The Mercedes-AMG GT3 Edition 130Y Is Another Unlimited GT3

Over the past ten racing seasons, the Mercedes AMG GT3 has collected class wins in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S. A new AMG GT road car means that a new AMG GT3 is coming soon, but Mercedes still has one surprise left in the old AMG GT3 lineup. Like the 911 GT3 R Rennsport and McLaren 720S GT3X before it, the AMG GT3 is getting an unrestricted variant sold directly to customers for track use.

That model, called the GT3 Edition 130Y, is restricted to just 13 units. Those cars get major upgrades over the standard AMG GT3, starting with new aero elements that increase downforce by 15%. That package includes a rear wing that can be moved in real time like the DRS-enabled wings currently used in Formula 1, a combination that allows the car to reach a top speed of 196 MPH despite the added downforce.

Unlike the road car it represented, the AMG GT3 still used a variant of the 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V-8 that was once ubiquitous across the AMG lineup. This version is based on the M159 that was used in the SLS AMG, and with a custom exhaust system for this non-homologated special, it produces 671 HP in this application. Mercedes could use the M156 or M159 engine in a future customer car, but for now, this looks like the final time the 6.2-liter V-8 will used by the brand.

The combined changes were enough to get the car down to a lap time of 1:56.6 at the Mount Panorama circuit that hosts Australia's iconic Bathurst 1000. That time is not only two full seconds faster than the GT3 record at Bathurst, it is five second quicker than the pole time set by a Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo ahead of this year's race.

While previous GT3-based track cars have featured a design stressing that they are more advanced than the typical GT3-spec racer, the Edition 130Y goes in the opposite direction with a throwback livery and interior. Blue exterior graphics pay tribute to two 300 SL (W194) prototype race cars from 1952, winners at that year's Carrera Panamericana and 24 Hours of Le Mans. The cabin remains as spartan as any race car, but the steering wheel and seat both feature unique materials for a GT3 race car. The seat insert is cloth with a checkered pattern, the padded head rest is a natural brown leather, and the steering wheel is a heavily simplified unit finished in metal and walnut.

The AMG GT3 Edition 130Y is available for $1.136 million, before VAT. Buyers also get a car cover, custom race gear designed for the Edition 130Y by Puma, and a 1:8th scale model of their car. As this is an unlimited and un-homologated car, it is not qualified to race in any GT3 series.

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