First_Merc

Hi, I tried to search and haven't had much success.

I'm trying to understand what may be best for me. I saw some Youtube videos which suggest the GTC is the best sweetspot being that the GTR is too harsh. It seems the consensus on Youtube is that if I'm not going to track it, a GTC is the best option.

Is this what most people are finding? My local dealer only has a GTC for test driving.

Thanks. I never owned a Mercedes before. This is an exciting prospect.

thecutter64

How are you going to use the car? You already know the answer. You just want someone to push you to the GTR.

Are you going to track it? Do you like the big wing and dark interior with no sun roof?

I dont see much difference for street driving. Heck, I don’t even use my GTS to the limits on the street.

cyberorth

Gtc is a wiser choice and gives more refinement and choices. Gtr is the king and has a killer rear end. The inside of all gtrs are pretty much the same and boring finishes. Flip a coin and THEN see if you’re happy with the coins answer. If not get the other.
Thecutter64 has a good point. You’re asking for a push towards the gtr!
I think the performance is close enough not to notice but maybe in terms of on track downforce.

Katie22

Got a GTC because I wanted a convertible which you could not get an 18 GTR.

Car now has 23000 miles on it and its wonderfull!

tblountman

My two cents...as I considered both. If you don't consistently track your car there is no reason to have the R...it is truly a track car. Most of us here (including myself) are not good enough to wring any more out of the R vs. the C. You have 9 tenths the car of the R with a more palatable ride...

Albuht813

We’d like to help, but you haven’t told us what your preferences are. Give us some info on what you want out of your GT and maybe we can help you on the differences on the entire lineup.

thebishman

Give us more info on what your wants/needs are, but I’ve owned my GT R for 18 months now and DD it occasionally. The roads here aren’t great, but by lowering the tyre psi to 28 instead of 31 the ride is certainly more compliant. So unless your roads are truly awful, the GT R is not too bad on the street re: ‘comfort’. It does attract a lot of attention, but then again there aren’t many GTs of any variant around so they all get some looks. The seats are not well padded and I don’t find them incredibly comfortable for extended driving, but that could well just be me. If you plan on tracking more than 4 times per year and are serious about it, then obviously the GT R is the car to get, BUT the GT C will be excellent on the track also.

Bish

rbf41000

23000 miles, hats off to you.
My 18 roadster is also my daily. Came from an SL550 and have no problems with the GT.

ZephyrAMG

The entire GT line are all well capable and have great engineering. The R and the Pro are overkill for normal city spirited driving. The GTS is awesome and is very aggressive. The GTC adds the pleasure of no roof.
There are considerable price differences. Unless you track the car, no need for the R. Hey that rhymed! LOL

First_Merc

I thought I was being intentionally vague or non-committal!

I'm not planning on tracking the car. Just using as daily driver.

Are the seats the same ones on the GTC? If so, wouldn't I be just as uncomfortable in the GTC?

I plan to use it as a daily driver. Winter included. Could be anywhere from 2-5 inches of snow a couple times a year. I plan to drive around my dog and potential GF. I'm looking for a quick/sporty car. I don't want something super harsh though. I rode in a friend's Mustang with all sorts of Fast & Furious aftermarket stuff and damn nearly broke my back in a pothole. My trips can be through rough roads - there's always constructions around DC, Baltimore, the beltway, etc, which means the roads can be stripped rough with the ridges they do for weeks or longer before they finally repave them. Some trips can be up to 1.5 or rarely, 2 hours.

Thanks to everyone who is chiming. Everyone is being so helpful welcoming me. It's a nice welcome to the MB world... Hey, that's the URL too!

thecutter64

In that case,get the GTS. You won’t regret it😃

mvb3

I drove both and bought the GTC. Driving wise the difference is minimal, and what really sold it to me was the glass roof of the GTC, the GTR cabin feels smaller and claustrophobic in comparison. The glass roof really opens up the cabin, makes it feel larger and more livable.
Edit: I'm talking about the GTC Coupe. You can also get the aero package (adds a wing) if you want the similar sporty look of the GTR. Regarding GTC Coupe vs Cabrio, the Coupe has an actual trunk with more space and like I said, a proper fixed wing. The cabrio loses on those two aspects but has a rather quick foldable roof. You can't go wrong with these choices, they're fantastic cars and the differences are subtle, we're nitpicking at a high level.

cyberorth

Ok 1. GTR with stock tires is not for wet driving.
2. If you are thinking convertible there are great deals to be had which are not available for coupes.

WildPete

You don't mention if you're looking for new, pre-owned, or have any budget constraints. I may be way off base here, but you do mention comfort of seats/ride, rough roads, beltway traffic, no track, etc. Comfort seems to be a primary concern. What occurs to me is, is this the right car for you? Have you considered a SL63 or 65? Money is about the same. Granted, they aren't as striking as the GT (although still a beautiful car), but they are very quick and imho a more comfortable daily driver for what/where you describe. Don't get me wrong, love my GTS, I just don't think I'd want to DD it in traffic/rough roads, I use my other vehicle for that. Where I live some roads post-winter will rattle your teeth. Obviously, you need to drive a few and see what you like best. My 2 cents fwiw.

mvb3

It depends. The GT/S/C versions have Comfort Seats (default) OR AMG Performance Seats. The GTR has Bucket Seats (default) OR AMG Performance Seats. I didn't find any of the seats uncomfortable, even the bucket seats were fine.

First_Merc

New 2020 model year. I haven't decided lease vs finance yet though.

Great question and input. Currently, I have a 2008 Lexus ISF. It's their RWD 400hp+ doohicky to compete with the M3. Everyone complained how harsh that ride is the first year in production (2008) and they fiddled around with it for later model years.

I think it's just fine and not rough at all. I haven't had an opportunity to test drive the GT/variants yet because I wanted to narrow it down to one or two models first. From what I'm seeing the GTR is a waste unless I'm tracking it. Therefore, the GTC looks most attractive to me.

I think at this point, I have to go test drive it and see what it's like. Hopefully, they let me drive it around for a nice period of time to experience different speeds, local roads, highway, etc so I can really get a good idea about it. I'll definitely take your insight into consideration: Maybe it isn't the right car for me. But damn, does it look nice!

thecutter64

Leasing? They’ll take you over the coals . Too much depreciation and lease prices are huge !

mvb3

What is a nice period of time? I think you should lower your expectations when it comes to a lengthy testdrive.

carnut1

I always keep at least 10 cars (have 11 right now) and one of them is a slightly modified GTS coupe. It is not the car I would pick for a 2 hour trip (I have a S class and Maserati Gran Turismo MC which are both better suited for that). My cars all have purposes (even my dogs have a transport Jeep Grand Cherokee), in winter a Range Rover Autobiography with Nokian Tires, and a 991C4S with Alpin winter tires (they are in storage till Nov). The GTS as my girlfriend described it feels like a wild horse you are holding back, it wants to go fast. I like the fact I can slide the rear end out very easily and that it sort of reminds me of a muscle car. I am just being honest with you OP, this is not the car I'd choose for bad roads and winter driving, would not even make the list. There are a lot better choices including the new 992. After over 470 cars (yes I'm sort of old), I have learned my fair share of lessons, and one is buy a car for the real way you will use it not for the way you imagine you will. Unless you are crazy like I am and keep a whole lot of them at once. Good luck

TT255

I had a 2008 isf when new... presently an amg gt, the ride on the gt is far better and smoother than the isf ... I hope this helps!

Wolfman

This better be a small dog. With a large center console there isn't a huge amount of space inside. But I would recommend driving any GT model first before worrying about specific versions.
The car will work in the winter but it isn't a great winter car. We use our E63s as a winter car. AWD plus the suspension can be raised a bit if needed. In terms of ride firmness, later model years have been more compliant than earlier ones. I assume the GT/GTS without Dynamic Plus will likely ride a touch softer. The GTC has it by default but also has rear wheel steering which makes the car feel more nimble.

In terms of looks, the GTR looks the best, followed by the GTC. Love the wide stance...

Good luck!

ronin amg

Get the GTR and take off the pep boys useless rear wing and enjoy.. The glass roof is just stupid on a sports car..

thebishman

I think that the 'Pep Boys' wing may actually help plant the rear in fast corners, Ronin.

My first time at the track I left it 'flat', but since then I've placed it in its most acute AOA and I believe that the rear does feel more planted. Certainly the AMG Academy must think so since every GT R there has the wing angled as steeply as possible.

ronin amg

Angled as steeply as possible just puts the wing in airflow stall making it more of an air brake than a downforce creator.
It is just not wide enough with enough foil... http://www.stengel.mycpanel.princeto...31Lecture3.pdf

It's for show and will do nothing at road speeds for downforce especially in the canyons, if I thought it would make a difference I would have on my car in a nano second.

First_Merc

Thanks for the input. Will shy away from leasing.

I don't know what's normal. I'd like to at least take it on highway and local roads. The dealer is situated on a highway essentially, so I'm good there. However, I wouldn't want to follow their prescribed cherry picked freshly paved local roads route. I'd want to talk to them ahead of time and find something close-by that I can really feel the car. It shouldnt' be more than 15 minutes I would think to get an idea. Is this your experience? Or was it a lot less time than that?

It does help! A lot!

You guys are all awesome. Thanks for the input so far. What a great community!