Well this is good news. The old SLS GT3 captivated motorsport fans with that magnificent V8 thundering out of side-exit exhausts; with its
roadgoing replacement
adopting turbochargers, surely the racer would too? Not a bit of it!
Now "further enhanced" according to Mercedes, the AMG GT3 will use the same 6.2-litre engine as the SLS. And why not? Not only is there That Noise, it also proven itself to be reliable with long maintenance intervals and low running costs. Life in the old dog yet and all that.
The GT3 does share some aspects with the roadgoing GT though, namely an aluminium spaceframe, aluminium double wishbones and a transaxle configuration for the gearbox (albeit a sequential in this case). Carbon is used for the doors, wings and boot lid to make it lighter; no kerbweight has been released yet.
And doesn't it just look fantastic? The roadgoing GT doesn't want for attitude but this GT3 properly ramps up the aggression. In Mercedes' own words: "The widened vehicle body, the large air intakes, the diffuser and the huge rear aerofoil all signalise a desire to attack." Other cars may be bigger but the GT3 will not be messed with!
The GT3 has big boots to fill given the success of the SLS and a plethora of racing rivals to beat as well. The Audi R8 LMS will be replaced imminently, the Bentley Continental GT3 has shown some decent pace and the GT-R GT3 can't be discounted after Bathurst. Once testing has been completed the AMG GT3 will be shipped to the first customer teams at the end of the year. Which means 2016 is shaping up just nicely for AMG GT3 v BMW M6 across the globe...