Linkin Parked: Rock Artists Help Design a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Racer

By Tony Markovich - August 8, 2016

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Linkin Park and Mercedes-AMG have taken their relationship to the next level. They flirted a little bit about a year ago when LP provided the background music for a muscular display of a raucous Mercedes-AMG C63 track session, as well as the Lewis Hamilton GT R spot. Then they went on a few more dates, and even spent the night this past winter when LP flew out to Sweden to participate in AMG’s winter driving school. And now it seems the two are exclusive. In the couple’s biggest collaboration yet, Linkin Park helped design the livery for a Mercedes-AMG GT3 racecar.

The car was built specifically for AMG’s Black Falcon Team to be raced at 24 Hours of Spa. The fact that Linkin Park was commissioned to design something is far from strange, even if it has nothing to do with the band’s music or upcoming album. Mike Shinoda and company have always had plenty of gorgeous cover art for their albums, all created by the band themselves. And Shinoda even went to design school and has a long history of street style.

Though that street art doesn’t directly transfer onto this livery, the design still looks great. With a chrome base, the car has a red muzzle over its nose that sweeps along the skirts and back up around the rear. It also has black lightning bolts on the hood, a hazardous materials symbol on top, LINKIN PARK striped across that massive rear wing, and the LP logo in a couple other spots. It’s nothing too dramatic, but that’s okay.

Unfortunately, the race wasn’t too dramatic either. After AMG finished 1-2-3-4 at Nurburgring, this car settled for 20th at Spa, with Maro Engel, Yelmer Buurman, and Bernd Schneider behind the wheel.