Unlike modern AMG roadcars, the GT3 race car still features a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8.
There are two basic types of vehicles in the automotive enthusiast world: built and bought. The terminology applies to Jeep Wranglers as well as it does to high-performance cars. Some people prefer to enhance the looks and power of their machines themselves. Others prefer to sign a check and have someone else do the wrench turning for them. You can consider this 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT3 race car a combination of both. It was built by Mercedes-AMG and it can be bought.
Unlike modern AMG roadcars, the GT3 race car still features a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. Despite all of the things WeatherTech Racing drivers Cooper MacNeil and Gunnar Jeannette have to think of during a competition, they still can’t help but notice how damn good the giant engine sounds, especially because it’s connected to side pipes.
In the Gooding & Company video above, Jeannette calls the 550-horsepower M159 “a very American-sounding V8, but with German engineering behind it.” That powers a machine with outstanding aerodynamics, a nearly perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and well-tuned traction control and ABS systems that help make the GT3 fun to drive. MacNeil goes as far as saying that the GT3 has one of the best chassis he’s ever experienced.
Later this month, Gooding & Company will auction this black, white, and green performance machine off at Pebble Beach, giving bidders the opportunity to turn this built beast into a bought one. Just as it was at the various tracks it raced on, including Daytona, Watkins Glen, and Lime Rock, this GT3 will be surrounded by competitors, including a 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang, an Aston Martin DB5 from the same model year, a Ferrari LaFerrari, and a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
