After a hard-fought battle all weekend long between marques, there could be only one victor.

And so it was that Mercedes-AMG emerged from the 2023 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour race brandishing a legitimate claim to have dominated the event – both on and off the track.

Record crowds and a close finish

Mercedes-AMG has been a principal partner of the Bathurst 12 Hour since 2015, and a key supporter behind the race’s growth in prominence both in Australia and around the world.

That was demonstrated by a record crowd in 2023, as more than 53,000 fans streamed through the gates over three days of racing. The Seven Network’s broadcast is estimated to have reached more than 1.7 million viewers on Sunday, a 17 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Meanwhile Bathurst 12 Hour and Supercars digital media channels registered a further 4.5 million video views throughout the weekend.

Motorsport fans were treated to a race that will be regarded as one of the all-time classics, coming down to a desperate dash to the flag between a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3s and a lone Porsche. Following a tense final hour of racing, the three cars finished less than two seconds apart in the closest finish in the race’s history. The #75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 driven by Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz claimed back-to-back victories, having also triumphed together in 2022.

There was disappointment for the #999 Mercedes-AMG GruppeM Racing squad, finishing a storming third as they recovered from a bizarre mechanical controversy and a drive-through penalty, having earlier dominated the weekend’s racing including setting a new lap record during qualifying.

With 10 Mercedes-AMG racing cars on the track – a record entry for any marque in the race’s history – the three-pointed star was impossible to miss. So, too, a pair of Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4MATIC+ Safety Cars which led the field during caution periods; a pair of Mercedes-Benz C 300 Course Cars; and for the first time, a Mercedes-Benz E 350 acted as the circuit’s official Medical Car.

Next-gen icons unveiled

Spectators at the Mount Panorama circuit were the first to feast their eyes on the all-new Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC, featuring a game-changing turbocharged four-cylinder engine with technology derived from the Formula 1® paddock. Alongside the C 43 at the Manufacturers’ Walk display was the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+, the second all-electric model from Mercedes-AMG. With a 0-100 km/h time of as little as 3.3 seconds and outputs of up to 505 kW and 1000 Nm (when fitted with the optional AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package), the powerful EQE 53 was very much in its element.

Further along the way in the Harris Park precinct, the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ was a commanding presence on Electric Avenue, which featured a selection of all-electric vehicles representing a number of marques.

A first-class experience

And while the legendary Mount Panorama circuit affords great views from almost any vantage point along its steeply pitched 6.2-km length, there was inarguably no better place to watch all the action unfold than from the Mercedes-AMG Lounge on the top level of the imposing Rydges Mount Panorama hotel at the end of Conrod Straight.

From this seventh-floor vantage point, invited guests of Mercedes-AMG dined out on opulent hospitality and considered their choices to tour the pit garages, take a trip to see the action at the top of the mountain, or stay in the lounge to hear from a procession of guests including star race driver Maro Engel and legendary 500cc motorbike world champion Mick Doohan.

On the Saturday, guests also had the opportunity to take a ‘taxi ride’ around the circuit with a professional driving instructor in an AMG vehicle to experience first-hand how demanding the famous track can be.

Many of the internationally based teams and drivers who raced in 2023 are already targeting the 2024 race, such is the esteem in which the event is held. As the race continues to grow, early estimates suggest this year’s 24-car field could expand to as many as 40 for the race’s next edition.

With a hat-trick of wins beckoning for Mercedes-AMG, fans of the brand should circle the Bathurst 12 Hour on their own calendar for 2024.

By Steve Colquhoun