Pirelli GT4 America
SONOMA 2023 Wrap Up

SRO’s Pirelli GT4 America -series is one of the most exciting and intense GT -racing series in the world. The 2023 season opener at Sonoma Raceway was no exception, with some of the best GT -teams and drivers from around the world competing for the top spot. The RENNtech Motorsports team along with drivers Michael Auriemma and Thomas Johnson, was fully geared up to deliver a dominant performance with the MB Gram RENNtech Motorsports #89 AMG GT4.

The weekend started off with practice sessions, where both drivers had a chance to show their potential and posting an impressive lap time of 1:49:781 in the second session. The team's engineers worked hard to fine-tune the car for the qualifying rounds where Tommy Johnson posted a 1:48:258 lap time good enough for P26 overall in a grid of 43 cars.

Race 1 was a thrilling display of door-to-door racing in one of the most scenic raceways in America. After a bumpy start, the 60-minute-long race ran its course without major incidents, with Michael Auriemma bringing the car across the finish line P15 in class.

Race 2 brought the same intensity to the track. Starting from P36 overall Michael Auriemma drove a clean first stint, handing over the reins to Tommy Johnson midway of the race. After a crash brought on a full course yellow at the final minutes of the race, Tommy Johnson secured a P6 in class.

The team and drivers showed their ability to compete at the highest level, with the MB Gram RENNtech Motorsports #89 AMG GT4 proving to be very quick on the grid. The team's engineers and mechanics also demonstrated their skills, keeping the car running smoothly throughout the weekend.

In conclusion, the opening of the Pirelli GT4 America series at the Sonoma Raceway was a thrilling event, showcasing the growing popularity of GT -racing in America. The RENNtech team put up a strong performance in this very demanding race. Each race is a great experience which helps us get even stronger. We can't wait for the next heat at NOLA Motorsports Park, April 29 – 31.
Let’s race!

Race 1 : P15 in AM Class - P32 overall
Race 2 : P6 in AM Class - P24 overall

Project G - RENNtech Classic Performance

Classic restoration is becoming a significant part of RENNtech’s craft. The iconic G Wagen, in particular, holds a special place in the heritage of Mercedes-Benz. What you see is 1993 Mercedes-Benz G Class X461; a military vehicle that served for the Swiss Army.

In 2018, a client of ours imported this vehicle from the Netherlands, where it had undergone partial restoration and repaint in classic M.B. China Blue (934). Furthermore, the car had been fitted with a range of new components, including suspension, top, and a set of wheels, to bolster its aesthetic appeal.

Built for military purpose and off road travel, the Gelande Wagen (German terminology for G Wagen), was in a good shape but was severely underpowered for modern daily driving. Dyno tested at RENNtech, the 2.3-liter 4-cylinder M102 produced 70 WHP which good for traversing backroads of the Austrian alps, but not enough accelerate and keep up with South Florida highway traffic, so the owner turned to us create something more powerful for enjoyable and safe daily driving.

Being familiar with improving the performance and driving characteristics of G Class, we chose the rock-solid M.B. 5.5 liter M113 V8 -engine with 350 HP, and matching it to a 722.6 G 5 speed automatic for modern day performance.

The military purpose truck base is much different from road going vehicles, and the “little blue truck” will need several updates and modifications to fit the new powerplant and drivetrain, before the focus can shift to the development of a bespoke interior tailored to this vehicle.

Stay tuned!

Removing the original 2.3-liter 4-cylinder M102

Mercedes-AMG M113 5.5 -liter V8

G-Wagen ready to receive more power.

New motor mounts are part of fitting the V8 in place of the 4 -cylinder.