Mercedes’ relationship with AMG dates back over 50 years and AMG has been the officially sanctioned tuning arm for the brand for nearly 30. Long known for putting massive engines in otherwise pedestrian street cars, in 2006, AMG upped the ante when they debuted their first “Black Series” car. Based on the already AMG-modified SLK 55, the Black Series was more stripped out, horsepower increased and more flamboyant bodywork was added to separate it from the “normal” SLK55. In the years since AMG has chosen a few of their cars to receive the Black Series treatment with each successive model becoming more extreme in both performance and bodywork. Most recently, in July of 2020, AMG debuted a Black Series version of their AMG GT coupe. Starting with an already very capable sports car, AMG took the engine and decided they wanted to change almost everything- the standard car’s cross-plane crank was traded out for a flat plane crankshaft, the firing order was altered and revised turbochargers were installed to create more boost. This made for an engine with a higher redline than the standard car and was able to produce 720 horsepower and a massive 590 Lb-ft of torque between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm. The suspension was modified with an adjustable carbon fiber anti-roll bar up front and an adjustable iron unit in the rear. Active aerodynamics give the car 882 lbs of downforce at 155 mph and the breaks are Black Series-specific carbon ceramic units. The bodywork features extensive carbon fiber, large front, and rear splitters, and a massive rear wing- all of which help keep the car sucked to the ground and ensure that everyone knows that your AMG GT is a Black Series. In November of 2020, driver Maro Engel drove an AMG GT Black Series to a production car record around the Nurburgring Nordschleife where it completed the course in a staggering 6:43.