The Mercedes-AMG GT R will cost £143k...

For a couple of grand less than a Porsche 911 Turbo S (but a heck of lot more than a 911 GT3 RS), you can step into a non-green Mercedes-AMG GT R. Mercedes has announced pricing for its GT Roadster and GT R variants, and the headline news is the range-topping GT R's starting price of £143,245.

This of course, gets you a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with 577bhp, 516lb ft of torque and noise, a 0-62mph time of 3.6s and - should you care - 24.8mpg. It also brings bucket seats, a carbonfibre roof, a new bodykit, an AMG performance exhaust, and a rear wing. Also wheels. And Merc's 'night pack'. And, um, did we mention noise?

Should you want the 'green hell magno paint' though, you might want to first sit down, because it costs a whopping £7,500 extra. Carbon ceramics? Another £5,995.

The AMG GT Roadster (469bhp) on the other hand, starts at £110,145, while the more powerful AMG GT C Roadster (549bhp) costs £139,445. That latter car is ten grand more than an Audi R8 Spyder, and though it boasts more power than the Audi, sprints to 62mph a tenth of a second slower (3.7s vs 3.6s). The Audi also comes with a V10. The AMG does not.

Still, things like this aren't always decided in raw numbers, and it's hard to deny AMG is on a bit of a roll at the moment, so we'll have to wait until we've driven the AMG GT Roadster (and GT R) to see what's what. For now, follow the link below for TG's exclusive passenger ride in the GT R, and let us know what you think below.

World exclusive: TG rides shotgun in the Mercedes-AMG GT R