Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3 finish 1-2-3 at Dubai

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 scored a commanding 1-2-3 in the Dubai 24-hour race (January 12th - 14th, 2012). The Abu Dhabi Black Falcon team claimed victory with Thomas Jäger (GER), Sean Edwards (ENG), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE). After setting a new distance record of 628 race laps, final driver, Al Qubaisi, drove the gullwing with starting number 3 across the finish line. This first place was also the maiden victory for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in a 24-hour race.

The first of HEICO Motorsport’s Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3’s came home second, two laps down. Driving duties in the car with starting number 6 were shared by Maximilian Buhk (GER), Christiaan Frankenhout (NED), Max Nilsson (SWE), Andreas Zuber (AUT) and Bernd Schneider (GER). Schneider, the five-time DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador, drove in both of HEICO Motorsport’s cars as a part of AMG’s Customer Sports driver support program. In the team’s sister car with starting number 16, he had been entered to partner Kenneth Heyer (GER), Andreas Simonsen (SWE) and Rodolfo Gonzalez (VEN). In a dramatic finish, final driver Simonsen managed to bring a small margin home to round out the clean sweep of the podium by finishing third.

The fourth of the four SLS AMG GT3s that were entered for the race also finished among the front-runners. The Gravity Charouz Racing team with Vincent Radermecker (BEL), Loris de Sordi (BEL), Eric Lux (LUX), Gerard Lopez (ESP) and Tomas Enge (CZE) was classified seventh to complete the good overall performance for the gullwing cars.

All four Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s put their mark on the Dubai 24-hour race by showing a commanding performance from the very beginning. In the field of the 72 cars, the gullwings were among the fastest entries right away. Having started from 15th place on the grid, the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 moved up into the lead for the first time after two hours. Consistent fast lap times also allowed the other gullwings to move up quickly into the ranks of the front-runners.

During the night, the teams from the AMG Customer Sports program continued their largely trouble-free run on the 5.39 km long Grand Prix circuit, maintaining their fast lap times and partly alternating in the lead. After one third of the race, the gullwing with starting number 3 finally took over the lead and held on to it until it crossed the finish line.

Thomas Jäger: “This is an optimal result for the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon team. It shows in an impressive way how performant and reliable the SLS AMG GT3 is. The driver changes went perfectly and, admittedly, we also had the necessary bit of luck: we didn’t get involved in any collisions, which isn’t self-evident with so many cars on such a short track. I want to thank the entire team for a great performance.”

Marc Schramm, managing director Black Falcon: “We came to Dubai to win. That is what we have said prior to the race and we lived up to it thanks to a strong team performance. As usual, the focus of our strategy was on consistency and that worked out in a fantastic way. Of course, I am also happy with having covered a new record distance of 628 laps. Thanks to the entire team and, of course, also to Mercedes-AMG and HWA for the support.”

Bernd Schneider: “During the night, we had a minor problem, that’s why we stood in the pits for a couple of minutes. Had it not been for that, it could even have been slightly better. To be honest, I now feel a little bit knocked out after having raced with both cars, but the success more than makes up for this. After all, finishing second and third at the same time doesn’t happen every day. Congratulations also to the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon team for this well-deserved race win.”

Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “This is a great success! Especially considering that the participation in Dubai was only the fifth 24-hour race for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. Today’s clean sweep of the top three is a great reward for our efforts. I sincerely want to thank our customer teams, drivers and everyone involved. I am looking for a great 2012 motor racing season!”

Most successful newcomer in the 2011 motor sport season

This year's Dubai 24-hour race marks the beginning of the second racing season for the SLS AMG GT3. In its debut year of 2011, the gullwing became probably the most successful newcomer in the 2011 motorsport season: from March 2011 on, 40 race cars were delivered to international customer teams that took part in races on four continents and won a total of 25 races. The success story was crowned by the team title of the FIA GT3 European Championship for HEICO Motorsport and its two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s – the first title for the gullwing in its first full racing season.

The race car: performance and safety

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is the racing version of the SLS AMG for the customer sport. It is designed for sprint and endurance races and is developed and produced by Mercedes-AMG in close cooperation with HWA AG. HWA is responsible for the development and deployment of the AMG-Mercedes DTM racing team on behalf of and in constant consultation with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. The near-production SLS AMG GT3 provides not only an athletic performance but an exemplary level of safety that is unmatched by any other current GT3 car.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3's Win Title

Team Heico Motorsport, with their two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s, secured the team title of the 2011 FIA GT3 European Championship in Zandvoort, Netherlands. It is the first title for the gullwing car in its first full racing season. In the final two races at Netherland’s North Sea coast, Christiaan Frankenhout/Patrick Hirsch came home fourth and sixth respectively while their teammates, Dominik Baumann/Brice Bosi, finished fifth and second. Thus, Heico Motorsport improved from third overall to the top in the final race. Congratulations to Heico Motorsport!

New SLS GT3 Victory

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 has finally matured into a winning car at the ADAC GT Masters – in its first year of racing! At EuroSpeedway Lausitz, where the 11th and 12th races of the season were held, the gullwing once again took its place on the roster of winners.

In the first race of the weekend, four of the nine starting Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s finished in the top ten: the best drivers were Lance David Arnold and Andreas Zuber (Primajob Team Heico) in fifth place.

Sunday's result was even more impressive: In front of 16,500 spectators, two client teams made it onto the winners’ rostrum. Leading the pack were Thomas Jäger and Florian Stoll (MS Racing), who were the first to pass the checkered flag, after 33 captivating laps, in one of the most exciting races of the season.

Their victory was decided during the mandatory pit stop: Jäger delayed to enter the paddock a lap later than the previously leading Ferrari team, recouping a second during the lap – enough time to keep his lead after the pit stop. Florian Stoll fought off all challenges until the end of the race to secure the second victory for an SLS AMG GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters, with a 1.2-second lead.

Big racing weekend for AMG.

AMG C-Class driver Paul DiResta made it 3 in a row in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) with a convincing win over Audi's Timo Scheider at Hockenheim. This win puts DiResta in the lead of the Driver's Championship over HWA team mate Bruno Spengler who failed to finish. The DTM Manufacturer's Championship is virtually assured for AMG Mercedes, as is the Driver's Championship as the Audi drivers and Teams are now mathematically eliminated with only 2 races remaining in the 2010 DTM season. In future DTM news, old rival BMW has confirmed that they will be joining AMG Mercedes and Audi in the new look 2012 DTM. Some old battles will be resumed between the major high performance German brands.

While the AMG C-Class drivers were having things their own way over at Hockenheim across the country at the Nurburgring in the VLN Endurance series, the SLS AMG GT3 scored its maiden victory in only its second outing. The 4 hour race was won by SLS GT3 test driver Tomas Jager and Christopher Haase in a Black Falcon Racing entered SLS AMG GT3. Another SLS AMG GT3 entered by Mamerow Racing with Bernd Schneider and Chris Mamerow qualified on pole but was eliminated in a crash while running second. A new era in AMG customer racing has started. The SLS GT3's will run one more VLN race this year before an all out attack on the major European endurance racing series' in 2011 with a number of customer team entered cars. Three SLS GT3's are expected at the Dubai 24 Hour Race on January 14-15, 2011.

DTM Hockenheim:
1. Paul DiResta- AMG Driving Academy HWA AMG C-Class DTM
2. Timo Scheider- Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
3.Mike Rockenfeller- Phoenix Racing Audi A4 DTM
4.Gary Paffett Salzgitter HWA AMG C-Class DTM
5.Martin Tomczyk- Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
6.Oliver Jarvis- Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
7.Susie Stoddart- TV Spiel Film Persson Motorsport AMG C-Class DTM
8.Jamie Green- Junge Stern Persson Motorsport AMG C-Class DTM

VLN Nurburgring:
1. Tomas Jager/Christopher Hasse Black Falcon Racing SLS GT3

Hendrick Motors of Charlotte website

Motor Trend Writer Gets Hot Laps in AMG SLS GT3

One of the writers from Motor Trend magazine was let loose in the SLS AMG GT3, check out the link below. Mike Floyd is one of the few journalists in the world to try the new GT racer. He was lucky enough to be one of the few people in the world to experience the new SLS GT3 at racing speed. His hot laps were with Mercedes-Benz test driver Thomas Jager and were amazing. See the link below to check out this article and an accompanying video.

Motor Trend AMG SLS GT3 article

These race cars are available for sale to anyone wishing to obtain one of the few available. Inquire at Hendrick Motors of Charlotte, your exclusive Charlotte area AMG Performance Center. If this is too much car for you then the street legal versions are available for order now also.

History Is Made- The SLS AMG GT3 Takes To The Race Track

Another chapter in the motorsports history of AMG opens this weekend when the SLS AMG GT3 makes its racing debut on the famous Nurburgring in Germany as part of the German VLN Series.

AMG drivers Bernd Schneider and Tomas Jager will handle the driving duties.

Gullwing takes to the racetrack for the first time


Racing debut for the SLS AMG GT3 on the legendary Nürburgring "Nordschleife"

Affalterbach – On Saturday, 25th September 2010 the new SLS AMG GT3 will join the starting lineup on the racetrack for the first time. Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger will be taking part in the four-hour race for the VLN Nürburgring endurance championship. Training for the 42nd ADAC Barbarossa Cup begins at 8.30 a.m. and the race starts at 12.00 noon.

This first racetrack appearance of the SLS AMG GT3 at the VLN event (VLN = Association of Nürburgring Endurance Cup Organisers, with 10 motorsport clubs) is a fixed part of the development and testing programme which commenced in June 2010. The four-hour race on the legendary "Nordschleife" ("North Loop") of the Nürburgring will test the gullwing model under realistic racing conditions. The focus will not only be on fast lap times, but also on the durability of all components, service-friendliness and smooth procedures during pitstops and driver changes. During this race on the 20.8-kilometre long Nürburgring "Nordschleife" – which is acknowledged to be the world's most demanding racetrack – the chosen suspension setup will be assessed under racing conditions for the first time.

Developed according to the GT3 rules of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the SLS AMG GT3 will take to the starting line for the VLN race in prototype class E1-XP.

Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Norbert Haug: "The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 will start a new era in Mercedes-Benz customer motorsports. This car is an exciting and spectacular sporting tool for committed private teams and talented private drivers. Together with our well-proven sports and touring car partner HWA, AMG will establish a customer motorsports department, and ensure the usual high level of Mercedes service for its motorsports customers."

The drivers for this racetrack debut of the SLS AMG GT3 are Bernd Schneider (46) – who has been a Mercedes-Benz works driver for many years and is also an AMG brand ambassador – and Thomas Jäger (33). With five DTM titles, one ITC championship and one FIA GT championship to his name, Bernd Schneider is one of the most successful German racing drivers. Thomas Jäger is the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup (Germany) champion, and drove in the DTM for Mercedes-Benz between 2000 and 2003. This season he is lining up in the ADAC GT-Masters (Germany). Like Bernd Schneider, he is a member of the instructor team at the AMG Driving Academy.

Cooperation between AMG and HWA AG

The racing version of the SLS AMG is being developed and produced by AMG in close cooperation with HWA AG. The HWA team is one of the most successful in international motorsport, as shown by nine driver championships in the DTM and ITC, as well as two championship titles in the FIA GT Championships. No other brand has won as many DTM races and DTM titles as AMG-Mercedes.

Interested racing teams can enter the new SLS AMG GT3 in all race series under the FIA GT3 regulations, for example the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT-Masters and the endurance championship organised by the VLN (Association of Nürburgring Endurance Cup Organisers, with 10 motorsport clubs) as well as the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring or Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).

Orders for the SLS AMG GT3 placed directly with Mercedes-AMG

Orders can be placed directly with Mercedes-AMG GmbH. The sales price is
€ 334,000 (net)/€ 397,460 (incl. 19% VAT). The vehicle is only available with
left-hand drive. Deliveries commence in February 2011, following homologation by the FIA in accordance with the GT3 regulations.

Interested in the street legal version of the AMG SLS or any other new or pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vehicle visit us at http://www.hendrickmotorsofcharlotte.com/.

SLS AMG GT3 Race Car Debuts

Mercedes-AMG revealed the SLS AMG GT3 at La Carrera Panamericana in Mexico on March 23, 2010. The race car makes its Auto Show competition debut in New York City.

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