The Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour will explode into the spotlight this weekend with a host of super-charged GT3, GT4
and specialised endurance uber-vehicles on show. As one of Australia’s largest sporting events, it will see more than
200,000 punters pass through its gates across four adrenalin-fuelled days, and our team here at Car Hamlet will be
there front-row- centre to capture all of the action!
Event organisers confirm that this year, over 16 manufacturers will be on the entry list and a remarkable collection of
more than 30 GT3 cars from Australia, the US, Europe and Asia will go head-to- head for the Outright, Pro-Am and
Amateur class victories, with a boost in interest also growing in the GT4 category. The unparalleled atmosphere and
firepower assemblage of Bathurst’s annual around-the- clock endure, all lead to what could be the best iteration of the race
yet.
A Superb Talent Fest
The event will be a car fanatic’s virtual dream pool of talent flexing their motoring muscle, with Finland’s finest, Toni
Vilander, at the wheel of the Ferrari 488 GT3, alongside Aussie teammates Craig Lowndes and Jamie Wincup.
Porsche duo Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre will be navigating the No. 911 GT3 R alongside Earl Bamber, and
double 12-hour winner Christopher Mies will tackle the course in an Audi R8 LMS, alongside Garth Tander and Chris
Haase.
Defending 12-hour champion Shane Van Gisbergen will return to defend his Bathurst crown with Mercedes AMG GT3
team mates Craig Baird and Maro Rene Engel, and Tony Longhurst has persuaded long-term adversaries, Mark
Skaife and Russell Ingall to team up in one of fellow Bathurst legend Steven Richards’ two BMW M6 GT3’s.
A Showdown of Elite Brands
Providing a more ‘entry level’ access point to GT racing, the GT4 class offers the chance for a host of eligible vehicles,
including McLaren’s 570 GT4 (baby brother to the wildly successful 650S GT3), Porsche’s Cayman GT4 Clubsport and
the stunning KTM X-Bow to strut their stuff.
And although brands like Ginetta (who will debut its G55 GT4), Aston Martin, Lotus, and Porsche GT4 models have
all competed on the Mountain before, 2017 is likely to represent the strongest group of the ‘baby’ GT cars yet, to be
assembled in Australia.
Marc GT has confirmed the entry of their BMW M6 GT3, Audi offers one of the best representations of GT3’s yet, and
the Mercedes-AMG GT R is set to make its first Australian appearance, with Erebus Supercars driver David Reynolds
joining forces with Dominic Storey and Mark Griffith.
Not to be outdone, Competition Motorsports will flaunt their stunning Porsche 911 GT3R, Kiwis Glenn Smith, John de
Vries, Nick Chester and Kevin Bell will pilot a Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX and Maranello Motorsport returns with the
Bathurst debut of the Ferrari 488 GT3 (teaming up Toni Vilander, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Wincup).
Bentley’s Team M-Sport will feature around 15 brands, including a pair of Continental GT3s, and a new-look entry from
two factory-backed Nissan GT-Rs will see Katsumasa Chiyo, Alex Buncombe and Michael Caruso racing vehicles
featuring classic NISMO branding.
And outside of the GT classes, the invitational category also continues to grow with MARC Cars Australia entering
multiple cars, alongside a diverse mix of additional production-based machines.
A Host of Highlights
This year sees the return of a brand new Godzilla (the 2017-spec GT-R NISMO GT3), which will lead Nissan
Motorsport’s outright attack on the race, in what is sure to be jaw-dropping fashion. Just days after landing in the
country, die-hard Nissan fans will be hoping to glimpse even a smidgen of the winning streak awarded to its past
predecessor, the R32 Skyline GT-R, which claimed victory (at the hands of none other than our own Mark Skaife) in
spectacular fashion almost 30 years ago at the Tooheys 1000.
Iconic brand Ferrari will unveil an unprecedented presence trackside with its stunning 950-horsepower LaFerrari
hypercar set to carve up a few demonstration laps on the 6.123km circuit. Joined on-track by the incredible F12tdf and a
Ferrari 488, a combination of a 9,000 RPM 6.3-litre V12 engine and Hy-KERS Formula 1-style hybrid technology will see
it reach speeds of 200km per hour in a mind-blowing seven seconds!
And landing on our shores only a few days ago, the Mercedes AMG GTR is touted to flash a fair cop of its record-setting
predecessor’s ‘Green Hell Magno’ magic, with a demo lap or two in store by five-time DTM champion and AMG brand
ambassador, Bernd Schneider. Seriously cashed up? This little beauty goes on sale in Australia in June this year.
Car Hamlet will be trackside!
Join the Car Hamlet team, where you can gain exclusive previews, insider commentary and as-they- happen updates on
one of motor sport’s leading annual extravaganzas. Grab your event schedule, check out our live feeds via Facebook and
Instagram and settle in for a front row seat to not-to- be-missed, world class racing action.