With an old-school, naturally aspirated and positively monstrous 6.2-liter V8 crammed into Benz’s nimblest sports car, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 positively rocks. But it rocked even harder at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this weekend with this kickass livery designed by Linkin Park.
The design was revealed a couple of weeks ago, but just now made its race debut in the 24 Hours of Spa, the fourth out of five rounds in the 2016 Blanpain Endurance Series.
The livery in red and black over chrome looks similar to what McLaren ran under Mercedes power until a few years ago, but with the band’s name and logo and the race number 00. It was designed by the band’s DJ Joe Hahn, who just also happens to be a visual artist and studied (together with fellow band member Mike Shinoda at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where so many automotive designers learned their trade.
The project is just the latest stage in an ongoing collaboration between the California rock group that has also featured the band’s music in an ad for the Mercedes-AMG C63 and for the new GT R.
Band members Hahn, Dave Farrell and Chester Bennington were on hand for the race, sporting matching racing suits and even waving the flag to start the race. Unfortunately the car – fielded by Team Black Falcon and driven by Maro Engel, Yelmer Buurman and Bernd Schneider – didn’t fare well in the race, finishing way down in 20th place. ROWE Racing took the checkered flag in a BMW M6 GT3, followed by another Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by Akka ASP and an Audi R8 LMS by Belgian Audi Club Team WRT.
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