We knew that Mercedes was serious about performance with the new AMG SLS, aka, "The Gullwing," but this is really serious. Some sweet pics and a few details have come out of Germany showing Mercedes will soon roll out a race-ready version of the high-flying neo-retro ride for the GT3 class.
Porsche, et al, watch out.
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car race series organized by Stéphane Ratel, the guy who almost singlehandedly saved big time sports car racing a few decades back. It's regulated by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the same people that run Formula 1, MotoGP and other top-tier events.
The GT3 championship is derived from the international FIA GT Championship, but meant to provide a competitive series for drivers closer to the amateur end of the spectrum and cars a little closer to their production brethren. The cars compete alongside the faster and more expensive GT cars at events such as the Spa 24 Hours.
Enough back story. On to the car.
The high-res images that first appeared on Mercedes Benz Passion Blog, and then Mercedes released them with some details. Power comes from a 6.3-liter V8 engine and Mercedes says the FIA will determine how much power it produces - a measure meant to give everyone some measure of hardware equality. The curb weight also will be determined when the car is certified for racing. The engine is, like in the road car, mounted behind the front axle. The racer gets a sequential six-speed gearbox, with paddle shifters of course, mounted at the rear transaxle.
The exterior restyling is completely race-derived and designed to maximize aerodynamic performance. There's a new splitter up on the nose, a mondo-huge spoiler on the tail and a beefy roll cage inside, naturally. Mercedes has also modified the very long hood of the Gullwing with a big central exhaust for the heated radiator air and the front fenders sport some sizeable vents behind the front wheel arches. They help disperse heat generated by the engine and brakes.
There are also deeper sills with nifty integrated cooling ducts, which channel air to the rear brakes and the GT3's gearbox, which is hung out the back, transaxle style, just like on the road-going SLS AMG.
Mercedes widened the front and rear fenders to fit larger tires, which are bigger than the standard 19-inch (front) and 20-inch (rear) wheels found on the road car. The all up width of the GT3 now tapes in at 78.3-inches, making the race car nearly two-inches wider than the road-going version. And the fuel filler has been moved to the B-pillar in close proximity to the 120-liter tank, which is located behind the driver. And the fuel rig is just the last, way cool cherry on top.
The interior is all business, with the beefy cage, loads of carbon fiber and little in the way of creature comfort.
*Photos: Mercedes-Benz *
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