Car

Mercedes-AMG GT3

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The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a racing variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car, first presented in March 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show. It was introduced as the successor to the SLS AMG GT3 and is built largely from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer to keep its weight under 1,300 kg (2,866 lb) in compliance with FIA regulations. As of June 2019, a total of 130 GT3 cars had been sold to customer teams.

Unlike the road-going AMG GT, which uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the GT3 employs the M159 6,208 cc naturally aspirated V8 engine — the same unit used in the SLS AMG GT3. An updated version, the AMG GT3 Evo, was introduced at the 24 Hours Nürburgring in June 2019 for the 2020 season. The Evo introduced an automatic data logger and analysis system, automatic engine start when the car is lowered from its air jacks, and revised brake and traction control systems. The exterior was updated with new headlamps and a revised grille offering better radiator protection; the front splitter and rear wing were redesigned for faster pit-lane adjustment. Engineers chose to retain the 6.2-litre V8 over the road car's 4.0-litre unit, citing user-friendliness and reliability.

A second-generation GT3 based on the C192 chassis was revealed on 23 March 2026. It is the first race car developed by Affalterbach Racing GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercedes-AMG.

The GT3's first race win anywhere was recorded on 17 March 2016, when New Zealand driver Craig Baird won race 1 of round 2 of the Australian GT Championship at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, held as a support race to the 2016 Australian Grand Prix.

In Europe, teams including AKKA ASP, Black Falcon, HTP Motorsport, and Zakspeed ran the GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2016. Zakspeed also competed in the ADAC GT Masters. They recorded a 1-2-3-4 and 6th place at the 24 Hours Nürburgring that year.

In North America, Riley Technologies entered two customer GT3s in the 2017 IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD class. One car finished 3rd in class and 20th outright at the 24 Hours of Daytona; the team then won the GTD class and finished 16th outright at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

In Japan's Super GT GT300 class, the GT3 made its debut in 2016 with Good Smile Racing with Team UKYO, GAINER, LEON Racing, and Rn-sports switching from the SLS AMG GT3. R'Qs Motor Sports and Arnage Racing followed in 2018, transitioning from the SLS AMG GT3 and Ferrari 488 GT3 respectively.

The GT S variant of the road-going AMG GT served as the Formula 1 Safety Car for the 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons, making its debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. The GT R took over from 2018 to 2021. During the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix, the Safety Car ran a red livery to commemorate Scuderia Ferrari's 1,000th Grand Prix start. The red livery became permanent for the 2021 season to improve visibility in poor conditions. From 2022, the GT R was replaced by the AMG GT Black Series.

The AMG GT4, introduced in 2017 and based on the road-going GT R, targets semi-professional drivers. It debuted in the ROWE 6 Stunden ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen, the fifth round of the 2017 VLN season, and received significant upgrades for 2022.

The AMG GT2, unveiled in December 2022 for the SRO GT2 category, uses a 707 bhp 4.0-litre biturbo V8. It made its racing debut at the first round of the 2023 GT2 European Series at Monza and won its first race at the second round at the Red Bull Ring. A non-competitive track day version, the GT2 Pro, produces 739 bhp.

The AMG GT Track Series, launched in 2022 and based on the Black Series, is limited to 55 units in recognition of AMG's 55th anniversary. One car raced as an invitational entry at the Red Bull Ring in the 2022 GT2 European Series.

Five units of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 55 were sold, each priced at €625,000.

This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.