New Mercedes-AMG GT3 Set for 2027 Customer Debut

Photo: Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG’s all-new GT3 car is slated to begin on-track testing this year according to the brand’s head of customer racing Stefan Wendl, who ruled out a full customer rollout until 2027 “at the earliest.”

The German manufacturer’s new subsidiary Affalterbach Racing GmbH has been charged with developing the successor to the current Mercedes-AMG GT3, which has been in worldwide competition since 2016.

The new car is understood to be based on the Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 production car.

“We are on schedule,” Wendl told Sportscar365. “This is still the case, which is good. It means we still plan to hit the test track for the first time in 2025.”

Wendl, however, ruled out the car being homologated for 2026, the same year that both Lamborghini and Lexus plan to have their new GT3 cars in the hands of customers.

“This is not possible,” said Wendl on Mercedes-AMG’s timeline.

“Other manufacturers, if they do so, they probably do it behind the scenes to develop the car. But you need more than half a year, from track debut to customer debut.”

Mercedes-AMG, however, plans to run its new car in un-homologated form next year in series such as NLS, which has the SPX category for yet-to-be-homologated GT cars.

“We plan to be in public competition, even without homologation, in race series where we’d be eligible, for example NLS,” said Wendl.

“It’s so important to also take those learnings with you.

“It’s different to drive on a test track maybe with one or two cars only, or if you go in competition and you have incidents, touching other cars, accidents also, to test those things that are made for the customers, and things like debris on the track or rubber and pickup.

“That’s why I think we plan also debut in official competition in 2026 but probably without official homologation.”

Wendl said the car’s homologation and full customer rollout will likely then come for 2027.

When asked if this timeline was always the plan, he said: “We prepared it quite well. Since last year when our big boss, Michael Schiebe, committed that we develop a GT3 car, nothing’s changed.

“We are challenged behind the scenes to stay in the schedule.

“But we took over the responsibility of the development into AMG and now at the same time we’re building up the new company that’s called Affalterbach Racing GmbH.

“There’s a new CEO and the whole structure is starting to work from Jan. 1.

“We more or less have daily meetings together between the AMG Motorsport department and AFG and we’re growing together in this direction.”