It was 55 years ago that AMG first plied its trade on the racetracks of the world, and now it’s celebrating that history with a new, highly-limited edition vehicle: the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EDITION 55. Just five of these hand-built cars will leave AMG’s factory in Affalterbach, and the new model is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT3 racecar. Mercedes-AMG, though, hasn’t bothered to get it FIA homologated.
That means that the car can’t be raced in
FIA events, but it also means that Mercedes-AMG hasn’t had to limit its vehicle
to abide to race regulations. As a result of the decision, the 6.3-liter V8
will make 650 hp, 100 hp more than the standard
GT3 racecar. Mercedes has also modified the Inconel exhaust system. Now freed
of its silencer, there are even fewer obstacles between the driver and the
sound of AMG’s V8 engine.
The body is finished in
MANUFAKTUR alpine grey uni with red accents that complement the body color and
the matte finish of the aero components, like the front and rear diffusers, the
rear wing, flicks, louver, radiator grille, and side skirts, whose carbon fiber
weave is left visible. In addition to the red accents, the Affalterbach crest
has also been painted on the side of the car. Next to the AMG logo, meanwhile,
a 55-year anniversary symbol has been added to the rear wing to truly mark this
special edition out from the rest of the pack.
Inside, the maker’s mark has also been
added. The seats, for instance, are embroidered with the anniversary symbol,
and plaques with “EDITION 55 – 1 OF 5” are mounted on the center console. The
seatbelts, meanwhile, get silver accents to honor Germany’s racing history.
Behind the steering wheel, there’s a Bosch DDU 11 high-resolution display that
shows important information like engine speed, operating temperatures, lap
times, and gear. When the car is started, the 55 year anniversary logo is
displayed on the screen.
Finally, the five lucky buyers of the
Mercedes-AMG GT3 EDITION 55 will also get an equally special watch from IWC
Schaffhausen. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition AMG is made of grade 5
titanium and has the chassis number of the owner’s racecar engraved on the
back. Naturally, the limited run model isn’t cheap: the Mercedes-AMG GT3
EDITION 55 will cost € 625,000 (US$ 624,025).