Hey all, been thinking of trading in the c63s and the GT lineup is one of interest. I realize there is a decent price difference between the variants but just collecting thoughts plus the prices definitely seem quite down especially for the Pro compared to previous years.

car would be somewhat of a daily. I doubt ill track it but i love aesthetics and a mean looking car.

Pro looks the meanest. Any point in even considering this if im not going to track? Is it compliant on not so perfect roads? Can the ceramic brakes just be a bolt on switch to replace with steel rotors?

GTR- seems to be the right balance but both the front and rear end on the pro are more aggressive.

GTC- this was the first option but then i decided to wait a bit since both the gtr and pro looked meaner than gtc.

PS. I searched some old posts but didnt find any solution so figured I can ask again whether there is any aftermarket option or any way to install a 360 camera? With the width of these cars id be a little nervous squeezing in to tight spaces here lol


thanks

 

A tough decision to make. I went back forth with a 2020 SL550 or a 2020 AMG GT C. I can't attest to the R and the Pro, they're out of my price range. But between the S and the C, I would have chosen the C.The GT C is a performance oriented variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The M178 engine in this variant is tuned to an output of 410 kW (557 PS; 550 hp) and 502 lb⋅ft (681 N⋅m) of torque. While the GT C retains the key mechanical differences the GT S gains over the GT, it also has a wider body (2,007 mm (79 in)) and active rear steering, which the GT S does not have (even as options). In the United States, the Lane Tracking and AMG Dynamic Plus option packages are standard equipment on the GT C. I finally decided on the 2020 SL550 because it'd be more comfortable on a long trip, and I wanted the 9-speed automatic transmission, AMG GT is only 7-speed. It took eighteen months to find my 2020 SL550, the original MSRP was $136,110, equipped with every option. Maybe one day I'll look into an AMG GT C, but for now I'll stay with my SL550. Good luck in your search. Let us know what you choose. I attached a few pics.

Thor

 

Here's my personal take, as someone who transitioned from a 2019 GTR to a 2020 GTC. When I had the GTR, I wasn’t very focused on track use and found it a bit rough for daily driving. Then, a new 2020 GTC became available, and I weighed the options; the GTC seemed to be a better fit for daily use with occasional track days. It shares the wide body and turbos of the GTR, but also includes additional interior finishes and a panoramic roof, adding a touch of luxury to its aggressive look. The ride is a bit smoother, and it has the essential front and rear cameras.

To enhance its look, I added color accents, carbon fiber front splitters, and an OEM GTR carbon fiber rear wing (see photos). However, if you’re looking at doing extensive body modifications, note that there are more aftermarket body parts available for the GT and GTS than for the GTC.

 

If you’re never going to track the car, or just rarely, and it’s your daily driver such that compliance is important, look into the GTC. I owned and loved my ‘18 GTR. It was an occasional driver and I tracked it a lot, but the ride/comfort is lacking somewhat, especially if you live in an area where the roads are poorly maintained.

As G.P. did above, you can always modify a GTC to more closely resemble a GTR for appearances sake, whilst still retaining the better ride compliance.

 

As I've said before, the AMG GT was never a good daily/road car. The GT C is essentially the touring version of the GT R. It shares a similar look, but is a bit softer. Forget the Pro as it has a fixed suspension, although if you know what you are doing you can manually adjust it and maybe find a compliant enough street setup, but then you have to live with that setup and can't temporarily adjust it between Comfort and a more sporty setup via a button. I've had the pleasure to drive almost all GT variants, including the Black Series. Great cars on the track, but not so much on the road. The long nose, lack of 360 camera and lack of the full driving assistance systems makes it a handful around town and not a great long distance cruiser. All this is mostly why AMG essentially completely changed directions with the new GT. The new GT is now a road car, but still holds its own for occasional track driving. On the other hand, I ended up finding it not different enough from my '19 C63S Coupe to justify the price. It's fundamentally the same architecture, but 400 lbs heavier with a bunch of tricky hardware to hide the weight and I don't care for AWD.

 

Owner of a GTR. If you arent planning on tracking, pro and R should be off the list. The panaroma roof and ride you won't regret.

 

Never use the word daily with the R/PRO. Even if you don't track it and want some thumbs-up thunder on the weekend's go for it. The GTC does not share the same widebody front.

 

2018 GT R with 5400 miles. The tires are aged out so I'm looking to change over to the 4S. I was out on a run tonight and was on the dreaded 405 Fwy. Tires were set at 34 psi and in comfort mode. Depending on the construction method of the freeway the ride will vary from somewhat approaching smooth to riding like a Conestoga wagon. I'm fine with it but I was thinking that if I had a girl aboard I would have to do a lot of manplaining and making excuses for it.
I don't think you would be happy with the ride.

 

You are right, The GTR front is 1.5 inch wider than the GTC.

 

I have a 2019 GTR in the UK. I only really use it at weekends and when the sun is out. Our roads are notoriously bad and the ride can be harsh on them, however on a smooth tarmac the ride is very compliant and smooth. I did consider the GTC but the GTR is special and every drive is an occasion. If you have the opportunity ride the GTC and GTR back to back on the roads that you travel on often to make an informed decision. I don't think you will regret whichever option you eventually go with.

 

Good thing about the GTR vs GTC Coupe is there are always more GTR's available for purchase, I've noticed.
I went for the GTC, partly due to prices at the time. But I also knew I wouldn't be tracking it and just felt the R was overkill. I'd love the wider front end, but I do love the extra options you can get on the C that aren't available on the R. I have a feeling both ride about the same. The "C" doesn't stand for "Comfort" like I've heard some say..And the difference in hp is negligible.

But, to daily either would take some concessions. Nothing beats a Corvette for ride comfort.

 

Iirc, those tyre pressures are far too high. I think the OEM recommendation is around 31 psi? Regardless I set the pressures to 2 psi less than the standard, non ‘autobahn’ setting, and the compliance was much better on the street and there was no untoward accelerated tyre wear. Handling remained excellent.

 

As others have stated, the GTR Pro is not a good daily, even though my off-track individual setting has the suspension set to Comfort. For "winter" driving (here that means mostly rain), I back off all the shock settings to their softest setting ... but it's still bone-jarring on anything that resembles rough tarmac. I strongly suspect that PS4S tires would help a great deal as the Cup 2 tires are not designed for a comfortable and/or quiet ride ... though at temps below 60 deg F (~15 deg C), even the PS4S tires will "harden up."

The seats also hold you in such a fixed position (good on track) that I found it difficult to find a setting that didn't hurt my back after an hour or so on the highway. I eventually found a setting and that moving around in the seat every 20 min or so was acceptable, but still not what I'd call real comfortable for highway touring (GTR really stands for Go To Race-Track?). I don't think I've ever done an "in town" drive that's been over an hour, so don't know how it is when you're mostly sitting in traffic at lights.

The summary "daily driver comfort" comment is that my wife pretty much refuses to ride in the car. She really likes our C43 ("her car") that we use as our daily driver, however ... and it's not a real soft-riding car, either, so that hints at how rough the GTR Pro is.

 

Another voice in the Wilderness:

Several colleagues including myself do Daily the GT R, with the occasional Track weekend.

In addition, 1.5 - 2.5 Hour commutes at 3AM, ~4+ times per month at Very High "In Mexico" speeds.

No issues with any of the above, no back/neck/shoulder fatigue or soreness. Granted, none of us have any orthopedic issues - if so, then GT R will likely be less than ideal.
Paramount to setup ideal driver position - optimize geometry to suit your limbs/torso, and optimize seat lumbar adjustments, etc.

No concessions, unless at Costco and need to purchase in bulk for 2+ ppl :P (for 1 person, it does pretty damn well!!)
Backing into parking spots is not a big deal. MY 2020 has front camera, making this "concession" moot.
Front end is tall enough not to necessitate front end lift - just approach steeper driveways at an angle - again, not a big deal.
If front end lift is necessary - KW has an option suitable for GT R.

For Street/NON-track tire pressures - OEM recommendation for "max speed psi" is on Driver's door frame: COLD: 38psi at Front, 39psi at Rear. (Additional OEM psi recommendations by Max Speed is inside Fuel Door)
With above OEM psi recommendations, OEM Sport Cup 2s have lasted 15K Miles on the Street/Non-Track setup (although aggressive/high speed driving, this is without any burnouts, drifting, or launch control)






Compared to most other "exotic/super" cars, GT R is hands down one of the easiest to live with on the Street/Highway, even though its DNA was primarily designed for the Track.

Best of luck!

 

“For Street/NON-track tire pressures - OEM recommendation for "max speed psi" is on Driver's door frame: COLD: 38psi at Front, 39psi at Rear. (Additional OEM psi recommendations by Max Speed is inside Fuel Door)
With above OEM psi recommendations, OEM Sport Cup 2s have lasted 15K Miles on the Street/Non-Track setup (although aggressive/high speed driving, this is without any burnouts, drifting, or launch control)”

Please check the tyre pressure section in the Owner’s manual. Those stickers inside the fuel flap or on the door jam generally refer to the psi needed for sustained high speed/high load driving. There should be a much lower recommendation for daily driving below a noted (very) high speed and low load situation.

 

The fuel door sticker has those details in case of MBs and AMGs. It lists the tire pressures for different loads, speeds and tire types and sizes. For example here's the one from my C63. The B-pillar sticker in North America only lists one recommended pressure and it's the one for max load and max speed.

 

To the OP, I noticed you currently drive a C63S. So did my 73yo wife. A 2020. She sold it to purchase a 2020 GTC. And I thought she loved only me…. It’s her DD.

 

You are correct, 31 psi. Mine are set at 33 psi since I thought I was going to be traveling at 172 mph.😉

 

I thought 31 psi was the correct non ultra high speed recommendation. I ran my GTR at 29 psi on the street, and had great results doing so.

 

I'll be honest, the GT R comfort suspension is about has as hard as the Sport+ setting in the GT C. I had a GT C Roadster before my GT R Coupe. GT C Roadster was a phenomenal car. However, for weekend drives there is a special layer of excitement that the GT R brings that the C didn't have. The steering, the wider front end and more flared front fenders, the louder titanium exhaust, aggression, and more all add up. That being said, if you want a daily - I would think twice about the R

I have a 23 C63S Coupe as well. Completely different experience. Feels very luxurious compared to my R haha. When I first sat in the C63S, I felt like I was sitting so high lol. Even the Sport+ suspension in the C63S is a lot much more compliant than the comfort in the GT R. I personally have no issue with that cause the R is my weekend toy.

My old GT C Roadster

My two similar, but very different beasts

 

I drive the GTR, a GT3 and a GenV Viper TA weekly as my interchangeable "daily" drivers, date drives, and track cars. I track all three about 5-6 times a year with my son and a good friend of mine. Love them all and in the smooth roads of central NC, none of them are ever a problem or comfort issue. The GT3 has the stock suspension with the DSC controller which made a massive difference on both the street and the track. The viper just got a tractive suspension upgrade and I was tempted to move to the GTR Pro (salvage title one) which would have been a lateral move financially, but decided against it. I think they are each a very good value for a combination street/HPDE cars. Cannot imagine a better set of cars.

 

@ChargedMB

Perhaps you are the best person to help with my similar situation. I’m contemplating between a GT-R coupe (18” or 19”) or a GT-C Convertible (also 18” or 19”) as a semi daily vehicle.

I know that I will enjoy the open top experience of the convertible more since I love my convertibles. But I also love the way the GT-R coupe looks with its wing, wide front, and crazy rear diffusser.

I have driven GT-R coupes a few times and found the firm ride to be acceptable so that’s not an issue for me. I have not yet driven a GT-C coupe, though I have driven a standard GT roadster and the open air experience is something I liked very much.

Since you have owned both, can you tell me which is louder:

a)GT-R coupe vs. GT-C with the top up

b)GT-R coupe vs. GT-C with the top down.

I wanted to know if the special exhaust in the GT-R makes it even louder than the GT-C with its top down.

 

Thats a fun question!
Before I answer that, if you love convertibles - you must get the GT C Roadster then. It is a phenomenal open air car to experience and the coupe does not give you that sensation. The cabin and dynamics are perfect; you get just the right amount of wind. I have had the pleasure of driving other convertibles like C class verts to even a Miata - the GT vert experience blows those out of the water cause of the cabin engineering aspect alone.

Both cars are loud, I doubt you'd get into the GT C and think it is too quiet haha. If you do want insanely loud, I would then get aftermarket downpipes for the GT C. If you want the convertible experience and the looks of the GT R - I would hunt for one of the GT R Roadsters which is a numbered car limited to like 750 models world wide (which I personally think is an overestimate lol, I doubt Mercedes even made that many 2020 GT R Roadsters). I have not driven the GT R roadster so I cant tell you how the sound is in that car compared to the coupe, but that would be interesting.

Now, the GT R Coupe is loud. Definitely louder than the GT C, I don't have a decibel counter to give data but my entire group of friends categorically agree that my GT R is louder. And inside, it's even louder. Pure mechanical symphony.

Another thing to note, if you do get a facelift model (2020+) you must get an EVM (exhaust valve module) to open up the exhaust valve. The stock/default programing is semi-opened valves unless you are wide open throttle with your foot flat down or more than 4.5k RPM. The Module I got was from CETE and is a small cable that you connect by the fuse box, 1 min job with getting to the fuse box being the hardest part with its screws lol. The Cete model uses the oem exhaust buttons so now open is fully open.

 

Just to add from my experience for North American PFL GT R’s vs FL with the CETE or Renntech is the PFL is way louder having them side by side both stock.

 

Thanks for the insightful comments. I like the FL (2020 plus) models with the new headlights, electronic interphase, and camera options. However, I’m hesitant due to the general comments on this forum that the FL cars have toned down exhaust when compared to the PFL (2019 and prior) cars. Can you share how your FL, 2020 GT-R sounds (with the Cete module) when compared to your 2018 GT-C? Is there less pops and bangs in the FL car?