We got the first official pics this afternoon, and now we have more info. Guess what? The will race with an engine we all know and love: the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 from the SLS AMG. Welcome back, old friend.

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 will comply with FIA GT3 class rules and begin its motorsports career at the beginning of March. GT3 is the "race everywhere" customer car spec class, so we'll see it in lots of places, including the Blancpain sprint and endurance series, Tudor United Sports Car Championship starting next year, the Pirelli World Championship and others.

The uses a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine rated at up to 503 horsepower. Mercedes didn't release horsepower specs on the new car, but the SLS AMG engine was running about 560 horsepower or more in racing applications, so that gives us an idea where the new car will be.

I have a problem. I've never managed to keep the throttle floored the entire stretch of Laguna…

Luckily, they have a great foundation to build on with the new AMG GT, including a 50/50 weight distribution, a lightweight yet rigid aluminum space frame, and loads of carbon fiber everywhere. In addition to the naturally aspirated engine, in GT3 racing form the car gets a six-speed sequential racing gearbox mounted on the rear axle, a wider body, carbon a fiber seat pan and an integral steel roll-over cage, and numerous other tweaks.

Sweet. I can't wait to see, and hear, this beast out on the track.

Despite what Mercedes says, it's a 6.2-liter V8, not a 6.3-liter. The post has been updated to correct this.