Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to say goodbye to the beloved and widely-successful SLS AMG GT3. Because what you see here is its timely replacement, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 – coming to customer teams at the end of 2015.
According to Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, “We are entering a hard-fought and hotly contested competitive environment with the new Mercedes-AMG GT3. The high technological standard and fair race rules are spurring us on to push to take pole position with our new customer racing car.”
In a word, the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 looks sinister. The sleek but muscular matt selenite gray magno body, slanted narrow headlights, and a wide grille gives it the appearance of a pissed-off monster that’s about to run you down. Just imagine its mouth agape, full of long and sharp shiny teeth ready to shred anything in its path.
The large front splitter is complemented by canards which deflect the air around the tires while giving the front more downforce. The equally huge rear wing and diffuser complete the aerodynamic package designed to keep the car close to the track surface at high speed.
Under the hood is an enhanced AMG 6.3L V8 engine that comes off the well-seasoned but now discontinued SLS AMG GT3. That’s in contrast to the road going AMG GT’s 4.0L twin-turbo V8. The naturally-aspirated engine’s power is transferred to the wheels via a 6-speed sequential gearbox, mounted at the back in a transaxle configuration to help spread the weight optimally. Meanwhile, the double-wishbone suspension is almost all aluminum.
To further reduce weight, carbon fiber is extensively used throughout the AMG GT3’s body. The hood, doors, side skirts, front-splitter, rear wing, and diffuser are all of light yet high strength carbon fiber. The driver is protected by a carbon fiber seat pan and a high-tensile steel integral roll cage. And instead of a traditional steering wheel, a full-control steering panel like the ones found in Formula 1 allow the driver thumb access to switches and controls.
Very stiff competition await the Mercedes-AMG GT3, with no less meticulously designed and tuned machines from McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi, and other noted houses of speed. But Mercedes-AMG is confident.
“You can only give credible proof of your ambition to lead if you’re beating the very best in the game,” said Tobias Moers.
