2015 Mercedes AMG-GT revealed

The all-new Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT is designed to take on the iconic Porsche 911.
 
Mercedes-Benz has built a Porsche. The new AMG-GT is half the price of the Mercedes Gullwing it replaces and is designed to challenge the iconic Porsche 911 head-on.
 
Unveiled in Germany overnight the AMG-GT is due in Australian showrooms priced from $250,000 when it goes on sale next year, and promises to be faster than a similarly-priced Porsche.
 
In its most ambitious project yet, Mercedes-Benz says the AMG-GT is "a sports-car in its purist form" and will push the company "more vehemently and aggressively … as a sports-car brand". In the car world, that's as close as it gets to a declaration of war.

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The AMG-GT does not get its predecessor's "gullwing" doors that open upwards, but it gets enough power to make it fly.
 
The twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 -- the same engine due in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C63 sports sedan -- is available with two power outputs.
 
Geek alert for the tech heads: in its peak form it has a whopping 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque (or 340kW and 600Nm in its standard configuration).
 
The company claims the high-powered AMG-GT can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 310km/h.
 
Mercedes has used aluminium to help keep the AMG-GT's bodyweight to a minimum. It is slightly heavier than a Porsche 911 -- when compared against the same measuring criteria -- but the Benz has significantly more power.
 
Other differences? The Mercedes also has just two seats whereas Porsche claims the 911 can seat four. But as anyone who has tried to fit in the back can testify, the back seats on a 911 are better suited to carrying luggage than passengers.
 
The V8 engine in the Mercedes is under the bonnet while the six-cylinder engine in Porsche is mounted in the rear of the car.
 
At least there is one thing both companies agree on: they use seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions for rapid-fire gear-changes and quick acceleration.
 
So how well does the new mega Mercedes drive? We won't know until later in the year because Mercedes hasn't let anyone outside the company behind the wheel yet.
 
Instead, it has teased fans with a series of videos that show the car during development while it was still under wraps.
 
Fast facts: Mercedes versus Porsche 
Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT
Price: From $250,000 (estimated)
Engine: Twin turbo 4.0-litre V8 (front mounted)
Power: 375kW and 650Nm
Economy: 9.4L/100km
Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch auto
Weight: 1570kg (unladen, EU standard)
0 to 100km/h: 3.8 seconds
Top speed: 310km/h
 
Porsche 911 Carrera S
Price: From $243,100
Engine: 3.8-litre six-cylinder (rear mounted) 
Power: 294kW and 440Nm
Economy: 9.1L/100km
Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch auto
Weight: 1540kg (unladen, EU standard)
0 to 100km/h: 4.3 seconds
Top speed: 297km/h