Almost exactly a year ago, OPUS Automotive GmbH was the first tuner in the world to fine-tune the AMG GT Black Series with performance levels over 1000hp and other products. However, this fact should not bring the impression that OPUS has forgotten the “civil” brothers called GT R and GT R PRO or even the GT S. On the contrary!
The Black Series was only available to around 1700 selected customers worldwide via an application process (rumours are, that there were over 4 times as many interested parties for the vehicle), while the GT R and GT R PRO were available for purchase by anyone with a more reasonable budget.
Above all, the interest of trackday customers who regularly drive the GT R on the racetrack has increased. This is exactly where OPUS comes in and has used the “winter break” at the Nuerburgring to test new packages in sunny Portugal in cooperation with TIL Motorsport and to be able to offer them from spring on.
OPUS is located close to the Nurburgring racetrack, in the same business park where racing teams and well-known vehicle manufacturers have settled. In fact, OPUS moved into the former test centre of Mercedes-AMG GmbH on Gottlieb-Daimler-Street.
The cooperation with TIL Motorsport Portugal allows further testing and development of tuning parts during winter-breaks around the Nuerburg-castle.
At first glance, this particular matt gray AMG GT R PRO with the OPUS R777 package may appear to be quite standard, but details that deviate from the stock car only catch the eye at second glance. This is actually intended, after all, OPUS has clearly opted for functional refinements, based on the motto “form follows function”.
The big appearance on the “promenade” is therefore left to body-kits from other companies, even if the GT R and GT R PRO are anything but “inconspicuous” vehicles in the standard condition already.
The visually unobtrusive rear wing, which is significantly larger than the stock part, is based on the design of the rear wing of the AMG GT 4 racing car and ensures a significant increase in downforce on the rear axle.
The Öhlins TTX suspension, which is available exclusively from OPUS and has four-way adjustable rebound and compression damping, ensures perfect stability in every driving condition. A perfect suspension setup also improves the traction and braking behaviour of the vehicle.
The engine performance kit has been tested since 2018 in “endurance” on the Nuerburgring and other racetracks around the world as a 760hp performance pack and has been installed in well over 100 customer vehicles since then. Fine tuning has now allowed the power to be increased by a further 17hp without compromising the durability.
In order to achieve the performance of 777hp and 850Nm / 625 ft lbf, upgraded turbochargers were installed in combination with sports cats, there are also upgraded intercoolers and adapted software for the engine and transmission control.
In combination with the improved aerodynamics, the performance is by no means over-proportioned.
While OPUS limits the torque for best traction as well as the drivetrain-longevity, they promise a NA-like characteristic without a “turbo lag” and a linear power curve, i.e. increasing power in parallel to the rpms.
To round it off, there is an exhaust-flap control system called EFC, which allows the standard exhaust flaps to be actuated using a remote control as required.
In order to get the OPUS R777 GT R to standstill permanently, especially on the racetrack, OPUS high-performance brake pads are installed on the front and rear axles in addition to steel braided brake lines and racing brake fluid. Furthermore, an effective brake cooling system was installed.
The Michelin Cup2 R tyre set known from the AMG GT Black Series ensures the right grip.
The front fenders are ventilated via carbon-fibre louvers, which originally consist of plastic. The packages mentioned above will be rounded off in just a few weeks by their own super-light wheels, but OPUS does not want to give any further details on this yet.
One detail that OPUS is willing to share in the meantime, is the estimated Nuerburgring lap time with the full kit: “Well over 10 seconds faster than the factory laptime of the GT R PRO, even faster with a PRO driver”, says the OPUS managing director Lukas Domogalla. Which would mean an astonishing low 6:5X min time for a lap of the Nordschleife.
BTW: OPUS is a newcomer only by name. The development team around the managing director and automotive engineer, is one that has been active in the industry for over 20 years. The team has worked as a sales representative for a well-known American company as well as an independent development and test centre.
Perhaps one more thing: Customers who think that 777hp is “underpowered” can purchase further GT R performance kits with over 900hp.
