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<\/a>Top Dog<\/p><\/div>\n
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No less than seven of the new Merc\u00e9d\u00e8s SLS\u00a0 AMG GT3 s started the race and of special interest was the car no. 35 which eventually finished in third position overall. Although run by the Black Falcon team it was painted red as a tribute to the 40th<\/sup> anniversary of AMG\u2019s first entry in this race in 1971. They used the car that came to be known as the \u201cR\u00f6te Sau\u201d (red pig) and was a 300 SEL saloon with a 6.8-litre version of the V-8 to be found in the big Merc\u00e9d\u00e8s 600 Saloon. Carrying the number 35 it finished 2nd<\/sup> overall just 3 laps behind the winning Ford Capri driven by Hans Heyer (father of Kenneth Heyer, one of the drivers of the red SLS) and Clemens Schickentanz.<\/p>\n This over-weight saloon was on show in the race paddock for all to admire \u2013 it turned out 420 b.h.p., it had a 4-speed automatic gearbox, disc brakes all round and air suspension! Not surprisingly the heavy machine was somewhat handicapped by having to refuel frequently and by its tyres which wore out rather too rapidly, but it represents history for Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach (AMG) which grew to become the in-house sporting arm of Merc\u00e9d\u00e8s Benz. Interestingly, Merc\u00e9d\u00e8s themselves also had their first 24 hour race success when one of the two SSK cars entered won the 1931 Spa 24 Hours.<\/p>\n Klassic<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n AMG<\/p><\/div>\n The McLaren MP4-12C\u00a0 had of course made its race d\u00e9but three weeks earlier at Spa when the British GT cars had two rounds of their Championship at the Belgian circuit but it was exciting to find three of the very new cars on the grid for the 24 Hour race. Fate was not exactly kind to them: the no.59 slammed violently into the barriers just below La Source after a coming-together with the GT4 BMW M3 in the early laps and the no.58 decided to catch fire coming away from the Les Combes corners on the highest part of the circuit later on the Saturday evening.<\/p>\n Fire Drill<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Smoke Gets In Your Eyes<\/p><\/div>\n The remaining car no.60 did reach the finish albeit in a lowly 25th<\/sup> position but don\u2019t forget that these are completely new cars with their own completely new engines.<\/p>\n Soul Survivor<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The GT4 class had just four runners after a Porsche had been withdrawn. The little Lotus Evora had things its own way for a long time until its engine sadly cried enough creating an internal fire and when the Aston Martin Vantage retired the BMW M3 had to play second fiddle to the Nissan 350Z which eventually scooped the category.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>