PROVENANCE
Current Owner (acquired new in 2017)

RACE HISTORY
The Roar Before the Rolex 24, January 2017, Jeannette/Van Gisbergen/Jäger/Bleekemolen/MacNeil, No. 50 (11th in Class)
Rolex 24 at Daytona, January 2017, MacNeil/Van Gisbergen/Jäger/Jeannette, No. 50 (DNF)
Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, Watkins Glen, New York, July 2017, MacNeil/Van Gisbergen/Jeannette, No. 50 (4th in Class)
IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix at Mosport, July 2017, MacNeil/Jeannette, No. 50 (11th in Class)
IMSA Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock, July 2017, MacNeil/Jeannette, No. 50 (10th in Class)

THIS CAR
From the dawn of motor racing, Mercedes-Benz has created powerful, precision-built race cars that have bested machinery from the world’s elite manufacturers. The 1902 Mercedes Simplex and 1914 Mercedes 35 HP were successful and iconic early designs, and the firm’s victories continued with the SSK and the incredibly advanced Silver Arrow Grand Prix cars of the 1930s. The company has an equally impressive modern legacy, with an overall win at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Sauber/Mercedes C9, two FIA GT Championships with the CLK GTR, and five Formula 1 World Championships since 2008.

Mercedes-Benz has also competed at the highest levels of production-based sports car racing, beginning with the legendary 300 SL. In 2011, the company announced a GT3 version of its potent SLS model that could be purchased by private racing teams. The model went on to win numerous GT3 championships and countless endurance races across the globe, including the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and the 24 Hours of Spa. In 2015, a replacement, the AMG GT3 was introduced.

The AMG GT3 began its life in the same Sindelfingen factory as the production street version, the AMG GT, but was then shipped to AMG, where it was completed as a race car to GT3 specifications. The body panels are made from lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, the car received new suspension components, and the interior was stripped as well, with just the basic dash and console shape remaining. The AMG GT3 retained the sensational 6.2-liter, 550 bhp, naturally aspirated V-8, carried over from the SLS for its power and reliability.

This example, chassis 190-16.077, was purchased new by the consignor and campaigned by Riley Motorsports-WeatherTech Racing throughout the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the GT Daytona class, sharing racing duties with the team’s other AMG GT3. The car was campaigned at the marquee venues of Daytona, Mosport, Watkins Glen, and Lime Rock, with just one DNF. It shined particularly well at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, where it finished 4th in Class. Today, the AMG GT3 remains in excellent condition and has been kept in the consignor’s climate-controlled facility along with his significant collection of racing and sports cars.

This AMG GT3 offers an incredibly rare opportunity to buy a modern factory-built Mercedes-Benz race car. Moreover, this particular example has been campaigned by one of the most prominent teams in sports car racing in the US today at some of the country’s most storied tracks. With aggressive lines, a hair-raising V-8, and carbon fiber bodywork, this AMG GT3 would be an absolute thrill for track use, club racing, and Mercedes-Benz events.