From the world’s most demanding racetrack directly onto the road: Never before has Mercedes‑AMG packed so much motorsport technology into a production vehicle than into the new AMG GT R. The front-mid-engine concept with transaxle, the twin-turbo V-8 engine rated at 430 kW/585 hp, the extensively modified suspension, the new aerodynamics and the intelligent lightweight construction lay the foundations for an especially dynamic driving experience. Even from afar, the exclusive “AMG green hell magno” special paintwork leaves no doubt as to the sports car’s origin, having spent most of its development time in the “Green Hell” of the Nurburgring racetrack. Wider front and rear wings allow an increased track width for optimum grip and even higher cornering speeds. The new front fascia with active elements, the large rear aerofoil and the new rear fascia with double diffuser enhance aerodynamic efficiency and help ensure optimum grip. The lightweight forged wheels shod with cup tyres as standard are likewise designed for maximum driving dynamics. The same applies to other new features such as the active rear-wheel steering, the nine-way adjustable traction control system and the adjustable coil-over suspension with additional electronic control. What is more, the new AMG Panamericana grille emphasises the unique standing of the AMG GT R. Its characteristic form with vertical fins celebrated its world première on the Mercedes‑AMG GT3 customer-sport racing car and now for the first time features on an AMG production vehicle.

Mercedes-AMG GT R

The new Mercedes-AMG GT3 will not make its North American debut in next year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.  Not because of mechanical issues or lack of teams wanting to drive the coveted race car, but because there is not enough time to produce enough new cars, this according to Thomas Jäger of AMG customer sports, one of the manufacturer’s factory drivers. “Unfortunately we are not able to deliver cars here for Daytona, because we sold so many cars to our current customers, that we are not able to deliver (to) new customers over there,” Jäger said.

A company concerned about its current customers and not just making new ones, can’t complain with that.

“It would be unfair to not give cars to our current customers, which have been in the program for the last five years, and give cars to new customers.”

2016 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Race Car

There remains sufficient customer interest in North America, Jäger said. Weistec Engineering announced two new cars for Pirelli World Challenge next season and he said Mercedes-AMG is talking to two other teams.

The best case scenario for a debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, he said, is likely going to be the midseason.

“On one hand it’s good, because our sales are very good. On the other hand it would have been great to have some new teams over here. So we work on that, and we shoot to have cars on grid for midseason, or the latest by 2017 in WeatherTech.”

One of the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars is at Daytona this week for baseline Balance of Performance testing.

Two of the previous generation Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s are here as well, run by Elton Julian’s DragonSpeed operation.

“For us, it’s an important market. We want to be here,” Jäger said. “This is why we are here for the BoP test, to get the car properly balanced, that we have the possibility to run in one of the next races.”

The test will mark Jäger’s debut at Daytona; he noted the differences in the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 compared to the previous generation SLS.

“What was very important in the development was to lower the weight, because, with the new performance windows, we wanted to fit perfectly in there for one target,” he said.

“We want to keep the good driveability from the SLS, because the gentlemen driver felt good immediately with the car. This one, we have achieved from the GT as well. It’s more race car. It’s as reliable. It supports the customer teams.

“We have increased the mileage for the engine, so it’s now 20,500 kilmometers before rebuild, and the gearbox will last longer so the running costs will go down. The SLS will be another improvement.

“In total it’s a very good package as a customer car. We hope to be competitive the next five years; the SLS, we did not have the performance update for the teams. It’s nice to drive and I hope we will be successful in the future.”

Mercedes recently said “something fast is coming” and it appears it could be the road-going version of the AMG GT3 as our spies have caught the model wearing less camouflage than ever before.
Looking decidedly more aggressive than the AMG GT S, the high-performance variant has a new front bumper with carbon fiber flics and what appears to be a front splitter. Moving further back, we can see a prominent rear wing and a unique rear end with an aggressive diffuser and a center-mounted exhaust system. The model also has five-spoke alloy wheels that are backed up by a high-performance braking system with golden calipers.

AMG GT3 Spy Photos

Mercedes is keeping specifications under wraps but AMG CEO Tobias Moers previously hinted the model will be lighter than the GT S and have a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that develops approximately 550 PS (404 kW).

AMG GT3

Via: WCF

Sweaty, emotionless and nursing a neck-ache, five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider emerges from the cockpit of a prototype GT3 racing car with ominous feedback.

TG gets private audience with terrifying 500bhp ‘beast’. DTM hero Bernd Schneider is the lion tamer

“I’m a bit hot,” the steady German quietly says. Poor guy. He’s just put his body through the ringer for five hours straight, strapped inside a cockpit with sub-optimal ventilation, doing difficult track work around a tight, unforgiving circuit in north-east Spain in a car without traction control. Add to that, a set of blazing hot side-exit exhausts that have been busy boiling underneath. Dante himself would be impressed by the trials Bernd has just went through, because though he might have walked through the seven circles of hell, he never had to contend with the Inferno of this new Mercedes-AMG GT3.

“It’s a monster,” Bernd smiles. “This car is a beast.”

TG gets private audience with terrifying 500bhp ‘beast’. DTM hero Bernd Schneider is the lion tamer

Via: TopGear

Mercedes-AMG has confirmed that a race car based on its new GT sports car will be launched in 2016 as a successor to the current SLS AMG GT3. The new race car will be known simply as the GT3 and will start testing sometime next year. We can also expect a road-going version of the new race car at some point, but it will feature a unique name since Mercedes-AMG isn’t keen to call at a GT3 as well.

2016 AMG GT

In the meantime, the SLS AMG GT3 will soldier on for one more year of motorsport. It’s been extremely successful for Mercedes-AMG, with 2014 seeing 40 teams signing up to use the car. Naturally, the support service for the SLS AMG GT3 will continue after the launch of new GT3 in 2016, including the supply of spare parts.

Mercedes-AMG is also spicing things up by launching its own one-make racing series, which for its inaugural season will be based around the SLS AMG GT3. The new series will be called the AMG Customer Sports Championship and its inaugural season will run from December 1, 2014 through to November 30, 2015.

There will be titles for Pro Driver, Driver and Team, and at the end of the season the competitors with the most points can win some prizes from Mercedes-AMG and sponsors IWC Schaffhausen and Rotwild.

Via: Motor Authority

There may be no better way to wake up in the morning than to the release of a modified Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary Edition that has been done right – and the one by Sievers Tuning has been done right.

There are only five SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary Editions out in the world and one of its owners turned to German based Sievers Tuning to customize their Mercedes masterpiece.  Sievers Tuning customized the supercar with  a custom orange color and finished it off with black graphics, a rising phoenix and batman logos on the rear wing and bumper.

So start your morning right and click through the photo gallery below.

The AMG Customer Teams managed impressive finishes at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour Race. The SLS AMG GT3 of HTP Motorsport with start number 84 finished the race with Maximilian Buhk in second place, a mere 0.4138 seconds behind the winning Ferrari after 296 laps. The SLS AMG GT3 team with Start number 63 of Erebus Motorsport ended the race in the third position. The sister car with start number 1 of last year’s winner Bernd Schneider came home seventh.

SLS AMG GT3 in the Bathurst 12 Hour Race

The runner-up race gullwing of HTP Motorsport was driven by Maximilian Buhk, Thomas Jäger (both GER) and Harold Primat (FRA). After a training accident on Friday, the team of HTP Motorsport succeeded in fixing up the vehicle again over night. Start number 84 started from position eleven on the grid and managed to reach the second position but subsequently was slowed down by a technical problem. The gap again was overcome by constantly fast lap times. Eventually, Maximilian Buhk reached the leading group and managed to conquer the top in the last third of the race. An hour prior to the end of the race, the SLS AMG GT3 lost its leading position, because a change of the front brake pads became necessary in the last pit stop.

Start number 63 of Erebus Motorsport, piloted by Will Davison, Jack LeBrocq and Greg Crick (all AUS), started from the third position on the grid. An encounter with a kangaroo on the race track forced the race gullwing to make a pit stop. The mechanics successfully carried out the necessary provisional reparation of the front section, but subsequently, the drivers had to struggle with aerodynamic problems. The sister car with start number 1 and the German driver trio Bernd Schneider, Maro Engel and Nico Bastian at the wheel started the race from the pole position, after Maro Engel was able to score a new track record for closed race vehicles in the qualifying. The SLS AMG GT3 confidently took the lead in the race for a long time. However, it lost precious time after a technical problem and fell behind.

This year’s Bathurst 12 Hours on the 6.213 kilometres long Mount Panorama Circuit was characterised by numerous safety car phases, commanding position fights and many changes of the leading position.

Bathurst 12 Hour Race

Thomas Jäger: “It was an unbelievable race for us. No one in the HTP Motorsport team would have expected that we could still win a podium position after the training accident. We would have liked to end the race winning the first position, but the Ferrari was just somewhat faster towards the end. Thanks to everybody in the team for the extremely strong performance during the entire weekend.”

Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “Another pleasing result after the promising start of the season in Dubai. Congratulations to the customer teams HTP Motorsport and Erebus Motorsport for their strong performance in Bathurst.”

Jochen Bitzer, head of AMG Customer Sports: “It was a truly thrilling race with commanding motorsports on Mount Panorama. Having two SLS AMG GT3 on the podium and each of the three participating SLS AMG GT3 in the top ten is, all in all, an excellent result. The victory was within reach but unfortunately, in the end, a gap of 0.4138 seconds separated us from the first position. I want to thank the AMG customer teams of HTP Motorsport and Erebus Motorsport and all drivers. Congratulations to the team of Maranello Motorsport for today’s victory in the race.”

Bathurst 12 Hour Race

An overview of the results of the race*:

Former Mercedes AMG F1 driver and seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher recently got behind the wheel of the 6.3-liter V8 SLS AMG GT3 at the Hockeneheim race track for a test drive.  Schumacher looked at the test drive as an opportunity to not only drive the Mercedes AMG race car but also to give feedback and share his expertise with engineers.

While most of us will never have the chance to get behind the wheel of the SLS AMG GT3, there’s always Gran Turismo 6.

If there is one thing that is certain, it is that drivers and their teams love the Mercedes SLS AMG. They love it so much that Mercedes AMG dedicated a two and a half minute video discussing why their customer teams would drive nothing other than the GT3.  In the event that you don’t speak German, turn down your speakers and watch the video for the amazing day and night footage of the SLS AMG GT3 out on the in the pits and on the track.

Legendary Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi announced this week that Gran Turismo 6 will be released Holiday 2013. The news was revealed at an event held at Silverstone in England celebrating 15 years of the 70-million-selling series, Gran Turismo.

Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 will receive several enhancements, improvements and additions in order to give players new levels of authenticity to ‘the Real Driving Simulator. There will be new tracks and more importantly, cars, including three new Mercedes AMG models; the SLS AMG GT3 producing over 367 kW (more than 500 hp), the E63 AMG producing 410 kW (557 hp) and the A45 AMG producing 265 kW (360 hp).  In addition to the three new vehicles, no fewer than 21 further vehicles from Mercedes-Benz which featured in Gran Turismo 5 will also be taking to the track to set the pulses of gaming fans racing.

Globally the PlayStation 3 racing game has so far sold more than 70 million copies, with version 5 alone being enjoyed by more than ten million gaming fans since November 2010. Mercedes-Benz can look back over a long and successful history as part of this race series. Models from the star brand have been represented in the game since the market launch of Gran Turismo 2 back in 1999/2000. According to Anders Sundt Jensen: “Both Carl Benz in 1886 and Kazunori Yamauchi, the inventor of Gran Turismo in 1998 recognised that a car can do more than just take us from A to B. Both lived the automotive dream. Driving a Mercedes or playing Gran Turismo each therefore reflects a unique experience: unprecedented driving pleasure.”

The customer sports program of Mercedes-AMG will be all ove the world for 2013 and for the first time, the SLS AMG GT3 will start in the U.S. During 2013 season, the racing version of the Mercedes gullwing will be a part of more than 22 race series on five continents. The German team H.T.P. Motorsport will enter three SLS AMG GT3 racecars into the new FIA GT World. Seyffarth Motorsport will participate in the race series as well. The gullwings will fight for the overall victory in the 24-hour races of Nürburgring and in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). Three SLS AMG GT3 are expected to participate in the German ADAC GT Masters. Three teams will be facing the competition in the Japanese Super GT Series. And, two SLS AMG GT3 racecars, from Black Swan and Green Hornet Racing, have entered the US American Pirelli World Challenge.

In preparation for the season at the end of February 2013, several AMG customer teams took advantage of the perfect conditions in the test and setting drives on “Autódromo Internacional do Algarve” in Portimão (Portugal). All support units of the AMG customer sports program gathered on-site, providing professional support. With Bernd Schneider, Thomas Jäger and Lance David Arnold (all GER), the teams were provided advice and assistance by experienced race professionals.

Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “Our customer sports program is in its third year now, and this is the first time that the SLS AMG GT3 will also participate in races in the United States. This is one indicator pointing out to an exciting 2013 motorsports season. Racing is an essential part of AMG and its DNA. In 2013, AMG again is based upon three pillars: With the SLS AMG GT3 customer sports program, the Mercedes AMG C-Coupé in the popular DTM and with the team MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS in Formula 1, AMG is based very broadly.”

Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports: “In the 2013 motorsports season we also hold on to our philosophy of merely using the SLS AMG GT3 for customer sports and not for factory entries. We continue to focus on providing the AMG customer teams with the best assistance possible. Not only the victories of the previous years, but also our impressive number of sold cars, which has in the meantime risen to 63 race gullwings, have shown the success of this strategy. We want to thank the teams, which are facing the third year of competition with us, for their confidence – moreover we are looking forward to receiving the new teams in the family of AMG customer sports. ”

AMG starts in US American Pirelli World Challenge

For the first time in the history of AMG customer sports, two SLS AMG GT3 started in a race on the North American continent. In the first race of the new US American Pirelli World Challenge on the race track “Streets of St. Petersburg” in Florida, Peter LeSaffre (USA) of Green Hornet Racing as well as Tim Pappas (USA) of Black Swan were behind the wheel. The Pirelli World Challenge comprises nine races, almost 30 vehicles will be competing in the GT class. Black Swan were among the top ten twice already in the first weekend, winning places 8 and 9. Green Hornet achieved solid results winning position 11 in the first race, in the second race, however, Peter LeSaffre had to retire from the race prior to end.

AMG Customer Sports: Preparing for the season on the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve“ in Portimão

Successful start of the 2013 motorsports season

The customer teams Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon and Erebus Motorsport GT celebrated a successful start of the season in winter 2013. In both the Dubai 24 Hours (UAE) as well as the Bathurst 12 Hour race (Australia) it was a SLS AMG GT3 to cross the finish line first. The GT3 prelude in Europe will take place the coming weekend. In Nogaro, France, the new FIA GT World will celebrate its premiere (29th March to 1st April 2013). 26 cars, 16 teams and eight brands will be facing the competition in the successor series of the FIA GT World Championship, which existed for many years. H.T.P.-Gravity Charouz will enter three SLS AMG GT3 in the categories Pro Cup, Pro-Am and Gentlemen’s Trophy. Seyffarth Motorsport is also going to participate in the new FIA GT World.

The first race of the German VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring had to be cancelled due to difficult weather conditions. The prelude of the VLN on the legendary Nordschleife (“north loop”) and the short circuit of the Grand-Prix course will take place on 13th April 2013. ROWE RACING and Car Collection will take part in the first VLN race, Black Falcon will have to skip the race because of an overlapping race.

Highlight of the season – 24 Hours Nürburgring

One of the traditional highlights of the German motorsports season is the 24 Hours Nürburgring – this year it will take place from the 17th to the 20st of May 2013. Black Falcon, ROWE RACING and Car Collection will be facing their strong competitors. Bernd Schneider (team Black Falcon), Lance David Arnold and Thomas Jäger (both team ROWE RACING) will support the customer teams as part of the AMG support program and take an active part in the endurance classic in the Eifel themselves.

Three SLS AMG GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters

In 2013, three SLS AMG GT3 will participate in the fight for the title in the ADAC GT Masters. H.T.P. Motorsport enters two cars into the race while Seyffarth Motorsport enters one. The ADAC GT Masters starts on 26th of April in Oschersleben and comprises 16 races. Two races take place every race weekend. The private TV station Kabel 1 again broadcasts all races live and in full length.

Blancpain Endurance Series – three teams in competition

In the Blancpain Endurance Series, three teams are facing the competition: Black Falcon from Germany enters two gullwing race cars. As in the previous years, the British team Preci-Spark will join the race. Fortec Motorsport from Great Britain is a new participant in this year’s race. The starting field of the Blancpain Endurance Series with about 60 cars is certainly going to show committing motorsports. The race in Monza, Italy on 14th April 2013 will be the prelude while the highlight of the season will be the 24-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 27th and 28th July 2013. The final of the endurance championship takes place on Nürburgring on 22nd September 2013.

Five AMG customer teams starting in Asia

The SLS AMG GT3 will also play a great role in Japan. With RQ’s Motorsport, Leon Racing, Gainer and Shift, four teams will participate in the Japanese Super GT. The PETRONAS Syntium Team will show its best performance in the Super Taikyu Series, in order to build on their success of 2012 and achieve a confident victory. Also in the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race lasting 12 hours, the PETRONAS Syntium Team wants to continue to be as successful as last year.

From Australia to Brazil

Besides the big championships, which are mainly held on European tracks, customer teams with the SLS AMG GT3 will also take part in races on the continents of South America and Australia as well as in smaller national race series:

• Australian GT-Championship: Erebus Racing
• Brazilian GT-Championship: AMattheis Motorsport
• British GT-Championship: Fortec Motorsport
• DMV TCC: ANTeam, Land Motorsport, Schütz Motorsport
• FIA CEZ: Premium Poland Motorsport
• French GT-Championship: Autosport Promotion
• GT Open: Seyffarth Motorsport
• Slovakia GT: TopCar Machének
• Spanish and Portuguese GT-Championship: Sports & You
• Supercar International Series: Sports & You

AMG Customer Sports: Inauguration of the Walk of Fame in Affalterbach

Walk of Fame in Affalterbach

The new Walk of Fame is a tribute to the numerous successes of AMG customer teams and their drivers: As in Hollywood, the names of all AMG team and driver champions as well as the AMG endurance champions of 12- and 24-hour races are being perpetuated on engraved stone flags. A statement by Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “Through the Walk of Fame in Affalterbach we want to give thanks to our customer teams and their drivers for their encouragement. We are very proud that, around the world, we have managed to achieve such a great number of victories with the race gullwing car in the course of just a few years. I am looking forward to a successful season 2013 and a Walk of Fame that will be ever growing.”

Ask someone to name a Mercedes AMG model and chances are the first model that will pop into their head is the SLS AMG, and for good reason. It is a car that is in a league of it’s own, as much a sculpture as it is a race car, it epitomizes the luxury Mercedes is known for and the performance AMG is known for.

The Mercedes SLS AMG previously came in five different variants, but apparently that wasn’t enough, because now Mercedes has added two additional variants to the SLS AMG lineup – and we’re glad they did.The SLS AMG Coupé Black Series and the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive. This means that the SLS AMG now comes in a total of seven different variants, model diversity unmatched by competitors. No matter which SLS AMG you choose, a Coupé, Roadster, GT, Black Series variant, electrically powered gullwing model or thoroughbred GT3 racing version – the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is simply the best

We’ll be taking a more in-depth look at both the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series and the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive throughout the day but read on below for a quick overview.

First off, the questions we get the most. When can I buy it and how much does it cost?

Thankfully, for those eager to purchase one of the new SLS AMG Coupes, you won’t have to wait long. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series and SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive will have their market launch in June 2013. The prices in Germany (incl. 19% VAT) will be:

• SLS AMG Coupé Black Series: €249,900
• SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive: €416,500

The SLS AMG Coupé was the first car to be developed in-house by Mercedes-AMG and was first unveiled at the 2009 IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt/Main. The gullwing model was followed a couple years later in 2011 by the SLS AMG Roadster as well as the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car. The racing version of the gullwing car proved to the world the performance abilities of AMG during the 2012 motorsport season when the SLS AMG GT3 Race Car racked up nine championship titles and 43 race victories.

2012 marked the premiere of the SLS AMG GT, which is available in Coupé and Roadster versions, followed later by the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series and the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive. This means that the model range has now grown to seven variants in all. Not only does Mercedes-AMG boast the widest model range in the super sports car segment, its diversity is also unprecedented and covers all manner of customer requirements and preferences. The power outputs of the road-going models range from 420 kW (571 hp) up to 552 kW (751 hp).

Production in Sindelfingen and Affalterbach

The specific assembly area for the SLS AMG is located in the largest Mercedes-Benz production plant in Sindelfingen. The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine comes directly from the AMG engine workshop in Affalterbach, where it is hand-assembled according to the traditional “one man, one engine” philosophy.

The SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is being built in an exclusive production run directly at Mercedes-AMG company headquarters in Affalterbach, where a team of highly qualified specialists assemble the purely electrically powered super sports car by hand in a newly installed Manufaktur hand-finishing section.

An overview of all SLS AMG models

* electronically limited; ** depending on Balance of Performance; *** depending on transmission ratio

40 major accolades for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The SLS AMG has succeeded in winning numerous comparison tests against a host of international competitors conducted by the world’s motoring press – both as the gullwing model and the Roadster. Since its world premiere at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt in 2009 and the presentation of the SLS AMG Roadster in May 2011, the super sports car from Mercedes-AMG has picked up over 40 awards – including such major accolades as the “German Design Award”, the “Red Dot Design Award”, the “Golden Steering Wheel 2009”, the “iF product design award”, “Classic of the Future”, “Sports Car of the Year”, “Best Performance Car” and “Legends on Wheels”.

The SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, inspired by the SLS AMG GT3 racing version, is in a class of its own. Even while standing still in the AMG Showroom, you still get an idea of its exceptional performance.

Check out the video below to see the Mercedes SLS AMG Coupé Black Series in action.

Once again, the SLS AMG GT3 from the customer team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon claimed an unchallenged victory in the Dubai 24-hour race (10th to 12th of January 2013). The gullwing car with race number 1 and the drivers Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE), Bernd Schneider (GER), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Sean Edwards (GB) entered the race from the pole position and won the race two laps ahead. Thus the team continued its success of the previous year.

However, the run-up of the 24-hour race was an unfavourable one for AMG Customer Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon: The gullwing car with race number 1 was damaged so hard in an accident on the test track, the Grand Prix track of the Dubai Autodrome, which is 5.39 kilometres long, that it could not be repaired on the spot. The team decided to purchase the substitute car of the British team Preci-Spark and worked for two entire nights in succession in order to prepare the car for the free training sessions and the qualifying on Thursday. Without a roll-out prior to the end of the qualifying, Jeroen Bleekemolen achieved the fastest training time already in the third lap – thus the Dutch driver laid the cornerstone for today’s success. The victorious SLS AMG GT3 was the first customer sports gullwing car ever that was delivered: Preci-Spark was the first AMG Customer Team that took over a SLS AMG GT3 in 2011.

In the starting phase, the gullwing car of Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon remained among the first positions until it unluckily fell back during several code-60 phases. In a code-60 phase, vehicles are driven on the track with slow speed until the scene of an accident is cleared up and the race can be started again. In the further course of the race, the race number 1 remained unaffected by problems, did not give up its top position in the race and gained victory in the fight for the first position.

Alexander Böhm, team manager Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon: “I am extremely happy! The team showed an exceptional performance. We all thought that the accident on Wednesday would compel us to give up. However, our mechanics assembled the car with a new chassis and showed their full commitment and determination. The car was finished five minutes prior to closing the pit lane and drove for 24 hours without any problems. Our drivers remained the vehicle on high speed during the entire race and did not have any problems with liability. I also want to thank the twins David and Godfrey Jones of the team Preci-Spark for their collegial and spontaneous help!”

Bernd Schneider: “A sensational success and great day for AMG Customer Sports. After the accident on Wednesday nobody in the team reckoned on winning the first position today. Our SLS AMG GT3 was fast on a constant basis and ran very reliably. Now I succeeded in winning the Dubai 24 Hours in my third attempt. I want to thank the entire team!”

Schneider, the five time DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador participated in the Dubai 24 Hours for the third time as part of the AMG Customer Sports Drivers’ Support. In 2012, he won the second position and in his debut year 2011 he claimed the seventh overall position.

The second SLS AMG GT3 from the AMG Customer Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon with race number 2 ended the endurance race in Dubai on position seven. Andreas Simonsen (SWE), Steve Jans (LUX), Simon Knap (NED), Sergei Afanasiev (RUS) and double starter Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE) started from position 14. The gullwing car had established itself among the five fastest cars, before it fell back numerous positions after a collision. However, the team succeeded in gaining the seventh overall position due to constantly good lap times.

The British AMG Customer Team Preci-Spark entered the race from position 17 and achieved its best result ever in a 24-hour race by winning the fifth overall position. The twins David and Godfrey Jones (aged 59) drove in the Amateur Category with their sons Morgan (27), Garreth (29) and Phillip (32), in which they achieved a sensational second position.

The Italian AMG Customer Team De Lorenzi Racing won position twelve in their first race with the gullwing car. Race number 14 entered the race from the twelfth position with the drivers Gianluca de Lorenzi, Dario Paletto (both ITA), Dan Norris-Jones (GB) and Olivier Baharian (FRA) and lost precious time due to a longer repair in the beginning. In the course of the race, De Lorenzi Racing managed to approach to the top ten.

Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “Dubai is the place to be for Mercedes-AMG. After the 1-2-3 last year, we managed to build up the success today through a further victory by the team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon. This success once again proves the performance and reliability of our SLS AMG GT3. I want to thank the Customer teams, the drivers and all participants.”

Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports: “Congratulations to the victorious AMG Customer Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon. Apart from the unchallenged victory, I am happy about the fact that all four entered gullwing cars reached the finish line. Having three of four entered SLS AMG GT3 winning top ten positions is an exceptional result. I want to thank all teams and drivers!”

AMG Customer Teams acting around the globe showed a high level of teamwork in the 2012 motorsports season. With 9 titles and 43 successes, the SLS AMG GT3 scored numerous impressive successes on four continents. One of the highlights is the winning of the driver and team title in the FIA GT3 European Championship for AMG Customer Team HEICO-Gravity Charouz, the winning of the driver and team title in the FIA GT1 World Championship by ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, the driver and team title in the ADAC GT Masters for kfzteile24 MS RACING Team as well as the championship title for PETRONAS Syntium Team in the Japanese Super Taikyu Series.

This Sunday, BVA Racing won the driver and team title in the Brazilian GT Championship at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paolo. The driver duo Cleber Faria and Duda Rosa (both BRA) left its competitors behind in a fight that was commiting until the end and finally won with a lead of just one point compared with the second placed team. Their team colleagues Vanuê Faria and Renan Guerra (both BRA) crossed the finish line sixth. The AMG Customer Team A.Mattheis Motorsport with Sérgio Jimenez and Paolo Bonifácio (both BRA) won the third position in the championship.

The further statistics of the 2012 motorsports year for AMG Customer Sports is impressive as well:

• 43 class victories
• 109 podium positions
• 242 top ten positions
• 27 pole positions
• 48 SLS AMG GT3 started in 28 race series on four continents

Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “We have the right to be proud of the successful 2012 AMG Customer Sports season. With 9 titles on the whole, including the winning of the World Championship, the European Championship and 43 successes we even outmatched the pleasing debut year of 2011. My congratulations go to all AMG Customer Teams which achieved these successes with the SLS AMG GT3 in the highly competitive race series on four continents.”

Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports: “Winning the title in Brazil is an enormously welcome ending of an exceptionally successful season. In the meantime, we have sold more than 50 units of the SLS AMG GT3, which has established itself by a constantly high performance and reliability in the international motorsports scene. I want to thank everyone participating in our AMG Customer Sports Programme. It is everybody’s turn now to concentrate on the 2013 season, because four race version gullwing cars will be starting in the Dubai 24 Hours already in the beginning of January.”

The successes in the individual race series at a glance:

FIA GT1 World Championship: By winning the driver and team rating, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport crowns the 2012 season in the FIA GT1 World Championship. Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock (both GER) won the driver title with a lead of just one point. The sister car with Thomas Jäger (GER) and Nicky Pastorelli (ITA) ended the World Championship season on the sixth position. ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport quickly established itself in the top group of the highly competitive World Championship and scored two titles through a constant team performance.

FIA GT3 European Championship: Maximilian Buhk (GER) and Dominik Baumann (AUT) from HEICO-Gravity Charouz secured the driver title in the penultimate race ahead of time. Their team colleagues Max Nilsson (SWE) and Mika Vähämäki (FIN) ended the FIA GT3 European Championship on the sixth position. Additionally, the AMG Customer Team succeeded in defending the team title it had already won in 2011. The Czech-German team won seven out of twelve races and thus showed a confident performance during the season.

ADAC GT Masters (Germany): With their victory in the commanding final race on Hockenheimring, Sebastian Asch and Maximilian Götz (both GER) won the driver title. The driver duo of kfzteile24 MS RACING Team was the most constant team of the entire season, winning eight podium positions and achieving the pole position two times. At the same time, in the last race of the season, the team achieved the first victory of a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in the highly competitive ADAC GT Masters 2012. The sister car with Daniel Dobitsch and Florian Stoll (both GER) won the 22nd position in the championship.

HEICO Motorsport with Dominik Baumann and Hari Proczyk (both AUT), ended the championship on rank nine. Andreas Simonsen (SWE) and Maximilian Buhk (GER) from HEICO Junior Team finished eleventh. Alexandros Margaritis and Lance David Arnold (both GER) from Schöner Wohnen Polarweiss Team HEICO came 18th. Christiaan Frankenhout and Kenneth Heyer (both GER) from HEICO Motorsport achieved the 25th overall position.

Super Taikyu Series (Japan): Championship title for PETRONAS Syntium Team with the drivers Nobuteru Taniguchi and Dominic Ang (both JPN). Six class and overall successes each, six pole positions and 13 top ten positions confirm the good performance of the Japanese customer team. For the dominant team of the Japanese race series, this year’s winning the title was the fifth in a row.

Australian GT Championship: Winning of the runner-up spot for Peter Hackett (AUS) from Erebus Racing. With three victories and six further podium positions, Hackett was the best driver of a SLS AMG GT3 in the Australian GT Championship. His team colleague James Brock ended the season on the ninth position.

Iberian Supercars Trophy and Portugese GT Championship: Runner-up spot for José Pedro Fontes and Miguel Barbosa (both POR) from Sports & You team.

VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring (Germany): ROWE RACING scored two overall victories in nine races on the Nordschleife (“north loop”), three further podium positions and on the whole ten top ten positions. With these successes, the AMG Customer Team evolved into the best SLS AMG GT3 team of the series. The Black Falcon team achieved a victory in the VLN.

Blancpain Endurance Series: Black Falcon won the ProAM-Cup with the drivers Oliver Morley (GB), Steve Jans (LUX) and Sean Edwards (GB) in the race at Nürburgring and ended the season on rank twelve. KRK Racing won the tenth position in the Blancpain Endurance Series.

British GT-Championship: The twins David and Godfrey Jones (both GB) from the team Preci-Spark achieved five top ten positions.

DMV-TCC (Germany): Land Motorsport scored three class victories and three podium positions with Christian Land and Stefan Eilentropp (both GER). ANTeam with Bruno and Edwin Stucky (both SUI) won seven top ten positions.

Special Touring Car Trophy (Germany): A podium position for Norbert Janz (GER) from Seyffarth Motorsport.

Touring Car and GT-Cup Austria: One overall victory, a class victory and a pole position for Mario Plachutta (AUT) from Lechner Racing.

International GT Open: Kenneth Heyer and Jan Seyffarth (both GER) from Seyffarth Motorsport won the class GTS twice.

Super GT (Japan): Haruki Kurosawa, Hironori Takeuchi (both JPN) from the team GREEN TEC & LEON with Shift ended the races five times among the top ten and once on the second position.

Spanish GT Championship: The Vodafone Team with António Coimbra, Luis Silva, José Pedro Fontes (all ESP) won two top ten positions.

Italian GT Championship: Two top ten positions for Gianluca De Lorenzi and Piero Necchi (both ITA) from GDL Racing.

Endurance Champions Cup Italia, Peroni: A class victory for G-Private Racing with Philip and Manuel Zumstein as well as Jörg Peham (all SUI).

French GT Championship (FFSA): Four podium positions for Sebastién Loeb Racing with Frédéric Gabillon and Gilles Vannelet (both FRA).

Dubai 24 Hours: At the beginning of the 2012 motorsport season, AMG Customer Teams already scored a commanding 1-2-3: In the Dubai 24 Hours, the team Abu Dhabi Black Falcon with Thomas Jäger (GER), Sean Edwards (GB), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE) achieved the overall victory. The SLS AMG GT3 of HEICO Motorsport (Maximilian Buhk (GER), Christiaan Frankenhout (NED), Max Nilsson (SWE), Andreas Zuber (AUT) and Bernd Schneider (GER) as well as Kenneth Heyer (GER), Andreas Simonsen (SWE), Rodolfo Gonzalez (VEN) and Bernd Schneider (GER) came home second and third.

24 Hours Nürburgring: The gullwing car of HANKOOK Team HEICO Motorsport with the driver quartet Lance David Arnold (GER), Christiaan Frankenhout (NED), Pierre Kaffer (GER) and Andreas Simonsen (SWE), ended the 24-hour classic in the Eifel winning the third rank. The sister car retired from the race 15 minutes prior to end on the third position.

12 Hour race of Bathurst/Australia: The Australian Customer Team Erebus Racing with Peter Hackett (AUS), Tim Slade (AUS), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Bret Curtis (USA) came home second in the endurance race.

12 Hour race of Sepang: In the12 Hour race of Sepang, the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race, PETRONAS Syntium Team achieved a double victory with the drivers Nobuteru Taniguchi (JPN), Masataka Yanagida (JPN) and Dominic Ang (MAS) as well as Tatsuya Kataoka (JPN), Farique Hairuman (MAS) and Melvin Moh (MAS).

Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach honours AMG Customer Teams

AMG Customer Teams’ representatives from all over the world met at the big end of season party of the AMG Customer Sports Programme. Some 150 guests followed the invitation to Affalterbach in order to review the achievements of the 2012 season. After the official salutation by Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, the most successful teams of 2012 were honoured: from the award for the “Best Looking Car” (Premium Motorsport Poland) to the awards for the championship titles in various race series. The presenters, among them five-time DTM Champion Bernd Schneider, repeatedly underlined their high respect for the Customer Teams’ achievements. The winners of all nine categories at a glance:

• “FIA GT1World Championship”: ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport
• “FIA GT3-European Championship”: HEICO-Gravity Charouz Team
• “ADAC GT Masters”: kfzteile24 MS RACING Team
• “Best Looking Car”: Premium Motorsports Poland
• “Best Newcomer”: BVA Racing
• “Best Gentleman Performance”: ANTeam
• “Best Endurance Race Performance”: ROWE RACING
• “Best 24h Performance”: Black Falcon

Lance David Arnold now member of AMG driver pool

As already in the 2012 season, AMG Customer Teams can also be strengthened through professional pilots from the AMG driver pool. Apart from Bernd Schneider, Thomas Jäger and Maro Engel, Lance David Arnold is from now on also part of the fast troop of Mercedes-AMG. The 26-year-old is another compassionate racer with gullwing car experience and endurance know-how who will assist the teams on request. The newest success of the driver originating from Duisburg, Germany, was the third rank in this year’s 24 Hours race at Nürburgring for the AMG Customer Team HANKOOK Team HEICO Motorsport. To participators of the AMG Driving Academy, Arnold is furthermore known as instructor.

Lance David Arnold: “Being part of the AMG driver pool is a great honour for me. A group, which one of my big role models in sports is also part of – the five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider. I am already looking forward to my operations, in which I want to provide the customer teams not only with driving but also with technical knowledge in order to optimally develop the individual SLS AMG GT3 vehicles adjusted to the individual requirements of the respective teams.”

Uli Fritz: “I am very pleased about Lance David Arnold joining the AMG driver pool from now on. I am sure that his great know-how will be very helpful to our AMG Customer Teams. Due to his operations in the AMG Driving Academy, he has been part of the Mercedes-AMG family for quite some time.”

Mercedes-AMG wanted to share a little holiday cheer with their loyal customers, friends, family, and fans. Take a look at this year’s AMG Holiday video featuring an AMG driver putting in a few laps on the track in order to bake a few Christmas cookies to perfection. While the Germans are not always known for their humor, we enjoyed the lighthearted video. But please heed their warning and do not try it at home.

Today marked the World premiere for the new SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” at the 2012 São Paolo International Motor Show.  The exclusively appointed special series is aimed at car collectors with a particular penchant for motor racing. The customer sport racing car is hand built in a limited edition of no more than five vehicles in Affalterbach. Record DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider is involved hands-on in the production process, installing the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine in the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” together with an AMG engine fitter.

The exclusive collector’s item is also synonymous with the successful AMG customer sports programme. With a current tally of 36 wins in the 2012 motorsport season and three driver and team titles in the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT Masters and the FIA GT1 World Championship to its name, the racing version of the gullwing model from Mercedes-AMG is also an impressive success story in its own right.

“The world premiere of our special “45th ANNIVERSARY” series of the SLS AMG GT3 at the 27th São Paulo International Motor Show in Brazil is a homage to all Brazilian AMG fans. Firstly because the Brazilian market has witnessed rapid growth for AMG high-performance vehicles in the past five years. And secondly because two of our AMG customer teams are putting in a very good showing in the Brazilian GT Championship and have excellent prospects with their three SLS AMG GT3s,” notes Ola Källenius.

Exclusive matt paintwork and “45 Years of Driving Performance” logo

A number of exterior and interior modifications have been carried out for the special SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” model. The body of the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” gleams auspiciously in the new designo magno graphite matt paint finish, for example. To date, this matt paintwork has been exclusive to the SL 65 AMG “45th ANNIVERSARY”, which was unveiled to mark the 45th birthday of Mercedes-AMG at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012. The AMG light-alloy wheels in designo magno graphite complement the body’s matt paintwork to perfection.

Another eye-catching feature is the striking “45 Years of Driving Performance” logo framed in silver on the GT3 racing car’s gullwing doors.The special edition’s logo embodies consummate design right down to the finer points of detail: closer inspection reveals the exposed carbon-fibre structure of the gullwing doors under the matt paintwork. The doors, along with the bonnet, mudguards, boot lid, rear wings, front and rear apron, front splitter and rear diffusor, are produced in the particularly lightweight motorsport material CFRP (CFRP = carbon fibre reinforced plastic).

The interior of the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” evokes a functional racing car atmosphere, refined by high-quality, exclusive details: the steel roll-over cage is finished in matt “designo magno graphite” to match the exterior. The racing car’s dashboard and centre console sport a matt carbon-fibre finish. Effective contrasts are produced by six-point seat belts in silver.

The collector’s item also boasts a seat shell in a high-strength carbon-fibre safety cell on the co-driver’s side. A special badge with a “1 of 5” logo on the seats alludes to the limited production run for this racing car. The standard appointments for the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” are rounded off by a high-quality AMG indoor car cover with “45 Years of Driving Performance” logo.

Bernd Schneider as a VIP engine fitter

In keeping with the exclusive exterior and interior equipment and appointments, the engineering under the bonnet is of a similarly exclusive standard.48 year-old racing driver Bernd Schneider is assisting the responsible AMG engine fitter in installing the naturally aspirated AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine. The special AMG engine badge bearing the signatures of Bernd Schneider and the responsible engine fitter attest to this high-calibre duo’s handiwork. Customers who acquire one of the rare SLS AMG GT3

“45th ANNIVERSARY” models also receive an exclusive vehicle certificate signed by Bernd Schneider.

The five-times DTM champion, overall ITC winner from 1995 and FIA GT world champion from 1997 works for Mercedes-AMG as a brand ambassador and an instructor at the AMG Driving Academy. Together with AMG customer sport coordinator Thomas Jäger, as an established expert in the field of SLS AMG GT3 customer sport Bernd Schneider has carried out the majority of the test drives for the racing version of the gullwing model. He also participates in selected races as part of the AMG driver support set-up. Bernd Schneider competed for various AMG customer teams in 2012, including the 24-hour Dubai race, at the Nürburgring and in Spa-Francorchamps.

Vehicle handover directly at AMG headquarters

Handover of the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” takes place directly at Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach, where customers are also granted exclusive insights into the AMG world and have an opportunity to sample AMG’s hallmark excellent service and support quality. An in-depth introduction to operation of the new vehicle and its engineering and technology is provided in the new 360 square-metre handover hall. In the case of this special GT3 racing car, this instruction is provided personally by AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider.

The programme also includes an individual tour of the factory, taking in the AMG Performance Studio, where exclusive series of individual AMG cars and one-off vehicles are developed and hand-made. This is followed by a visit to the AMG engine “Manufaktur” (hand-finishing section), where Bernd Schneider and the AMG engine fitter assembled the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine by hand. On request, the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” customer can enjoy a race track coaching session as part of an initiation event with the vehicle.

Price for Germany (incl. 19% VAT):

• SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” € 446,250

First place overall in the Brazilian GT Championship

Two AMG customer teams are competing in the Brazilian GT Championship with three SLS AMG GT3s. After five of a total of nine races, Duda Rosa and Cleber Faria (both BRA) from BVA Racing lead the overall placings. Their stablemates Vanuê Faria / Renan Guerra (both BRA) rank third. Paulo Bonifacio and Sérgio Jimenez (both BRA) from AMattheis Motorsport currently hold fifth place in the championship. The next race in the Brazilian GT Championship will take place on 28 October and the final meeting will be in Interlagos on 16 December.

Success on four continents, exemplary safety standard

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is the racing version of the SLS AMG which has been designed for customer sport.49 such vehicles for short- and long-distance races have been delivered worldwide to date. In its first season in 2011, the gullwing model quickly established itself as the most successful newcomer of the motorsport year. International customer teams competing on four continents notched up a total of 26 wins. The vehicle’s successful run was crowned when HEICO Motorsport won the team rankings at the FIA GT3 European Championship with its two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s – the first title for the gullwing model in its first full racing season. In the 2012 motorsport season the SLS AMG GT3 is competing in more than 15 racing series on four continents, including the FIA GT1 World Championship, the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT Masters, the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring and the Blancpain Endurance Series. The triple victory in the 24-hour Dubai race in January 2012 and numerous places on the podium at various short-distance, 4- and 6-hour races demonstrate the SLS AMG GT3’s sporty performance in impressive style. So far this season, the car has notched up 36 wins.

The SLS AMG GT3 additionally offers an exemplary standard of safety which is currently unrivalled by any other GT3 vehicle.Mercedes-AMG develops and produces the customer sport racing car in close cooperation with HWA AG. HWA is responsible for development and deployment of the Mercedes AMG C Coupés in the DTM on behalf of and in ongoing consultation with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

We cannot think of a better way to mark the Mercedes-Benz SL’s 45th year than with an SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary Edition.  Currently, Mercedes has plans to only build five of these cars, each one handcrafted in Affalterbach. The 45th Anniversary SLS AMG GT3 will each offer carbon bodywork covered with a special magno graphite matte paint. The customer race car also is covered by a composite hood, trunk lid, aero work and doors.

The interior of the Anniversary Edition is surrounded by a full steel roll-over cage painted to match the vehicle’s exterior as well as carbon-shell seats for both the driver and co-driver. The racing car’s dashboard and center console sport a matte carbon-fibre finish, all contrasted by six-point seat belts and a steering wheel spider in silver.

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary Edition

Powering the limited run SLS is an AMG 6.2-liter V8 hand-fitted with help by Bernd Schneider himself. For those of you that don’t remember, Bernd Schneider was integral in carrying out most of the development testing of the SLS AMG GT3 and has won the DTM championship three times.
The five lucky buyers will take delivery of their vehicles at a handover ceremony in Affalterbach, that will include a full factory tour by Schneider himself. So what will it cost to own this incredibly rare creature?  Chances are, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.  The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary Edition will cost you €446,250, including the 19 percent Value Added Tax. That comes out to roughly $578,000 at today’s conversion rates.

Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary Edition

I recommend skipping straight to the gallery to check out this beautiful example of customer race car, but if you’re interested in more technical information, continue reading below.

With the new SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY”, Mercedes-AMG is presenting an exclusively appointed special series which is aimed at car collectors with a particular penchant for motor racing. The customer sport racing car is being built by hand in a limited edition of no more than five vehicles in Affalterbach. Record DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider is involved hands-on in the production process, installing the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine in the SLS AMG GT3

“45th ANNIVERSARY” together with an AMG engine fitter.

The exclusive collector’s item is also a synonym for the successful AMG Customer Sports Programme: With currently 32 victories in the 2012 Motor Sports Season and the winning of three driver and team titles in the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT Masters and the FIA GT1 World Championship, the race edition of the gullwing car of Mercedes-AMG is an impressive success story as well.

A number of exterior and interior modifications have been carried out for the special SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” model. The body of the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” gleams auspiciously in the new designo magno graphite matt paint finish, for example. To date, this matt paintwork has been exclusive to the SL 65 AMG “45th ANNIVERSARY”, which was unveiled to mark the 45th birthday of Mercedes-AMG at the New York International Auto Show in April 2012. The AMG light-alloy wheels in designo magno graphite complement the body’s matt paintwork to perfection.

Another eye-catching feature is the striking “45 Years of Driving Performance” logo framed in silver on the GT3 racing car’s gullwing doors. The special edition’s logo embodies consummate design right down to the finer points of detail: closer inspection reveals the exposed carbon-fibre structure of the gullwing doors under the matt paintwork. The doors, along with the bonnet, mudguards, boot lid, rear wings, front and rear apron, front splitter and rear diffusor, are produced in the particularly lightweight motorsport material CFRP (CFRP = carbon fibre reinforced plastic).

The interior of the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” evokes a functional racing car atmosphere, refined by high-quality, exclusive details: the steel roll-over cage is finished in matt “designo magno graphite” to match the exterior. The racing car’s dashboard and centre console sport a matt carbon-fibre finish. Effective contrasts are produced by six-point seat belts and a steering wheel spider in silver.

The collector’s item also boasts a seat shell in a high-strength carbon-fibre safety cell on the co-driver’s side. A special badge with a “1 of 5” logo on the seats and the centre console alludes to the limited production run for this racing car. The standard appointments for the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” are rounded off by a high-quality AMG indoor car cover with “45 Years of Driving Performance” logo.

Bernd Schneider as a VIP engine fitter

In keeping with the exclusive exterior and interior equipment and appointments, the engineering under the bonnet is of a similarly exclusive standard. 48 year-old racing driver Bernd Schneider is assisting the responsible AMG engine fitter in installing the naturally aspirated AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine. The special AMG engine badge bearing the signatures of Bernd Schneider and the responsible engine fitter attest to this high-calibre duo’s handiwork. Customers who acquire one of the rare SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” models also receive an exclusive vehicle certificate signed by Bernd Schneider.

The five-times DTM champion, overall ITC winner from 1995 and FIA GT world champion from 1997 works for Mercedes-AMG as a brand ambassador and an instructor at the AMG Driving Academy.

As an established expert in the field of SLS AMG GT3 customer sport Bernd Schneider has carried out the majority of the test drives for the racing version of the gullwing model. He also participates in selected races as part of the AMG driver support set-up. Bernd Schneider competed for various AMG customer teams in 2012, including the 24-hour Dubai race, at the Nürburgring and in Spa-Francorchamps. In the ninth race of the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring, Bernd Schneider took a start position together with Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) for the AMG Customer Team Black Falcon and won the 4-hour race. After numerous podium positions in the past two years, this was his first victory with the SLS AMG GT3.

Vehicle handover directly at AMG headquarters

Handover of the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” takes place directly at Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach, where customers are also granted exclusive insights into the AMG world and have an opportunity to sample AMG’s hallmark excellent service and support quality. An in-depth introduction to operation of the new vehicle and its engineering and technology is provided in the new 360 square-metre handover hall. In the case of this special GT3 racing car, this instruction is provided personally by AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider.

The programme also includes a tour of the factory, taking in the AMG Performance Studio, where exclusive series of individual AMG cars and one-off vehicles are developed and hand-made. This is followed by a visit to the AMG engine “Manufaktur” (hand-finishing section), where Bernd Schneider and the AMG engine fitter assembled this special AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine by hand. On request, the SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” customer can enjoy a race track coaching session as part of an initiation event with the vehicle.

Price for Germany (incl. 19% VAT):

• SLS AMG GT3 “45th ANNIVERSARY” € 446,250

Success on four continents, exemplary safety standard

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is the racing version of the SLS AMG which has been designed for customer sport. 49 such vehicles for short- and long-distance races have been delivered worldwide to date. In its first season in 2011, the gullwing model quickly established itself as the most successful newcomer of the motorsport year. International customer teams competing on four continents notched up a total of 26 wins. The vehicle’s successful run was crowned when HEICO Motorsport won the team rankings at the FIA GT3 European Championship with its two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s – the first title for the gullwing model in its first full racing season.

In the 2012 motorsport season the SLS AMG GT3 is competing in more than 15 racing series on four continents, including the FIA GT1 World Championship, the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT Masters, the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring and the Blancpain Endurance Series. The triple victory in the 24-hour Dubai race in January 2012, three driver and team titles in the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT Masters, the FIA GT1 World Championship and numerous places on the podium at various short-distance, 4- and 6-hour races demonstrate the SLS AMG GT3’s sporty performance in impressive style. For the time being, the 2012 season comprises 32 victories (1st October 2012).

The SLS AMG GT3 additionally offers an exemplary standard of safety which currently sets standards in GT3 racing. Mercedes-AMG develops and produces the customer sport racing car in close cooperation with HWA AG. HWA is responsible for development and deployment of the Mercedes AMG C-Class Coupés in the DTM on behalf of and in on-going consultation with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

Six titles during three championships in one week: The success rate of AMG Customer Teams with the SLS AMG GT3 is very impressive. After Maximilian Buhk (GER) and Dominik Baumann (AUT) from the AMG Customer Team HEICO-Gravity Charouz won the driver and the team title in the FIA GT3 European Championship one week ago, kfzteile24 MS RACING Team won the driver and team title in the ADAC GT Masters. In the FIA GT1 Championship, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport also managed to win the driver and the team title.

Ola Källenius, Managing Director Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “Congratulations to the AMG Customer Teams that managed to accomplish a hat trick with the SLS AMG GT3 within one week. All of these excellent results are a perfect confirmation for our Customer Sports Programme.”

Victory, driver and team title in the ADAC GT Masters final

With their victory in the final race in the ADAC GT Masters on Hockenheimring, Sebastian Asch and Maximilian Götz (both GER) received the driver title. The driver duo of kfzteile24 MS RACING Team promisingly ranked on the third position in the first race on Saturday, when a tyre failure made them give up ten minutes prior to the end of the race. In the second race on Sunday, they started from the second position and took over the lead in lap 24. In the thrilling course of the race they managed to maintain their top position ahead of all competitors of the championship.

Driver and team title in the ADAC GT Masters for Sebastian Asch and Maximilian Götz from kfzteile24 MS RACING Team

Asch / Götz was the most constant team of the entire season, they won podium positions eight times and achieved the pole position two times. At the same time, they achieved the first victory with a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters 2012. In the last race, Asch / Götz managed to convert a backlog of seven points in the championship ranking into a lead of 15 points. kfzteile24 MS RACING Team also came first in the team ranking. The sister car with Daniel Dobitsch and Florian Stoll (both GER), finished third on Saturday and had to retire from the race after a collision and a resulting tyre failure. At the end of the season, they rank on the 22nd championship position.

The good results in the ADAC GT Masters were rounded up by the second position for Dominik Baumann and Hari Proczyk (both AUT), who won the second place in the final race and the fourth place in the race on Saturday in the gullwing car of HEICO Motorsport. The Austrian driver duo ended the championship with the ninth position. Andreas Simonsen (SWE) and Maximilian Buhk (GER) ended the championship with the SLS AMG GT3 of the HEICO Junior Team on rank eleven, after positions 24 on Saturday and seven on Sunday. Alexandros Margaritis and Lance David Arnold (both GER) from the Schöner Wohnen Polarweiss Team HEICO achieved two fifth positions and end the ADAC GT Masters on rank 18. Christiaan Frankenhout and Kenneth Heyer (both GER) from HEICO Motorsport achieved places twelve and 13 in Hockenheim and come 25th in the overall ranking.

Driver and team title in the ADAC GT Masters for Sebastian Asch and Maximilian Götz from kfzteile24 MS RACING Team

Sebastian Asch: “It is unbelievable! Yesterday, we were still very disappointed, ranking third after the failure. But again, it has become apparent that one must never give up and has to take all possible chances. Thanks to the entire team for their tireless efforts.”

Maximilian Götz: “I have tears in my eyes – we have won through our own strength. The winning of the title makes me very happy. I want to thank the entire team for their great work during the whole season!”

Harald Böttner, Team Manager kfzteile24 MS RACING Team: “A dream has come true by winning the driver and team title in the second season in the ADAC GT Masters. Sebastian and Maximilian were the most constant drivers of the entire season – and that they can even crown their title with a confident victory here in the final race in Hockenheim, adds to that joy. I want to thank all team members!”

Team and driver title in the FIA GT1 World Championship

With the victory in the team ranking, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport crowns the 2012 season in the FIA GT1 World Championship : After the last race in Donington Park (Great Britain), the team from Friedersdorf in Saxony confidently ranks on the first position with 245 points. Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock (both GER) won the driver title with a lead of only one point.

Driver and team title in the FIA GT1 World Championship for Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock from ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport

Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock came to the final of the FIA GT1 World Championship as leader of the standings with a lead of one point in the driver ranking. Basseng / Winkelhock ended the Qualifying Race on Saturday on the fifth position. The Championship Race on Sunday had a dramatic course: Shortly after the driver change from Marc Basseng to Markus Winkelhock, an accident between the SLS AMG GT3 and the BMW Z4 of Yelmer Buurman (NED) occurred while fighting on the track. After a consequent safety car phase, the race was ended ahead of time. Basseng and Winkelhock were deprived of the points from the Championship Race according to the decision of the Race Management – nevertheless, they won the FIA GT1 World Champion Title with a lead of one point.

The sister car with Thomas Jäger (GER) and Nicky Pastorelli (ITA) both ended the Championship Race and the Qualifying Race on the sixth position. In the driver ranking, the German-Italian driver duo also come sixth.

Markus Winkelhock, driver ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport: “In the direct fight with Yelmer Buurman we accidentally collided, which produced the accident. For me and my team colleagues, it is of major importance that Yelmer is fine, considering the circumstances. We all wish him a soon recovery.”

Marc Basseng, driver and Team Manager ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport: “I am really pleased about winning the driver and the team title. We have shown a very constant team performance during the entire season. It is a pity how the decision came up today. I am very glad that Yelmer Buurman is about to recover and I want to wish him well in the name of the entire team.”

Victory for Black Falcon with Schneider / Bleekemolen in the VLN

The penultimate race of the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring, the ROWE 250 Miles Race, was accompanied by sunny late summer weather. Bernd Schneider (GER) and Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) managed to win in the SLS AMG GT3 of the AMG Customer Team Black Falcon. For AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider, who started for Black Falcon as part of the AMG Driver Support, this victory was a special one: “The first position here on the Nürburgring is something exceptional for me, as it is my first victory ever with the SLS AMG GT3. In addition, I am very happy to have achieved my second overall win in the VLN after 1990! I want to thank the entire Black Falcon Team.”

Victory for Bernd Schneider and Jeroen Bleekemolen from Black Falcon in the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring

The AMG Customer Team ROWE RACING with Marko Hartung, Nico Bastian (both GER) and Mark Bullit (USA) came home third. Consequently, two out of three race edition gullwing cars in starting positions have reached podium positions in the Eifel. The sister car of ROWE RACING with Roland Rehfeld, Jan Seyffarth, Maro Engel (all GER) had to end the race ahead of time due to an accident which was not self-inflicted. Maro Engel, who started for the first time for ROWE RACING in the VLN as part of the AMG Driver Support, could unfortunately not build up on the successful last race weekend of the Australian GT Championship. One week ago, the AMG brand ambassador won positions one and two in the SLS AMG GT3 of Erebus Racing.

Uli Fritz, Head of AMG Customer Sports: “Six titles in one week, the victory in the World and the European Championship as well as the ADAC GT Masters – the situation could hardly be better for AMG Customer Teams. The victory for Black Falcon in the ninth VLN race with Bernd Schneider and Jeroen Bleekemolen as drivers also shows the competitiveness of our race gullwing car.”

Customer Sports program of AMG vigourously starts the 2012 season. Altogether, more than 45 SLS AMG GT3s will be entered for more than 15 race series on four continents. The German team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport will enter two SLS AMG GT3 for the new FIA GT1 World Championship. Six gullwing cars are expected to fight for the overall win in the 24 Hours Nürburgring. Eight SLS AMG GT3s will be entered in the German ADAC GT Masters. The newly-formed French team, which the eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb is part of, will participate in the French GT Championship. The cooperation team and defending winner HEICO-GRAVITY CHAROUZ TEAM will face the competition in the FIA GT3 European Championship.

Commanding fights for the lead, top-class drivers and the who’s who among sports car brands – this is what national and international race series, in which customer teams enter the SLS AMG GT3 as racing car, have in common. Inspired by 26 race wins in 2011, the 1-2-3 in the Dubai 24-hours race (January 12-14, 2012) and the second place in the Bathurst 12 Hour Race in Australia (February 26, 2012), the gullwing car from Affalterbach has proved that it is a serious rival for competitors. In mid-March, many of the customer teams took advantage of the opportunity to optimally prepare for the season in test drives and setting drives on the race track of Paul Ricard in Le Castellet in Southern France.

Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH:

“Mercedes-AMG is proud of the fact that the SLS AMG GT3 is given such a positive feedback by customer teams. In the motorsport season of 2012, AMG takes part with a team of three: With the gullwing car in the customer sports programme, the new Mercedes-AMG C-Coupé in the popular DTM and the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS team in Formula 1 we are active all over the world. As AMG celebrates its 45th birthday, the best conditions for an exciting anniversary year are provided!”

Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports: “We want to thank the teams, which are already with us for the second year, for their confidence in us and we appreciate the new teams in the family of AMG Customer Sports. The fact that more than 45 SLS AMG GT3s are meanwhile taking part in races around the globe does not only show the great performance of the gullwing car but also proves our philosophy of using the SLS AMG GT3 merely for customer sports, not for factory entries.”

Thomas Jäger, coordinator of AMG Customer Sports: “The popularity of the SLS AMG GT3 is based on four factors: Performance, reliability, its uncomplex driveability and a good parts supply. We are working hard to continue improving all of those factors in the new 2012 season as well. The gullwing car is also appreciated for its exceptional safety level with the carbon safety cell for the driver, known from the DTM cars.”

Eight SLS AMG GT3s in the ADAC GT Masters

With the first ADAC GT Masters held in 2007, the racing series has meanwhile become very popular. Not only is the number of 44 inscripted sports cars from 13 brands impressing, but also the fact that eight SLS AMG GT3s will be fighting for the title in 2012. HEICO Motorsport will enter four cars (Alex Margaritis / Lance David Arnold, Kenneth Heyer / Christiaan Frankenhout, Harald Proczyk / Dominik Baumann and Andreas Simonsen / Maximilian Buhk). Thus HEICO Motorsport has the former Mercedes-Benz DTM driver Alex Margaritis, who is the current champion of the GT Masters, among their drivers.

In a cooperation, the teams HEICO Motorsport and Gravity-Charouz Racing will enter another gullwing car. The drivers for the HEICO-GRAVITY CHAROUZ TEAM will be Erik Janis / Jan Stovicek. MS Racing will enter two SLS AMG GT3s (Maximilian Götz / Sebastian Asch and Daniel Dobitsch / Florian Stoll). Seyffarth Motorsport (Jan Seyffarth / Maximilian Meyer) will enter one car. The ADAC GT Masters begins on 31st March in Oschersleben and comprises 16 races. Per racing weekend, two races are held and the private television station Kabel 1 will show live broadcasts of all races in full length.

VLN on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with ten races

The Nürburgring VLN endurance championship came into existence more than 30 years ago. The race series is traditionally held on the legendary Nordschleife (“north loop”) and the short layout of the Grand Prix track. The teams of Black Falcon, HEICO Motorsport and ROWE RACING will each enter two cars for the VLN. Black Falcon Team Manager Sean Paul Breslin: “We have already known the SLS AMG GT3 since 2010. It is a fast, reliable car with a level of security which is currently unmatched by any other race car. The first of a total of ten VLN races will take place parallelly to the ADAC GT Masters on the 31st of March. About 200 cars are expected.

24h race Nürburgring – highlight of the season

The motorsport scene is awaiting this year’s 24h race Nürburgring with much excitement. The event will already take place from 16th to 20st of May and is defined as the highlight of the 2012 season by many German motorsport fans. As in the VLN, the teams of Black Falcon, HEICO Motorsport and ROWE RACING will be facing the traditional Eifel marathon with two cars each. Bernd Schneider (HEICO Motorsport) and Thomas Jäger (ROWE RACING) will be supporting the customer teams as part of the AMG support programme and will actively take part in the race. More than 700 drivers and almost 200 race cars will be entered for the traditional endurance race.

FIA GT1 World Championship with two SLS AMG GT3s

None of the races of the new FIA GT1 World Championship will take place in Germany. However, there are many indicators that the World Championship will be offering exciting motorsport: Each car brand will have two cars in start positions and nine teams of the international sports car elite confirmed their participation with cars of different manufacturers. Due to the change in regulations from the GT1 to the GT3 category, even an increase in the number of excellent performances can be expected.

The German team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport will participate with two SLS AMG GT3s. The gullwing cars will be driven by Marc Basseng / Markus Winkelhock and Thomas Jäger / Nicky Pastorelli. As part of the AMG support programme, Thomas Jäger will be supporting the team during the beginning of the season.

Team manager René Münnich: “We want to win the World Championship this year. We fought for the drivers’ and the team title for a long time in 2011. The new SLS AMG GT3 is a fast and reliable race car – the conditions for the new season could hardly be better.” The FIA GT1 Championship comprises ten races in nine countries, among which you can also find emerging markets such as China, India and Russia. The first race of the season will take place in the French location Nogaro on 8th April 2012 and the final is scheduled for 2nd December 2012 on Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi.

FIA GT3 European Championship with defending winner in start position

The FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship will start at the same time. The first six of a total of 12 races will be held on the same tracks. Every weekend, two races will take place. The defending winner HEICO Motorsport will participate with two SLS AMG GT3s in cooperation with Gravity-Charouz Racing here as well. The cockpits of the HEICO-GRAVITY CHAROUZ TEAM will be shared by Dominik Baumann / Maxi-milian Bukh as well as Max Nilsson / Mika Vähämäki.

The team of the eight-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb forms a new part of the 2012 season. Sébastien Loeb Racing will face the competition in the French GT Championship with one gullwing car (Frédéric Gabillon / Gilles Vannelet).

Blancpain Endurance Championship with four teams from four countries

Four teams from four countries will participate in the Blancpain Endurance Championship: The Belgian team Viage KRK-Racing will enter two gullwing cars driven by the teams Karl Wendlinger / Anthony Kumpen / Koen Wauters und Raf Vanthoor / Dennis Retera / Marius Ritskes. Black Falcon will also enter two gullwing cars. As in 2011, the British team Preci-Spark with the twins David Jones, Godfrey Jones and Mike Jordan will also participate in the Championship. Premium Motorsports Poland will participate for the first time with one car.

In face of the Blancpain Endurance Championship’s starting field with 50 cars, it will definitely be an event with commiting motorsport. The first race will take place in Monza, Italy on 15th April 2012. The highlight of the season will be the 24-hour race of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 28th July 2012. An endurance race from the Blancpain race series is also scheduled for Germany: The penultimate race out of a total of six races will be held on the Nürburgring on 23rd September.

From Malaysia to Brazil and as far as Australia

Besides the big Championships, which are mainly held on European tracks, customer teams will also be driving the SLS AMG GT3 on the continents of Asia, South America and Australia as well as in smaller national race series.

• Malaysian Super GT International Series: Petronas Syntium Team
• Brazilian GT Championship: AMattheis Motorsport, BVA Racing
• Australian GT Championship: Erebus Racing
• Spanish and Portugese GT Championship: Sports & You
• British GT Championship: Preci-Spark, Eurotech Racing
• French GT Championship: Graff Racing
• Austrian GT Series and Touring Car Series: Lechner Racing
• Super Touring Car Trophy: Land Motorsport
• DMV-TCC: ANTeam
• Italian Endurance Race Championship ECC: G-Private Racing