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Bathurst blast: Mercedes-AMG GT S takes on The Mountain

How quick can you lap Mount Panorama in a near-stock example of the latest Mercedes hot-rod? Take a ride with racing great Bernd Schneider

Mercedes-AMG GT S
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IS THIS the best video you’ll watch all day? It shows racing legend Bernd Schneider attacking a damp Mount Panorama in Mercedes-AMG’s newest, and slightly bonkers, GT S hot-rod.

Sure, it’s Mercedes PR. But we mean attacking. At the 0m54s mark, Bernd is so crossed up he’s inches away from tearing the $295,000 car apart on Bathurst’s famous walls.

He doesn’t, though, and Bernd goes on to clock a lap time of 2:24.03, which you’ve got to admit, is bloody quick for a standard production car, even if it does have 375 kW.

The only options fitted to the Mercedes-AMG GT S used in the film were stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and carbon ceramic brakes, both of which any customer can purchase for their car.

Merc -gt -s -bathurst -embedAnd while Benz can’t claim the record as official, we’re struggling to think of another production car that’s gone quicker.

To put the GT’s time into perspective, a race-prepped V8 Supercar laps the Mountain in the 2:07 bracket. Schneider himself has gone quicker at Bathurst too, and lapped the famous circuit in 2:07.6 on his way to win the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour in a SLS GT3. But these are racing cars bristling with slick tyres, slippery aero and racing suspension.

Hit play and watch Schneider and the GT S earn their keep.

And if you want to know how the car rates against the new Porsche 911 GT3, you’ll find a track showdown in the September edition of Wheels, on sale August 20.

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