Mercedes-AMG is engaged on a brand new GT3 automotive for buyer and factory-supported racing. It would change into the primary main product to emerge from the Affalterbach Racing division, which was arrange halfway by means of 2024 as Mercedes introduced an finish to its long-standing relationship with HWA.
The unnamed GT3 challenger is predicted to be primarily based on the Idea AMG GT Observe Sport, a brand new sportscar that can be a part of the second-generation AMG GT in Mercedes’ flagship efficiency line-up.
As one would count on from a producer of this scale, Mercedes has been very secretive about its subsequent GT3 providing, providing no agency particulars on specification or timelines. To this point, solely a handful of photos of the camouflaged highway automotive have been launched.
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What is understood is that work on the successor to the AMG GT3 is already below manner and that it may very well be homologated in time for the 2027 season. The brand new automotive is predicted to characteristic an all-carbon-fibre chassis and a turbocharged V8 engine, however the remainder of the information stays below wraps.
“We wish to create a follow-up of our profitable automotive, and we all know that it isn’t straightforward as a result of this automotive could be very profitable and it is effectively balanced – and this can be a problem we are going to face,” Mercedes head of buyer racing Stefan Wendl informed Motorsport.com.
“That is why it took us some time to search for the correct baseline automotive, which is required to once more create such a automotive with the potential that’s concerned. So we take the time for the event which is critical, and to launch it when it is prepared.”
The present Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been in service since 2016, making it one of many oldest GT3 vehicles nonetheless in circulation. It obtained a mid-cycle refresh in 2020, however Mercedes opted in opposition to introducing a second evolution, in contrast to rivals Lamborghini and Audi, which launched two Evo updates for the Huracan and R8 LMS respectively.
It’s primarily based on the first-generation AMG GT (C190) highway automotive, which was itself the religious successor to the gullwing SLS AMG. When Mercedes launched the second model of the AMG-GT in 2023, code-named C192, it was extensively anticipated {that a} GT3 model would observe. However its 2-2 seating configuration made it inconceivable for lively competitors, complicating the seek for a brand new base mannequin.
Winner #88 AMG Staff AKKODIS ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3: Raffaele Marciello, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon
Picture by: SRO
As Mercedes works on solely its third-ever GT3 automotive, the dimensions of the duty is underlined by the success of the outgoing mannequin. Since its debut, the AMG GT3 has conquered a few of the largest races on this planet, together with the 24-hour enduros on the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps, and claimed titles in DTM and GT World Problem Europe. It’s additionally been a formidable race winner throughout the Atlantic within the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Mercedes is acutely conscious that the brand new automotive can have a tricky act to observe.
“It is so profitable that perhaps you may take into consideration one other 10 years – to go instantly into youngtimer,” Wendl joked in regards to the AMG GT3.
“However we have now to do not forget that there are different vehicles on this paddock that are simply [as old, or] even older. I feel the FIA saved the extent of efficiency very comparable up to now 10 years as a result of guidelines and the efficiency window all vehicles have to slot in. That is very fixed for the homologation of latest vehicles additionally.
“This makes it potential for fairly previous ideas like this [to remain] aggressive with this quantity of [time], even with minor diversifications.
“These diversifications are crucial and also will go into our [current] C190 GT3 automotive. It would even be barely tailored with minor factors that are within the body of the homologation for the approaching season, to make it extra aggressive, [based on] the issues we realized this yr.”
Despite the fact that the AMG GT3 stays aggressive, its days are inevitably numbered. With the first-generation AMG GT lengthy out of manufacturing, it not makes advertising and marketing sense for Mercedes to race a GT3 spinoff of a discontinued highway automotive.
Mercedes will spend 2026 creating the brand new mannequin, but it surely has not revealed whether or not will probably be prepared for homologation in time for the 2027 season.
“No person has confirmed that subsequent yr would be the final [for the AMG GT3],” Wendl mentioned.
Idea AMG GT Observe Sport
Picture by: Mercedes AMG
The GT3 panorama has additionally advanced considerably because the AMG GT3 made its debut a decade in the past. Not solely has the competitors widened, however replace cycles have additionally accelerated. For example, Ford is rolling out the evo model of the Mustang GT3 in 2026, simply two years after the automotive’s launch.
“We’ve got had new manufacturers becoming a member of the grid, and types are extra aggressive,” Wendl admitted.
“When you look again six, eight years, the entire GT3 market was dominated by 4 manufacturers, roughly. You’ll be able to say the massive races had been being received by these ones, or at the least championships [were won by those ones].
“Now we have now a market the place seven, eight, 9 manufacturers are concerned, they usually all have a aggressive {and professional} strategy. This makes it difficult for everyone.
“Additionally, as Mercedes-AMG buyer racing, we have to adapt to these developments, but in addition the groups [have to adapt to them].”
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The event of the brand new GT3 automotive represents a big endeavor for Affalterbach Racing. Motorsport.com reported in November that the transition from HWA to AFR had not been fully easy, with issues over spare components availability for present vehicles within the quick time period.
HWA was greater than only a technical service supplier for Mercedes, having developed a number of fashions and supported its whole buyer racing division for 27 years. The choice to deliver these obligations in-house was made by Mercedes-AMG below the management of Michael Schiebe, who now serves as a board member of its dad or mum firm Mercedes-Benz.
“We based Affalterbach Racing. It is going to be our new growth companion for the longer term and take over the work from HWA,” Wendl defined.
“For the shoppers, in the perfect case, it is not going to change an excessive amount of in step one. Within the mid-to-long time period, we wish to enhance our companies.
“As it’s a division owned by AMG, we wish to be nearer to our prospects, we wish to enhance our service ranges. We additionally wish to deliver all of the learnings which we had on the racetrack, with our engineers on observe, into the event of latest vehicles for the longer term.”
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