Spark 18SP078 1/18 Mercedes AMG GT3 Team Vodafone 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour

Biante Model Cars are thrilled to present the 1:18 Scale Mercedes-AMG GT3 driven by Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, and Shane Van Gisbergen at the 2019 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

DREAM Team, Super Team, call it what you like; Triple Eight Race Engineering assembled an all-star driver lineup for its first tilt at the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

A powerhouse when it came to the 1000-kilometre Supercars race, Roland Dane’s squad didn’t have to look far to fill the three slots in its driving roster.

Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes had amassed between them 11 Bathurst 1000 wins, 11 Supercars Championships, and four Bathurst 12 Hour wins. To top it off, former team sponsor Vodafone came on board as primary sponsor of the #888 Mercedes AMG GT3, run in conjunction with Australian GT squad Scott Taylor Motorsport.

However, they were in for a tough weekend. A braking problem persisted throughout the weekend, and a lack of balance on new tyres meant the Vodafone Mercedes started race day from 19th.

The #888 moved steadily up the leaderboard throughout Sunday, but its all-star drivers were having far from a fun time in the cockpit. Along with the car’s continuing brake issues, the Mercedes wasn’t initially running a driver cooling system on what proved a warm day on the Mountain.

The #888 was one of a handful of cars still on the lead lap as the finish neared, a late Safety Car prompting the team to pit for new tyres in the hope a podium might be in reach. Van Gisbergen charged from seventh up to fourth at the restart, but a podium finish eluded him by two tenths of a second. The effort took its toll, the Kiwi collapsing out of the car when it reached Parc Ferme.

“I had to use two feet (on the brakes) the whole stint and I just couldn’t push the pedal hard enough to stop,” he said. “I heard from Craig and Jamie how hot it was, so I prepared for the worst, but Kiwis aren’t made for the heat, so I battled.”

With both 1:18 and 1:43 versions produced in resin by Spark, the attention to detail will be of their usual excellent standard with stunning detailing and paintwork. These models should not be missed.

They will be set to an exclusive limited edition based on order numbers and will be available for only a short period once released.