Last year, Mercedes offered a deliberately vague teaser of something called the AMG GT Track Sport — a concept that appeared to be an extreme version of the AMG GT coupe, dressed in a gaudy camouflage wrap and fitted with a massive rear wing. Mercedes gave almost nothing away beyond confirming a V-8 engine and goals of reduced weight and improved aerodynamic performance. Now, the company has officially confirmed that the Track Sport will lead to two distinct production machines: the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series and a new GT3 race car.
Black Series models have historically occupied the very top of the AMG performance hierarchy. The most recent AMG GT Black Series arrived in 2021 powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft producing 720 horsepower. That car also featured an adjustable multi-wing rear spoiler, a revised suspension, and heavy carbon-fiber use that stripped 77 pounds from the curb weight. When we ran it at Lightning Lap 2022, it turned in a 2:37.0 lap around Virginia International Raceway, a time that still ranks as the third-fastest road-legal car in the event's history.
As wild as the 2021 Black Series was, Mercedes-AMG describes the upcoming version as "the most radical Black Series model to date." No specifics were shared about what will push it to that extreme, but maximum horsepower and aerodynamic grip are the obvious assumptions. A hybrid layout like the 805-hp GT63 S E Performance would be one path to enormous output, though the weight penalty of a battery pack seems counterproductive for an uncompromising track machine. More likely, AMG will extract further power from the 603-hp GT63 Pro's turbocharged V-8.
The new Black Series will also serve as the homologation vehicle for the next-generation AMG GT3 race car. AMG continues to campaign the GT3 version of the previous-generation GT in series including IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and the new GT3 variant is expected to begin competition no earlier than the 2027 season.
Mercedes says the Track Sport prototype has been running on track since its October reveal, logging sessions at Mercedes-Benz's Immendingen test facility, Germany's Bilster Berg circuit, Portimão in Portugal, and Monteblanco in Spain. Testing is now advancing to the ultimate benchmark: the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The wrap on the Track Sport concept turned out to carry some significance. Mercedes has revealed that going forward, red will be the identifying color for the GT3 race car, while the high-visibility yellow will designate Black Series road models.
Both the Black Series and GT3 remain light on confirmed technical details, with Mercedes indicating more information will follow. Hopefully the wait isn't too long.
