Mercedes‑AMG has taken groundbreaking measures to strategically reorganise its motorsport division to meet future requirements and plans. To this end, the performance and sports car brand of Mercedes‑Benz has founded a new subsidiary under the name “Affalterbach Racing GmbH”. In the future, the company will be responsible for all conceptual and technical customer sport activities of AMG, including the development of the new Mercedes‑AMG GT3. In addition, Mercedes‑AMG GmbH plans to acquire part of its long-standing partner HWA AG. Both companies have signed a letter of intent to this effect. With this reorganisation, AMG is reaffirming its commitment to GT Sport.
Affalterbach Racing GmbH plans successor to Mercedes‑AMG GT3
Motorsport is firmly anchored in the DNA of Mercedes‑AMG. These genes and the corresponding expertise run through all areas and development departments. This competence will be complemented by the specialist knowledge of Affalterbach Racing GmbH and applied in a focused manner to the conception and development of future projects. In this way, synergy effects with various development areas of AMG road vehicles can be created in the shortest possible time. An even more in-depth technological exchange in both directions is planned.
The first project aimed at bringing together this extensive technical expertise is to develop the successor model to the Mercedes‑AMG GT3. This new concept is intended to continue the success story of AMG’s international Customer Racing Programme.
The next “Made in Affalterbach” GT3 racing car is based on a derivative of the Mercedes‑AMG GT family. The second generation of the two-door AMG GT was presented in 2023 and the sports car family has been growing steadily ever since. The fifth member, the Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+[1],[2] recently celebrated its world premiere in Brooklands (England).
Like AMG, Affalterbach Racing GmbH will have its headquarters in Affalterbach and is to work closely with the Mercedes‑AMG Motorsport team, which will continue to be responsible for the overall coordination of international motorsport activities.
Future cooperation with HWA AG
Alongside the foundation of the new company, an additional strategic step is planned. Intensive talks are being held with long-time partner HWA AG to take over the customer motorsport division. Both parties have already signed a non-binding term sheet and are currently in the approval phase. The planned integration is intended to further expand the high standard of Mercedes‑AMG Customer Racing in the future. In addition to the bundling of development expertise, this also includes international customer service at the racetracks and spare parts support in Europe, the U.S., China and Australia.
HWA AG will continue with its other business areas, for example, the HWA EVO project. This reinterpretation of the iconic Mercedes‑Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II will continue to be developed, built and sold independently by HWA AG. AMG is in favour of the revival of this unique vehicle.
“Motorsport is part of the DNA of Mercedes‑AMG. This currently includes GT Sport in particular, in which we’ve been very successful for years. Going forward, we not only want to continue these successes but also expand them further. We continue to see a growing interest in GT3 vehicles and are therefore working intensively on our successor model. In order to utilise our in-house expertise even more effectively, we’ve strategically strengthened the motorsport division with the new business unit at the Affalterbach site and set an important course for the future. With Affalterbach Racing GmbH, we will now be able to act even more flexibly and quickly.”
Michael Schiebe, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑AMG GmbH
“I’m very pleased to be reaffirming our long-term and sustainable commitment to customer racing with the establishment of Affalterbach Racing GmbH. With it, we seek to further expand our extremely successful global GT customer sport programme. As a first step, the new GmbH is focusing on the development of the new GT3 racing car so that we can continue to offer our international customers a safe, reliable vehicle that is capable of winning.”
Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes‑AMG Motorsport
[1] Preliminary data; combined energy consumption: 14.1 l/100 km | combined CO₂ emissions: 319 g/km | CO₂ class: G.
[2] The figures are provisional and were determined internally in accordance with the ‘WLTP test procedure’ certification method. Neither an EC type approval nor a certificate of conformity with official values are yet available. Deviations between the data and the official values are possible.
SOURCE: Mercedes-Benz
