Mercedes-AMG will ring in the 2015 motorsport season early in March with the burbling sound of a V8 engine when the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 debuts at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3rd. Mercedes-Benz sports car and high-performance brand AMG intends to radically expand its presence in motorsport with the new vehicle. Developed to comply with FIA GT3 regulations, the racing car will compete in the world´s most competitive customer racing series in 2016, including the ADAC GT Masters. Cutting-edge racing technology and spectacular design make the challenger a prime candidate for victory. The new GT3 is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT which is to be launched in a few days. Following an intensive period of testing, the new AMG racing car should be delivered to customer teams by the end of 2015.

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 blazes a new trail in customer sport with its intelligent vehicle concept. The excellent race track performance of the standard GT provides the best possible basis. "With the new Mercedes-AMG GT3, we are entering a hard-fought environment packed with competitors. The high technological level and unbiased race regulations are spurring us on to be among the front runners with our new customer racing car. You can only be a credible contender for the lead if you can beat the best in the game," said Tobias Moers, CEO at Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

As in the road-going version, the GT3´s structure consists of a very light yet extremely rigid aluminium space frame, offering excellent protection for the driver, who is further shielded from harm by a tough carbon-fibre seat and integrated roll cage made from high tensile steel. In order to reduce vehicle weight even more, bonnet, doors, front wing, front and rear aprons, side walls, side skirts, diffuser, boot lid and rear wing are all made from a particularly lightweight, high-strength carbon fibre.

Powerful acceleration is ensured by the well-proven and now further updated AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine from the SLS AMG GT3. User-friendly technology, excellent reliability, long service intervals and the low running costs of the high-revving naturally aspirated engine made it the engine of choice for deployment in the new AMG customer sports model. The GT3´s six-speed sequential racing transmission is mounted in a transaxle located on the rear axle, thereby optimising weight distribution, as is the case in the GT series. Another common feature is the double wishbone suspension, fabricated almost entirely from aluminium. These features demonstrate once again how closely the technologies used in production and racing cars are related at AMG.