Mercedes AMG GT3 lands in 2016

This will get confusing very quickly, so please pay attention. Mercedes-Benz has announced that the Mercedes-AMG GT3 - the racing version of the new Mercedes-AMG GT - will launch in 2016.

That's a lot of AMGs and GTs in one sentence, but it's a big bit of news, though not entirely unexpected. At the Paris Motor Show earlier this year, AMG boss Tobias Moers confirmed to TopGear.com that the new AMG GT sportscar would spawn a variety of models.

So here's one for the Nomex brigade. We're told that testing of the "new sportscar based on the street version" will commence next year (that's 2015), with a season debut at the beginning of 2016.

And that's about all we can tell you at the moment, but for those of you who've just shelled out for a racing SLS GT3, fear not: Mercedes will continue to support the big ol' gullwing even after the AMG GT3's launch.

It's been quite the success story for Mercedes too, that racing SLS GT3. Since AMG began the customer sports programme in 2010, the SLS AMG GT3 has achieved some 182 overall victories, 98 pole positions and 930 top ten positions.

In this year alone, the SLS GT3 has scored 34 overall race victories, six titles in championships across the globe, two endurance race victories, 52 class victories, 101 podium positions, 228 top ten positions, 29 pole positions and 416 race starts. That's... a lot.

So, the SLS's little brother, the AMG GT3, has some big shoes to fill. The road-going version, as we've found out, isn't too shabby a base, either. Read TG's road test here. If you're utterly confused about the Mercedes-AMG GT's racing version called the Mercedes-AMG GT3 built by Mercedes-Benz, then please, just have a lie down somewhere.

Pictured: Mercedes AMG GT S Edition 1