The new Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be making its debut appearance at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Developed to comply with the FIA’s GT3 race rules, the racing car will compete in the world’s most hotly contested customer race series. The new GT3 is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT, which is being launched in just a few days’ time. The excellent racetrack performance of the standard GT already provides the best possible basis for this.
Speaking about the new GT3, Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH said, “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. You can only give credible proof of your ambition to lead if you’re beating the very best in the game.”
As in the road going version, the vehicle structure of the GT3 consists of a very lightweight yet extremely rigid aluminium spaceframe, promising outstanding protection for the driver. The driver is further protected by the resilient carbon-fibre seat pan and an integral roll-over cage made from high-tensile steel. In order to reduce the vehicle weight further still, the engine cover, doors, front wing, front and rear aprons, sidewalls, side skirts, diffuser, boot lid and rear aerofoil are all made from particularly lightweight yet high-strength carbon-fibre.
Powerful acceleration is ensured by the seasoned and now further enhanced AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine taken from the SLS AMG GT3. User-friendly technology, excellent reliability, long maintenance intervals and the high-revving naturally aspirated engine with low running costs made it the engine of choice for the new AMG customer sports model. The six-speed sequential racing gearbox for the GT3 is – as is the case in the standard GT – mounted in a transaxle configuration on the rear axle, thereby facilitating optimum weight distribution. They also have double-wishbone suspension – made almost entirely from aluminium – in common. These solutions once again demonstrate how closely linked regular production technology and racing technology are at AMG.