2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO priced up to take on Porsche's 911

Mercedes-AMG has confirmed pricing for its most fearsome AMG GT car yet, with the limited-edition 2020 GT R PRO set to command a hefty tag if you want to get your hands on the keys. Only 750 of the 577 horsepower cars will be produced worldwide, the automaker has confirmed.

It uses the same 4.0-liter AMG V8 biturbo engine as the GT R, and indeed the horsepower and torque figures – the latter clocking in at a healthy 516 lb-ft from 2,100 rpm – are the same for both cars. Each uses an AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission, too, along with rear-wheel drive.

That's because AMG didn't take the typical route to make the GT R PRO faster, and just throw more power at it. Instead, it opted to tune the coupe for better performance on the track, borrowing tech and tweaks from the AMG GT3 and GT4 race cars in the process. 0-60 mph comes in the same 3.5 seconds, but the PRO version shines when it reaches the corners.

There's AMG RIDE CONTROL coil-over suspension, for example, with manual adjustment of the damping. That allows the spring rate, rebound, and compression to all be tweaked, using adjustment wheels on the dampers themselves. The aero has been updated as well, with larger carbon fiber front splitter with aluminum supports, carbon fiber "flics" on the front bumper, "gills" in the fenders, and an adjustable front axle sway bar also made of carbon fiber.

The result is more downforce on the front axle, and then there's a new fixed rear spoiler, roof with lowered center section, and rear diffuser, all made of carbon fiber too. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, too.

As we found when we took the 2020 AMG GT R PRO to the track, the result is a car that feels more nimble, more agile, and generally more purposeful. Mercedes-AMG's figures tell the same story. With AMG GT3 racing driver Maro Engel behind the wheel, the new coupe did the Nürburgring North Loop in exactly 7.04.632 minutes: six seconds faster than the best speed of the AMG GT R.

You'll pay handsomely for this performance improvement, mind: more than $8k a second, indeed. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO starts at $199,650 (plus $995 destination) and will begin to appear in US dealerships by the end of the year.