The track only Mercedes SLS AMG GT3
Mercedes has officially launched the SLS AMG GT3 Race car in New York, which is visually a big clue to the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series due in 2013
With the New York Motor Show spluttering in to life across the Pond, we’ll have a number of show stories to cover to keep you up to speed, the first of which is the official reveal of the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 track car.
The Mercedes SLS GT3 will be an evocative site in the hands of customers going racing from 2011, reminiscent as it is of the hugely successful racing career of the original Mercedes Gullwing in the hands of iconic drivers of the 1950s such as Sir Sterling Moss.
Mercedes have taken the road-going SLS AMG Gullwing and thrown a lorry load of carbon fibre in its direction. There’s a new – very deep – carbon fibre splitter at the front and a carbon fibre wing out back – which is not the most subtle thing you’ve ever seen on a car.
The bonnet gets a huge scoopy air vent and the side skirts sport air intakes to cool the brakes, with the front wings getting big holes cut in them for ventilation. There’s also a smooth underbody and a rear diffuser to help with the aerodynamics. But Mercedes are claiming the 6.2 litre V8 is practically a stock unit. Really?
The SLS AMG GT3 will be ready to rumble in to customers hands in 2011, but we think the lashings of carbon fibre and aerodynamic mods are a precursor to the Mercedes SLS Black Series we first reported on back in September. At that point we were a bit of a lone voice, having been tipped off by a contact at Mercedes that there were plans afoot for an SLS Black Series with 700bhp, utilising the V12 from the SL65.
By November the world had caught up with our story, but the general consensus was that the SLS Black Series would have to make do with 600bhp from its existing V8 lump. Which is not exactly earth-shattering. We understand that car makers are looking to downsize engines, but there really is no point in doing so in such a small-run car. We’ll see.
But we reckon if you tame the wing and the carbon splitter you probably have the 2013 Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series. Three years early.
Have your say - leave a comment