Mercedes-AMG Celebrates 55th Birthday By Building 5 Non-Homologated GT3 Racecars

It was 55 years ago that AMG first plied its trade on the racetracks of the world, and now it’s celebrating that history with a new, highly-limited edition vehicle: the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EDITION 55.

Just five of these hand-built cars will leave AMG’s factory in Affalterbach, and the new model is based on the Mercedes-AMG GT3 racecar. Mercedes-AMG, though, hasn’t bothered to get it FIA homologated.

That means that the car can’t be raced in FIA events, but it also means that Mercedes-AMG hasn’t had to limit its vehicle to abide to race regulations. As a result of the decision, the 6.3-liter V8 will make 650 hp (685 kW/659 PS), 100 hp (75 kW/101 PS) more than the standard GT3 racecar. Mercedes has also modified the Inconel exhaust system. Now freed of its silencer, there are even fewer obstacles between the driver and the sound of AMG’s V8 engine.

The body, meanwhile, is finished in MANUFAKTUR alpine grey uni with red accents that complement the body color and the matte finish of the aero components, like the front and rear diffusers, the rear wing, flicks, louver, radiator grille, and side skirts, whose carbon fiber weave is left visible.

In addition to the red accents, the Affalterbach crest has also been painted on the side of the car. Next to the AMG logo, meanwhile, a 55-year anniversary symbol has been added to the rear wing to truly mark this special edition out from the rest of the pack.

Inside, the maker’s mark has also been added. The seats, for instance, are embroidered with the anniversary symbol, and plaques with “EDITION 55 – 1 OF 5” are mounted on the center console. The seatbelts, meanwhile, get silver accents to honor Germany’s racing history.

Behind the steering wheel, there’s a Bosch DDU 11 high-resolution display that shows important information like engine speed, operating temperatures, lap times, and gear. When the car is started, the 55 year anniversary logo is displayed on the screen.

Finally, the five lucky buyers of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EDITION 55 will also get an equally special watch from IWC Schaffhausen. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition AMG is made of grade 5 titanium and has the chassis number of the owner’s racecar engraved on the back.

Naturally, the limited run model isn’t cheap: the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EDITION 55 will cost €625,000 ($624,025 USD at current exchange rates).