While just five years old and with under 30,000 miles on the clock, today’s Nice Price or No Dice AMG GT has already gone through two previous owners. Let’s see if its price has it prepped to welcome owner number three.
The current owner of the 2012 Chevy Volt PHEV we considered yesterday posed quite the conundrum in its pricing. The basic asking was a $7,500 drive-off, but on top of that, they dangled the possibility of up to $4,000 in used EV tax credit, bringing the Volt’s potential cost down, they claimed, to a ludicrous $3,500. Several requirements must be met to partake in any such tax credit, so the buyer’s situation is just as critical as the car’s in determining its overall value.
For the right buyer, then, the Volt could be considered a terrific bargain. The model is also one of the best commuter cars out there, so the next owner shouldn’t feel they are compromising at that cost. Most of you agreed with the assumption that, even at $7,500, the Volt made a lot of sense, giving the car a 69% Nice Price win.
Could I interest you in a ‘not a 911’?
As you’ve all heard, Porsche’s financial prospects are in deep yogurt. The triple whammy of a collapse in sales in China, the lackluster reception to the company’s EV models, and an astounding tax increase (tariff) on imports into the U.S. are causing the company’s C-Suite to overindulge in Alka-Seltzer. This is all despite sales in the U.S. being up 11% in the first half of 2025 over the same time period in 2024. Most of that increase is in the company’s crossovers and the Panamera, though. In contrast, the 911, Porsche’s halo model line, has seen a sizable drop in sales year over year.
Why is that? Could it be because of a more competitive market? Or is it possible that Porsche has priced the 911 out of its sweet spot as the car of choice for successful lawyers and dentists? The cheapest model today costs an eye-watering $132,000 just to start. Even on a lease, that’s a big ask.
It’s unlikely, however, that the Mercedes-AMG GT has been much of a factor in dimming the 911’s prospects, despite having been positioned by the Swabians as a direct competitor. On paper, it’s a compelling proposition, with a lower price tag than Porsche’s 911, and the lure of the AMG name. Still, the GT has not yet proven as popular as Porsche’s evergreen heavy hitter.
The mettle of the metals
This 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT roadster certainly seems to have the goods to compete. At around 3,600 pounds, it’s a good 10% heavier than a 911, and there’s no option of AWD, but it comes with two more cylinders and turbocharging across the board, whereas with the Porsche, the limit is six and a turbo costs extra. The GT, it could be argued, has a better engine placement as well, featuring its V8 in a front-mid position ahead of the standard seven-speed dual-clutch auto-manual transmission.
This is all wrapped in some seriously sexy bodywork that apes the 911’s Rubenesque hips and low nose, and in this car’s case, is topped with a fabric roof that can be dropped to let the sunshine in. Under all that is a multi-metal mix made up of an aluminum uni-body structure capped with a steel trunk lid and magnesium hood.
On this 28,000-mile car, that bodywork is accentuated by the white paint, black factory alloys, and picnic tray rear wing. In the cabin, there’s leather galore, a carbon fiber steering wheel, and piano-black trim. This is a comprehensively appointed car, with all the bells and whistles one could want, and more buttons and sliders on the steering wheel than anybody probably needs.
Hot in the valley
Beneath the long hood lives the 4.0-liter M178 DOHC V8. Fitted with its turbos in the V and the intakes beneath the heads in a ‘Hot V’ format, the AMG-built mill makes 469 horsepower and a lot of great noises. The engine sits well behind a plastic cover upon which has been placed a plaque with the builder’s signature, so you know who to blame if something goes wrong.
Nothing should go wrong on this one, however. The dealer-offered car comes with a clean title and a Carfax report that shows only some electrical work and repairs to the instrument cluster and console in the car’s history. Regular services (oil change, brake fluid flush, etc.) are also noted in the report; however, the last of those documented is in June of 2023 at 23,009 miles. That was 5K ago, so any interested party should ask for that work to be confirmed as having been more recently done before handing over the cash.
Big bucks
And how much cash would that buyer be required to hand over? The asking price for this five-year-old, but looking like new GT, is $87,995. That’s a lot of cabbage, but way, way, under what a dealer-sold 911 of the same year and mileage would ask. And the GT has the performance chops to compete with the 911, as Mercedes-AMG came close to hitting the mark despite the model being a bit more portly than the Porsche.
But does that matter? Is the Mercedes-AMG GT a compelling enough car to topple the mighty 911 from being the aspirational car of the new-money well-to-do? And is that price a sufficient incentive to do so? Or is this GT roadster just a wannabe?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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