Mercedes-AMG launches strongest-ever Bathurst 12-Hour assault

Mercedes-AMG has confirmed six of its GT3 sports racing cars will be on the grid for this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour sports endurance event (31 January – 3 February, 2019).

Six AMG GTs will be contesting the premier ‘A class’ with a host of local champions and international aces behind the wheel.

The Mercedes-AMG Team Vodafone GT3, run by Triple Eight Race Engineering, will be piloted by seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup alongside Shane van Gisbergen and seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes.

The 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner David Reynolds will also be running under the Mercedes-AMG banner, joined by overseas visitors including factory drivers Maro Engel, Thomas Jäger and 2018 DTM champion Gary Paffett.

Mercedes-AMG is also using the event to launch a GT4 customer race version of its GT, running on the same chassis as the existing GT3 car, with a race-prepared version of the road car’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo engine under the bonnet (rather than the 6.2-litre non-turbo unit in the GT3).

The GT4 racer runs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo engine instead of a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre unit.

According to Mercedes-AMG its Motorsport Customer Racing department offers vehicle support to “gentleman racers and customer teams”, including technical training, on-site services, and an online spare parts order system. A race-ready car delivered to Australia will cost in the region of $500,000.

For the fifth consecutive year Mercedes-AMG is supplying safety (E 63 S) and course cars (C 43) for the event, this time around featuring the logo of Australian crash testing organisation ANCAP.

For the fifth consecutive year, the safety car will be a AMG E 63 S.

No money changed hands in the arrangement, with Mercedes-Benz Australia using the opportunity to publicise ANCAP safety assessment results for its recently released A-Class, which received the highest test scores of any vehicle which went on sale in 2018.

The A-Class received the highest ANCAP test scores of any vehicle, which went on sale in 2018.

Confirmed Mercedes-AMG entries for the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour:

Is the 12 Hour your preferred Bathurst race? Tell us what you think in the comments below.