Sporting a 550-horsepower biturbo V8 engine and a top that opens or closes at speeds up to 31 mph, the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster earned top honors on May 23 at the annual Topless in Miami Presented by Haartz convertible competition conducted by the Southern Automotive Media Association (SAMA).
It is the third time in nine years that a Mercedes-Benz model has earned top honors in the annual competition, joining the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster (2012) and Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (2016).
The AMG GT C was one of six class winners in the event headquartered at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne Resort. It also was recognized as the winner in the Luxury Class.
Other class wins went to the 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS (Sporty), 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge (Exotic) and 2019 Mazda MX-5RF (Compact).
The competition included vehicles that offer occupants an “open air” driving and riding experience via the new, popular sun- and moonroof found on many cars, SUVs, and crossovers on the market, with the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio selected as the top Panoramic Utility Vehicle and the 2019 Genesis G70 the No. 1 Panoramic Car.
Jeep’s new 2020 Gladiator Rubicon 4X4 was recognized the Pickup Truck Class winner.
“Over 40 members spent the day behind the wheel of 19 vehicles to determine the best of the best convertibles on the market today,” SAMA president Paul Borden said. “Vehicles were scored on their overall styling, performance, and top and general appeal to the South Florida community.”
The Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster carries a base MSRP of $158,850 with standard features such as an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed automatic transmission, a carbon-fiber composite driveshaft, AMG Adaptive Sport suspension, AMG High-Performance Compound braking system, AMG Performance exhaust, AMG Dynamic Select with Race Mode, AMG Performance seats and Performance steering wheel, power-retractable soft top, and numerous safety features that include Driver Attention Assist and Adaptive Brake Technology.
Other vehicles in the competition were the Maserati Grand Turmismo convertible, BMW 850i convertible, Ford Mustang GT convertible, the Mini Cooper Florida Edition convertible, Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition convertible, Acura RDX, Honda Pilot Elite, Hyundai Kona, Kia Telluride, Nissan Murano, Nissan Maximo, and the Volkswagen Jetta GLI.
“The 2019 Topless in Miami was another great display of the variety of open-air models in the industry,” said Doug Haartz, international sales manager at the Haartz Corporation. “The array of materials topping these vehicles is a true showcase of our product offering. This is a great event year after year that we are proud to support.”
Convertibles from the competition will be featured in a special exhibit at the annual Miami International Auto Show, Nov. 1-10, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The Haartz Corporation (Haartz) is a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed convertible toppings and interior surface materials. The company’s world headquarters and North American manufacturing operations are located in Acton, MA, with additional manufacturing in Mannheim, Germany, and Pune, India. Beyond these manufacturing locations, Haartz maintains offices in Detroit; Munich; Tokyo; Irapuato, Mexico; Shanghai and Chongqing, China.
Employing over 400 people worldwide, Haartz has been a trusted automotive supplier since 1907, and continues to be privately owned and operated by the Haartz family. For more information, visit www.haartz.com. Join the conversation on Twitter, @Haartz.
SAMA is an organization of automotive journalists, representatives of media organizations, corporate communications specialists, marketing and advertising representatives, and auto manufacturers related to South Florida’s dynamic automotive industry. Based in Miami, it was formed in March 2007 and has grown to include more than 140 members from around the South and country. For more information, visit its website at www.samamiami.com.
