Viper

Make
Dodge
Segment
Coupe

Ahead of its racing debut at this weekend's 24-hour endurance race at Spa-Francorchamps, Mercedes has unveiled its new GT4 race car in response to growing demand for customer-driven GT4 racers – and it's based on the hardcore GT R road car. As the name suggests, the car will compete in the GT4 class, which means it's eligible to race in series like the German VLN Endurance Racing championship, the Nurburgring 24-hours and the Pirelli World Challenge in the US.

Power is sourced from the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as the road-going GT R, tuned to produce 503-hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. 0-62 mph takes less than four seconds before the GT4 tops out at 155 mph. All that power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox optimized for competition use. Like the Mercedes-AMG GT3, it's linked to the rear axle in transaxle formation and is pneumatically operated. Admittedly, the GT4 loses 74 horses compared to the GT R, but makes up for it with an array of aerodynamic upgrades that make the track car nearly 400 pounds lighter than its road-going counterpart.

Like the GT R, the GT4's chassis and bodywork is built using a blend of carbon fiber and aluminum, a technique that won Daimler an innovation award last year. A race-specific hood and a front apron and splitter made of a "particularly lightweight composite material" also contributed to its weight loss. Of course, you shouldn't expect to find the same creature comforts as the road car, but Mercedes promises the GT4 will still be almost as spacious as the road car - you can even have air conditioning as an optional extra. Deliveries will start towards the end of the year with an asking price of €198,850 excluding VAT (around $230,000) – but not before it undergoes over 30,000 kilometers of intense track testing.