There is no doubting the performance potential of the new 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S even as it comes right out of the box, but aftermarket tuner Renntech had a better idea for Mercedes’ Porsche 911 fighter. Even though the car just went on sale, the tuner company known for its Mercedes mods (think of them as an aftermarket version of the in-house Mercedes-AMG team) has already come up with some awesome add-ons for the exciting coupe.
Equipped with an engine controller upgrade and some exhaust tuning (new downpipes and catalytic converters, Renntech is claiming that it has produced the first quarter-mile time in the 10-second range for the AMG GT S. Born to tear up the Nürburgring, you probably won’t see to many AMG GT coupes at your local dragstrip, but this modified model laid down a pass of 10.94 seconds at 128 mph at the Palm Beach International Raceway.
But that might not be the best this car can do as Renntech says there might still be a little more speed to pull from this car stating “this marks just the beginning of the tuning and performance development” for the AMG GT S. Personally, I’d rather get the GT out on PBIR’s road course, but this is still an impressive number for the Renntech-tuned Mercedes.
Now, this isn’t exactly what Mercedes had in mind when it promised “something faster” a couple days ago, but until that mystery model (most likely a high-powered AMG GT variant) is revealed, this sub-11-second AMG GT is exciting enough.
Drag racing doesn’t quite enjoy same popularity among our friends in England that it does on our shores, but the goal is still the same: Get from one end of a quarter mile stretch of tarmac to the other as quickly as possible. The owner of this 1,500-horsepower R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R seems to have found a pretty good way to accomplish that task.
The setting is Santa Pod Raceway in Bedfordshire, and this Skyline has no problem outrunning anything that dares roll up to the opposing lane. An R35 Nissan GT-R, a lesser R-34, and a high-strung Mazda RX-7 are all left behind in the wake of this blue beast. Even in bracket races, in which the opposing car gets a head start, are no problem. To add insult, it rattles off an incredible 8.3-second run at 163 mph on its final run.
The R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R’s 2.6-liter, twin-turbo RB26DETT engine is notable, not just because its name sounds like a Star Wars droid, but also for how robust and easily tunable it is. Tuners regularly extract 600 horsepower from these things with no internal modifications. Further modifications could yield a relatively reliable 1000-horsepower and up, as this example proves.
Well, well… you got the itch, do you? You know what I’m talking about – every time you get behind the wheel, all you want to do is push the throttle a little further, brake a little later, and take that turn a little harder. I get it. You want to go racing.
And who can blame you? Motorsport is one of the most intense hobbies on the face of the planet. It takes an incredible amount of mental and physical prowess to put a car on the limit and keep it there. It’s also astoundingly fun.
So what’s an adrenaline junkie to do? Take a risk on the street? That’s definitely the dumbest option out there, and the truth is, once you get a taste for the track, exploring a car’s limits on public roads is simply not as interesting.
But a lot of aspiring hot shoes just don’t know where to begin. Well don’t you worry, because TopSpeed is here to help. In this article, we’ll give you the quick and dirty on what it takes to get up and running at 10/10s. We’ll look at different types of entry-level motorsport, some of the more prominent race organizations operating in the U.S., what to bring with you, what to expect, and a few other helpful hints along the way.
Think you can’t go racing for real? Think again.
Continue reading to learn more about how to go racing.
