CAR manufacturers who return to the racing origins of their historic marques for inspiration seems to be something of a trend in the motor industry at the moment.

Jaguar has been keen to highlight the heritage of its D-Type as the inspiration for its new 5-litre supercar, the F-Type Project 7, while it as also gone back to the future for its six special edition lightweight E-Types – each reportedly up for grabs at a seven-figure price tag.

Last week it was the turn of Bentley, which harked back to the glory days of historic racers to showcase its luxurious new super-saloon, the Mulsanne Speed – albeit the brand was British-owned then, rather than part of the Volkswagen group as it is now.

Nevertheless, the Wolfsburg marketing men know a good thing when they see it and recognise how the quintessential Britishness of a brand like Bentley will score well with foreign buyers.

This week it’s the turn of another German manufacturer; this one with a racing pedigree all of its own.

Indeed Mercedes doesn’t even have to hark back 70 years to the glory days of its Silver Arrow racers as its current F1 team is so far ahead of the pack at the moment that this year’s competition is only about who comes second.

Mercedes has never been very good at coming second and with its latest road-going racer it is probably as assured of success as its F1 team is of lifting this year’s driver’s title.

At this point maybe we should look at what’s on offer – and who better to talk about it than Mercedes itself.

Here’s what the company says about its new Mercedes-AMG GT.

“The first Mercedes was a racing car, its most recent successor carries this heritage forward: with the new Mercedes-AMG GT, the Mercedes-AMG sports car brand is moving into a new, top-class sports car segment for the company,” it states.

And here comes the technical bit.

The GT is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG. Its front mid-engine concept with transaxle and the intelligent aluminium lightweight construction form the basis for a highly dynamic driving experience. Its likewise newly developed AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine underscores the AMG driving experience.

The car is configured in two output ratings; as a GT with 462 hp and as a GT S with 510 hp. It is designed to offer the perfect balance between practical grand tourer and racetrack brute.

It will accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 193 mph – more than enough to beat the opposition around the racetrack.

However, at the same time, the two-seater is a straightforward, comfortable and reliable companion for everyday motoring thanks to its practical tailgate, easily accessible luggage compartment, high level of comfort on long journeys and the extensive Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive assistance systems.

“With the new Mercedes-AMG GT, we are venturing out into a challenging sports car segment with its top-class competitive field. This is an incentive and motivation for us at the same time to prove to sports car enthusiasts around the world the kind of performance that AMG is capable of,” so says Professor Dr Thomas Weber, Daimler board member responsible for Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

So, he should know.

But just to underline things, here’s what Mercedes-AMG CEO Tobias Moers thinks.

“With the new GT we are positioning Mercedes-AMG even more aggressively than to date as a dynamic sports car brand. With its technological substance, the Mercedes-AMG GT fulfils our high aspirations with regard to driving dynamics, agility and sportiness. The new GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG. The car is manufactured according to the motto ‘Handcrafted by Racers’ – which perfectly encapsulates our heritage and our spirit.”

Thank you Herr Moers – we couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

At a glance

Prices will be released next month.

Mini maxes out with new five-door model

JUST six months after introducing the new Mini Three-Door Hatch to the UK, BMW is expanding the range with the launch of its Five-Door sibling.

The car features an entirely new body style for the range. The two rear doors are designed to enhance the car’s versatility and, coupled with increased interior space, it is intended to appeal to a fresh group of customers or previous Mini owners who need a bigger car for an expanding family.

The car’s wheelbase is 72 millimetres longer than the Three-Door version and the extra length has been used to create more cabin space.

The practicality stakes are upped by a bigger boot – at 278 litres it is 67 litres bigger than the Three-Door and features a 60:40 split folding rear seat.

The Five-Door Hatch will be available in six model variants with the choice of both petrol and diesel engines, featuring Mini’s innovative TwinPower Turbo Technology. A six-speed manual transmission is fitted as standard across the range, with a six-speed Steptronic transmission available as an option. Combined cycle CO2 emissions start at just 92 g/km.

Prices start at £14,350. This means the car is just £600 more than the equivalent Three-Door version.

The range in full:

Mini One 5-Door Hatch – £14,350
Mini One D 5-Door Hatch – £15,490
Mini Cooper 5-Door Hatch – £15,900
Mini Cooper D 5-Door Hatch – £17,050
Mini Cooper S 5-Door Hatch – £19,255
Mini Cooper SD 5-Door Hatch – £20,050

The car will be officially on sale at Mini dealerships from October 25.

Convertible joins the BMW 2 family

JUST in time for the end of the British summer, BMW has announced the third model in its new 2 Series portfolio, the BMW 2 Series Convertible.

The car will join the 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Active Tourer in the line-up from February 2015, with prices starting at £29,180 OTR. The new car replaces the 1 Series Convertible, the most successful car in its class with global sales of more than 130,000 units, and the only one with rear-wheel drive.

The BMW 2 Series Convertible will be available with a choice of four engines, including a new 2.0-litre diesel for the 220d and, for the first time in a BMW convertible, an M Performance variant, the M235i. Fuel economy improvements over the previous model average 18%.

The 2 Series Convertible also brings significant improvements in passenger space and access, acoustic comfort, style, dynamism and equipment, while the ConnectedDrive services for the first time include wireless updating of navigation data.

It will be available in Sport, Luxury and M Sport trim levels.

At a glance