Photos: 2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C Coupe Offers Performance and Exclusivity

The GT has its engine in the front rather than in the rear. That engine is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, not a twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six.

While not an overtly retro design, the GT sports a rather lengthy hood by modern standards—one that recalls the 300SL from the 1950s.

The small, sleek greenhouse tacked onto the tail end of the body further emphasizes its muscular nature.

In this latest C variant of the GT, that muscularity is enhanced from the rear view by an increase in overall width from 76.3 to 79.0 inches.

The wider bodywork accommodates a rear track increase of 1.7 inches, as well as 12.0-inch-wide rear wheels with 305/30ZR-20 tires instead of the 11-inchers with 295/30ZR-20s on the S.

With its beefy vertical bars that look like the teeth of some giant prehistoric catfish and the pie-sized three-pointed star centered in the opening, the grille dominates the appearance of this flamboyant car.

Steering feel is excellent thanks to the electrohydraulic steering rack. The cars bend into corners securely and accurately, and the GT C comes standard with rear-wheel steering that provides even greater agility.

Back home on our test track, we strapped our test gear to the GT C. Despite the wide rubber, we found the rear tires still struggled for purchase during launch-control starts. Ultimately, we achieved a 3.5-second zero-to-60-mph time and clobbered the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds with a trap speed of 128 mph

Inside, the C model is essentially the same as other GT variants. The driving position is excellent, the instruments nicely arrayed, and the controls quite easy to use once you familiarize yourself with the car.

The comfortable seats provide excellent lateral support. About the only thing missing is an adjustable thigh support, which is surprising as it's a feature offered in much less pricey machines.

The lower-powered cars get a wider-ratio gearbox coupled to a 3.67:1 final drive, while the C and R transmissions have a higher first and a lower seventh gear attached to a 3.88:1 rear end.

Drivers can select among five driving modes—Individual, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Race—that adjust suspension stiffness, throttle response, shift programming, stability-control intervention, and exhaust sound. In Individual mode, you can personalize a setting of your own.

Driving on the back roads of northern Germany near Bad Driburg, the C model leaps ahead when you squeeze the accelerator and kicks down less often than its brethren.

We rather enjoyed having the transmission in full manual mode, the exhaust spitting back under deceleration in the Sport+ mode, and the suspension and throttle response at their softest settings.

Perhaps the smooth German pavement also explains why the cars generated such moderate tire noise despite being fitted with ultra-high-performance, low-profile rubber.

Brake feel from the optional carbon-ceramic rotors is excellent, with a firm pedal, easily modulated effort, and strong performance. They haul the GT C to a stop from 70 mph in just 150 feet.

While you don't feel the GT C's 3741 pounds in hard driving, you are aware of the sheer size of the car. The GT C is less than two inches longer than a 911, but it's fully six inches wider than a Carrera GTS, let alone a base 911. On narrow European roads, that broad beam was noticeable.

The slightly different version of the 4.0-liter V-8 in the C and the R is fitted with larger turbochargers to develop even higher boost pressure more efficiently.