the V8 sounds and feel, and the practicality of the hatchback with the rear seats that fold down. I get complements on the car wherever I go.

I bought the 2026 M2 CS for my "other car" to use for the Winters here in Chicago. It is fantastic, probably the best M car made today, I like the smaller package relative to the M3 or M4. But the M3/M4 Comp and CS's are great from the perspective of having the AWD, it depends what you want.

That said, I probably am going to sell the M2 CS and get a 2026 Carrera T, and then use the GT 55 for the Winters going forward (with All Season Tires on 20's as mentioned above). There is a lot of overlap in the 911 and GT 55, but I don't mind having two 2-Seaters, my wife has an SUV when we need the space. For me a 911 and the GT 55 makes sense when the 911 is a Manual. My wife really likes riding in and driving the GT 55, which is huge as she never likes my cars, and hates the Carbon Buckets in the M2 CS. So GT 55 for the year-round daily driver that my wife likes, and the 911 Carrera T for a fun Manual sportscar. (For those not aware - the 992.2 Carreras now all have the 992.1 Carrera GTS Turbos, so now you can go from the stock 388 HP in a Base or T Carrera to 600 HP with just a Tune from M Engineering.)

Originally Posted by eXpensiveGears

Thanks for the update @IL Pete ! Any reason for wanting the 63 over the 55 now? I thought I remember you saying the 55 was good enough not needing the extra power?

Originally Posted by Mayur999

About to pick up my GT55 tomorrow. How did you fair with it in the Winter? May I ask what winter tire set up you used? Thank you. In North East here.

Originally Posted by Mayur999

About to pick up my GT55 tomorrow. How did you fair with it in the Winter? May I ask what winter tire set up you used? Thank you. In North East here.

Originally Posted by IL Pete

I did not drive my GT 55 as a daily last winter, I kept the Summer Tires on and only drove it in the dry and in higher temps. I currently have an M2 CS with All Season Tires that I used for the Winter.

I did not want to go with the Winters on the Stock Wheels - I don't care for the feel of Winter Tires when driving hard, you get Tire Squirm with the softer compound and the tread pattern. I don't commute to an office every day, I work from Home when not traveling and don't drive myself to the airport when I travel, so I have the luxury to not drive when the weather is bad.

For next Winter I am investing in 20" wheels for the GT 55 so I can used Ultra High Performance All Seasons for the Winter - I did not like any of the MB 20 inch wheel options, so I am having some wheels made to the MB 20" specs that look identical to my stock wheels. They will arrive in the May time frame. (As will my ordered Carbon Ceramic Rotors and Pads.) So this Winter my GT 55 becomes the Winter Car, I plan to sell the M2 CS and get a 911 of some sort, probably a Carrera T that will get modded to 600+ HP.

The M2 CS is fantastic - the best modern M Car made IMO. But it doesn't fit me perfectly for the street.

I also have a 2026 M2 Racing Factory Built Race car for the track - so that will cover my BMW M needs quite nicely.

Originally Posted by IL Pete

I did not drive my GT 55 as a daily last winter, I kept the Summer Tires on and only drove it in the dry and in higher temps. I currently have an M2 CS with All Season Tires that I used for the Winter.

I did not want to go with the Winters on the Stock Wheels - I don't care for the feel of Winter Tires when driving hard, you get Tire Squirm with the softer compound and the tread pattern. I don't commute to an office every day, I work from Home when not traveling and don't drive myself to the airport when I travel, so I have the luxury to not drive when the weather is bad.

For next Winter I am investing in 20" wheels for the GT 55 so I can used Ultra High Performance All Seasons for the Winter - I did not like any of the MB 20 inch wheel options, so I am having some wheels made to the MB 20" specs that look identical to my stock wheels. They will arrive in the May time frame. (As will my ordered Carbon Ceramic Rotors and Pads.) So this Winter my GT 55 becomes the Winter Car, I plan to sell the M2 CS and get a 911 of some sort, probably a Carrera T that will get modded to 600+ HP.

The M2 CS is fantastic - the best modern M Car made IMO. But it doesn't fit me perfectly for the street.

I also have a 2026 M2 Racing Factory Built Race car for the track - so that will cover my BMW M needs quite nicely.

Originally Posted by IL Pete

Hi there everyone! New member here, and first-time MB owner. I have historically been a Porsche and BMW guy, with some Audis and a VW along the way (have a modded 2024 Golf R now for the Winter Beater). I have looked at some of the AMGs along the way, but this is the first time I have pulled the trigger on one. Well, sort of my first MB AMG - I did buy a used 2023 C63S a few weeks ago. But then I decided to trade it in on the GT 55. I liked it a lot, but there were a few areas it fell short for me, so I decided to search across the country for an AMG GT in inventory that I liked, rather than ordering for one and waiting for it. I found this one in Kentucky.

I had test driven both a GT 55 and GT 63 about a month ago, and liked them a lot. You could definitely feel the difference in HP and Torque between the two, but I couldn't cost justify in my head the price delta for the GT 63, at over $200K for the 63 I started to get to consider many other alternatives, for instance a GT4 RS or Spyder RS. Those are very different cars, but still... My GT 55 was $160K, and at that price I think it is a solid value proposition. Certainly relative to any new 911, a Base Carerra or Carrera T new is that much these days (once you starting ticking some option boxes), and this is IMO "more car" for that money. And the S, GTS, GT3 and Turbo are significantly more money. Again, not an apples to apples comparison, but I think many of us would cross shop between the two model lines. I am actually more of a 718 Cayman/Boxster guy than a 911 guy, the 718 4.0's have been my thing. I have owned 5 of them since 2021 (long story as to why, it has to do with going from street-focused to track-focused and then back to street-focused once I started to buy dedicated track cars - I am a member at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL).

I did also consider the older generation AMG GT. I drove a low-miles 2018 GT-R, and I loved it! But I didn't care for the dated tech on the UI and the lack of a Heated Steering Wheel (which were two of my primary issues with the C63S). So as much as I loved the GT-R, the GT 55 ended up being the one that checked all of the boxes best for me, of all of the used or new AMG options available..

I was (and am) concerned about the depreciation these cars experience, relative to the Porsche 718's and 911's. I generally do not keep my cars more than and year or two, and I know I will take a big hit on this car relative to the purchase price new, when I go to sell it or trade it in. I did look at Used ones (both GT 55's and GT 63's), but there wasn't much out there with the Options I wanted, and I am really picky on the Options. Buying a new or used 911 likely would have been a lower TCO at the end of the day, a more expensive car with less depreciation, but I liked the notion of this car more than a 911, short of a GT3 Touring or Turbo S, which is WAY more money, new or used. So I decided to get an AMG GT and picked this one. I will try to keep it longer than I have kept previous cars, we shall see.

The big draw for me for the AMG GT was the engine and exhaust noise, there is a real "sense of occasion" with this car, especially when driving in a more spirited fashion with Manual Shifting. And also you can flip it in Comfort Mode and it chills out and is more of a luxury GT car. Pretty versatile! That formula was compelling enough for me to break my cycle of Porsches and BMWs and jump in here with the GT 55. After 4 years of adoration of the Flat 6's in my 718 4.0's (and heavy mods to the exhausts to make them sound great), this terrific 4.0L Bi-Turbo V8 will be a fun thing to experience. Also I like that these cars are much more rare than the Porsches out there, it feels like I have something a little more special and unique.

I will detail here in this thread my thoughts on the GT 55 and compare to my other cars that I have owned, and also cars that I have considered and driven. I will go through the options and discuss why I picked this one and what I would have ordered if I would have custom ordered. Also I will chronicle the experience of getting to know it, and I will likely do a few minor mods along the way.

I put about 150 Miles on the car the first day I received it, and then I dropped it off to the PPF shop for a Full Body PPF, Ceramic Coating and Tint. I should have it back by the end of next week.

A few pics to kick this off:










In the Garage, I stack my two cars in the same bay with a 4 Post Lift, currently the other car is the Modded 2024 Golf R mentioned above, but that may change later this year...

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Anyone else experience the ‘A’ pillar noise mentioned by IL Pete?

Originally Posted by SpeedDemon77

I live in the Northeast too. Drove it all winter with factory summer tires. Just take it easy until dash icon shows the tires are up to temp. And even then, don't overdo it. And do not drive it in the snow or ice.

I also have a garage, so tires are a bit warmer upon startup vs parking outside.

When cold, you will find the front tires skip across the pavement when making full lock turns in parking lots. Just take it easy.

Originally Posted by Frenetic

Yeah, that noise would annoy me. It’s usually the side-view mirror, the window seal considering these are frameless windows or the seal around the windshield. I wonder if the OP got his resolved at the dealer or tried fixing it himself via a silicone spray or grease on the seal around the side window.

Originally Posted by IL Pete

I am still thoroughly annoyed by that noise! I may end up selling the car because of it, it makes no sense that it is as bad as it is. I love the car otherwise, but it drives me insane. It starts to appear about 45 mph, kicks in more at 50+.

When I had it in for the A Service (1 year or 10K miles, 1 year in my case) I had the dealer look at it. They said it was "normal", with a car like the GT 55 with frameless windows. I pointed out that my many Caymans, 911's and BMW M2's didn't have this issue, with frameless doors - so it was really more of a design issue. They didn't have a response to that.

Also there is also a LOT of wind noise with the Windows down, more so than there should be. It is not enjoyable to drive that way, in my opinion. Maybe it is just a matter of poor aerodynamic design?

I just recently purchased a 992.2 GT3 (with a Wing, PDK, 18 Ways) - so that will become the car for driving back and forth to the track and the weekend drives, the GT 55 (or its replacement if I decide to replace it) will be the daily for running around town and for all year round. I took the GT3 out for the first time last week, so much less wind noise, both windows up and windows down. (I dropped it off for a Full Body PPF, Tint and Ceramic Friday, so I won't have it back for a couple of weeks - amazing car!)

The foam/rubber used at the window seal seems like a cheap dryish material, more of a foam than a rubber. I wonder if that is the issue?

I will probably take it back to the dealer again to talk to them about it, before giving up on the car. It would be interesting to look at and test drive a 2026 (mine is a 2025) and see if they made any changes to it, if the wind noise is as bad.