The 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour will be special. Set to play host to a range of new metal for the first time, Mercedes-AMG will be represented by the new AMG GT (using the 6.2-litre engine from the old SLS), BMW has its new M6 GT3, Ferrari will be represented by a racing version of the turbocharged 488 GTB, Lamborghini the Huracan and Porsche, the 991 GT3 R.

Those cars join proven machines in the Audi R8, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Bentley Continental, Lamborghini Gallardo, Nissan GT-R and McLaren 650S that have taken many race wins locally and abroad. And there are many other reasons to pay attention to this year's race:

GoPro

New rules for the race look set to build on its already-impressive intensity.

Organisers previously required every team to have one non-professional driver on their roster, a rule designed to encourage wealthy gentleman racers with spectacular cars to take part in the event - enthusiast pilots such as Roger Lago (Lamborghini) and Tony Quinn (McLaren) who supported the event in its infancy.

A change of heart for 2017 opens the door to all-pro lineups that prompted V8 Supercar champions such as Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall to take part in the event for the first time.

Hats off to Australian owner-drivers Peter Edwards (Ferrari), Scott Taylor (Mercedes) and Steve McLaughlin (Audi) for selflessly putting their teams - and the show - above a push for personal glory by benching themselves in favour of a proper pro.

The result is a spectacular entry list that is currently home to 14 GT3 Pro entries, six mixed GT3 Pro-Am combinations with up to two professional "seeded" drivers, and 13 GT3 AM with all-amateur lineups in the top "Class A " category for GT3 vehicles.

Supercars superstars

Remember when V8 Supercars drew the wrath of race fans by scheduling a mandatory test day on the same day as the 12 Hour, effectively banning its stars from taking part in the event? Those days are over, as the sport now known as "Supercars" owns the February race, and it does an excellent job running the event.

V8 regulars Mark Winterbottom and Chaz Mostert (BMW), Shane van Gisbergen and David Reynolds (Mercedes), Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup (Ferrari) Garth Tander and Lee Holdsworth (Audi), Michael Caruso and Todd Kelly (Nissan) and Will Davison and Tim Slade (McLaren) will leverage their experience on the mountain this week.

Capable pilots with regular co-driver gigs in the Bathurst 1000 should also figure. Expect Matt Campbell (Porsche), Dean Canto, Steve Owen and David Russell (Lamborghini), Steve Richards and Russell Ingall (BMW), Chris Pither (Nissan) and Warren Luff, Alex Davison and Craig Baird (McLaren) to figure at the pointy end of the field.

Euro thrash

Australia's best will do well to keep pace with an army of professional sports car pilots making their way over from Europe and beyond.

Professional GT3 drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre (Porsche), Christopher Mies (Audi), Alvaro Parente (McLaren) and Maro Engel (Mercedes) are world-class, as is Japanese GT pilot Katsumasa Chiyo, who took a dramatic 12 hour victory in 2015 before finishing a close second the following year.

You can also factor in ex-F1 men Timo Glock (BMW), Ivan Capelli (Lamborghini) and Pedro Lamy (Mercedes), DTM stars Marco Wittmann (BMW) and Bernd Schneider (Mercedes), outright Le Mans winners Guy Smith (Bentley), Marc Lieb and Earl Bamber (Porsche) and factory-backed Le Mans drivers Oliver Jarvis (Bentley), Jorg Muller (BMW), Darren Turner (Aston Martin), Pat Long (Porsche), Toni Vilander (Ferrari) Jann Mardenborough and Alex Buncombe (Nissan).

The speed

Want to see the fastest cars to race at Bathurst? Forget the V8 festival in October, these machines are significantly quicker.

Shane van Gisbergen's McLaren set a new lap record en route to winning last year's race – a 2m01.5670s effort that will be difficult to beat. The current V8 racing lap record is a 2m06.2769s mark recorded by David Reynolds in 2016, a late-race dash for glory in a car already a dozen laps behind the winning crew. Put another way, the all-time V8 qualifying lap record held by Jamie Whincup would not have been good enough for a top 20 place on the grid in last year's 12 hour. New cars and all-pro lineups could make the gulf even wider this year.

The GT3 machines have more sophisticated driver aids, superior aerodynamics and better tyres than V8 Supercars, making them significantly easier to drive.

Event commentator and unofficial "voice of sports car racing" John Hindaugh is tipping this year's cars could go below two minutes if conditions are right. That's a big call, because the only machine in history to make that claim – unofficially, anyway - is the 2008-spec McLaren MP4-23 Formula 1 car driven by Jenson Button and Craig Lowndes during a special Bathurst showcase in 2011.

The action

There have been 2160 minutes of racing at the last three Bathurst 12 Hour enduros. The combined total of three winning margins from that period? 3.72 seconds. Racing in the last three instalments of the 12 hour has been utterly fascinating, with plenty of memorable moments to keep fans on their toes. Whether it's Craig Lowndes holding off Mercedes pro Maxi Buhk to take an emotional first victory for an Australian outfit in 2014, Nissan taking an upset win in 2015 (then going oh-so-close last year), Bentley getting knocked off a podium spot on the last corner or van Gisbergen using trackside grass to pass rivals at 200km/h, there's plenty of action on track.

Last year's event also featured a game-changing crash in the opening minutes of the race, when the Lamborghini and Ferrari of Nick Percat and Mika Salo collided before dawn. Neither admitted fault, and neither got a gig for this year's race, suggesting that team owners take a dim view of ill-considered driving.

The show

Fire-spitting engines, glowing brakes at dawn and world-class racing isn't enough? What about a look at the new Ferrari F12tdf and LaFerrari supercars cutting laps, or witnessing pro drivers wrestle road cars such as the new Mercedes-AMG GT-R and Audi R8 V10 Plus during special manufacturer showcases? There's also a mini motorshow home to some of the world's most exotic cars, and a new rooftop bar on top of pit lane that should prove to be a refreshing vantage point.

BOP-it

Three words guaranteed to rate a mention at this year's race: Balance. Of. Performance.

The top cars at the 12 hour run to largely open GT3 rules that allow a diverse range of road-based race cars - from the big and brutal Bentley Continental and Nissan GT-R to scalpel-like Ferrari and McLaren machines, as well as a variety of powerplants that include six, eight, 10 and 12-cylinder layouts in turbocharged and naturally aspirated form.

European race organisers try to balance the performance of vastly different machines by using power, aero and weight restrictions that vary from model to model. The result is that the cars usually offer close racing over similar lap times, but every model has strengths and weaknesses and cars that work beautifully at one track may not perform at their best on another. And that's a problem, because a win at Bathurst is a much bigger deal than victory at Phillip Island or Queensland Raceway.

Aston Martin

#35 Miedecke Stone Motorsport Vantage GT3: Miedecke/Walsh/Bates (GT3 Am)

As one of the older cars on the grid, it's likely the V12-powered Vantage GT3's best years are behind it. Then again, Miedecke Stone Motorsport took an upset win in the Australian GT Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2016, where few could have expected George Miedecke to break the lap record while outrunning more fancied machinery in a 101-lap enduro.

While it won't feature on the outright podium, the #76 invitational class Aston Martin Vantage GT8 is also worth checking out, as it is the British brand's rarely-spotted answer to Porsche's 911 GT3 RS trackday weapon. Experienced works driver Darren Turner leads an enthusiast amateur driving crew in the lightly modified road car ahead of a potential run from a proper factory-backed campaign with the Vantage's successor in 2019.

Audi

#74 Jamec Pem Racing R8 LMS: Tander/Mies/Haase (GT3 Pro)

#75 Jamec Pem Racing R8 LMS: Winklehock/Frijns/Stippler (GT3 Pro)

#3 Team ASR R8 LMS: Samadi/Gaunt/Halliday (GT3 Pro/Am)

#9 Hallmarc R8 LMS: Cini/Holdsworth/Fiore (GT3 Pro/AM)

#2 DJS Racing R8 LMS: Stuttgart/Bergmuller/Fillmore (GT3 Am)

#5 GT Racing R8 LMS: Taylor/Antunes/Barbour (GT3 Am)

#44 Supabarn R8 LMS: Koundouris/Koundouris/Marshall/Evans (GT3 Am)

The V10-powered Audi R8 LMS dominated proceedings at the first two Bathurst 12 Hour races for GT3 cars in 2011 and 2012, taking back-to-back wins led by factory pilot Christopher Mies.

But the BOP fairy has not been kind to Audi at Bathurst in recent years, where the beautifully balanced R8 has been searingly quick across the top of the mountain and hamstrung by a heavily restricted engine on Conrod Straight.

Star driver Laurens Vanthoor defected to Porsche for 2017, so the brand's campaign will once again be led by Mies, ably joined in the brand's lead #74 car by fellow factory pilot Christopher Haase and Australian V8 Supercars veteran Garth Tander.

Audi regulars Markus Winklehock, Robin Frijns and Frank Stippler share #75, the second of Jamec Pem Racing's factory-blessed R8s that represent the main hope of outright victory for the German marque.

With more GT3 cars on the grid than its rivals, Audi also has a strong chance for GT3 Pro/Am and GT3 Am class victory in a variety of machines that feature well-known wheelmen in Lee Holdsworth, Nathan Antunes, Dan Gaunt and Marcus Marshall.

BMW

#7 BMW Team SRM M6 GT3: Longhurst/Skaife/Ingall/Glock (GT3 Pro)

#60 BMW Team SRM M6 GT3: Richards/Winterbottom/Wittman (GT3 Pro)

#99 Walkenhorst M6 GT3: Muller/Menzel/Collard (GT3 Pro)

#90 MARC Cars Australia M6 GT3: Mostert/Twigg/Haber

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BMW really wants to win this race.

It wants to win this race so badly that it booked the tough-to-get circuit for private test days late last year, flying a throng of German technicians out as part of a special reconnaissance project.

It booked a ticket for two-time DTM champion Marco Wittman to join Australian aces Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards in the lead car.

It convinced legendary V8 Supercar driver Mark Skaife to come out of retirement and share an M6 GT3 with former co-driver Tony Longhurst, former arch-nemesis Russell Ingall and former F1 pilot Timo Glock.

The brand is quite serious about its GT campaign, one that has been fruitless since BMW returned to local racing early last year, as four-time Bathurst 1000 winner and 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup champion Steven Richards struggles to extract consistent pace from the complex, twin-turbo machine.

While it won the 2016 Spa 24 Hours in Belgium when officials punished Mercedes-AMG rivals for technical breaches, the BMW enters this weekend's race as something of an unknown quantity.

It really needs a win.

Bentley

#8 Bentley Team M-Sport Continental GT3: Kane/Smith/Jarvis (GT3 Pro)

#17 Bentley Team M-Sport Continental GT3: Soucek/Soulet/Abril (GT3 Pro)

Bentley, too, has a burning desire to take victory in Bathurst. While the Continental has taken a championship or two, it doesn't have runs on the board in big races at Bathurst, Spa, Daytona and the Nurburgring that win plenty of attention – and potential customers – for the brand.

Britain's luxury icon took a fighting podium last year to avenge a disastrous run in 2015 that saw both of its cars rammed out of podium positions by determined rivals.

Now bolstered by Audi Le Mans refugee Oliver Jarvis, the Bentley boys are likely to push harder than ever in pursuit of that elusive big win.

Ferrari

#88 Maranello Motorsport 488 GT3: Vilander/Lowndes/Whincup (GT3 Pro)

If you're going to have one bullet in a fight, this is probably what it should look like.

Ferrari has a single car in this contest, but it is an absolute pearler – a brand new, million-dollar 488 GT3 run by a team that knows how to win the biggest prize in Australian GT racing. The new machine will be piloted by international Ferrari expert Toni Vilander, joining V8 Supercar royalty in Craig Lowndes (who won with Maranello Motorsport in 2014) and Jamie Whincup (who hasn't raced one of these before, but should be quick). There is a question of reliability surrounding the 488, which has had a rocky road in overseas competition and needs a perfect run in order to be in contention. Expect this outfit to be on the podium if it all goes to plan.

Lamborghini

#29 Trofeo Motorsport Huracan GT3: Manolios/Millier/Capelli/Canto (GT3 Am)

#32 Lago Racing Gallardo R-EX: Lago/Owen/Russell (GT3 Am)

#47 Kiwi Racing Gallardo R-EX: Smith/Bell/Chester/De Veth (GT3 Am)

Lamborghini doesn't take racing quite as seriously as some of its rivals, so we won't see brand-new machinery stuffed full of world-class pilots.

That said, the new Huracan led by local ace Dean Canto should give the amateur class a good shake, as should the highly evolved Gallardo R-EX of perennially unlucky racer/businessman Roger Lago, who is joined by expert racers in Steve Owen and David Russell.

Nissan

#23 Nissan Motorsport GT-R Nismo GT3: Chiyo/Buncombe/Caruso (GT3 Pro)

#24 Nissan Motorsport GT-R Nismo GT3: Strauss/Kelly/Mardenborough (GT3 Pro)

#38 Wall Racing GT-R Nismo GT3: Bilski/Flack/Pither (GT3 Am)

#66 Wall Racing GT-R Nismo GT3: Hodges/Davis/Poordad (GT3 Am)

Nismo, on the other hand, is much more committed to racing than Lamborghini. A pair of all-pro GT-Rs look to build on back-to-back podiums in the last two years, while customer-run machines will contest the GT3 Am category.

Watch for fireworks from Chiyo-san, the selfie-loving Japanese pilot who became a cult favourite in recent years thanks to his sheer speed and commitment behind the wheel. Expect gamer-turned-racer Jann Mardenborough to build pace with the help of V8 veteran Todd Kelly before lighting the wick on Sunday afternoon.

Mercedes-AMG

#22 STM/HTP Motorsport AMG GT3: Baird/Van Gisbergen/Engel (GT3 Pro)

#61 Hogs Breath AMG GT3: Griffith/Storey/Reynolds (GT3 Pro/Am)

#83 HTP Motorsport AMG GT3: Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda/Schneider (GT3 Pro/Am)

The booming voice of Mercedes' 6.2-litre V8 looks set to stamp its authority on Bathurst once again, as the new AMG GT3 picks up where the brand's classic gullwing SLS left off. The new car makes its Bathurst debut at the hands of German outfit HTP Motorsport, which is working with local team Scott Taylor Motorsport to offer the brand the best possible chance at victory.

The lead car will be driven by factory AMG driver Maro Engel, who ironically bumped HTP out of the way to win the coveted Nurbugring 24 Hour last year, as well as local Mercedes campaigner Craig Baird.

There's also the small matter of 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour victor, V8 Supercars champion and Blancpain Endurance Series GT3 winner Shane van Gisbergen, who spent last week at the Daytona 24 Hour mastering the new Merc's driving habits.

A second car pitches Aston Martin Le Mans regulars Paul Dalla Lana (the money), Mathias Lauda (the son of F1 legend Niki Lauda), Pedro Lamy (the ex-F1 driver, Le Mans class winner and four-time Nurburgring 24 hour champion) with Bernd Schneider (the leader of a very small club that can make Lamy's resume look passé).

Schneider is the Michael Schumacher of tin-top racing. He's done F1 and Le Mans, and he's the only driver to claim five titles in Germany's ultra-competitive DTM series.

Schneider has won the Bathurst 12 Hour, Spa 24 Hour, Nurburgring 24 Hour and Dubai 24 Hour in the same calendar year.

Now aged in his 50s, the legendary pilot has shown little sign of slowing down, having won again at the 'ring alongside Engel last year,

Interestingly, Lamy and Schneider first drove together in Mercedes' disastrous 1999 Le Mans campaign that saw sister cars driven by Mark Webber and Peter Dumbreck flip upside down while pushing the limits on track - something they'll hope to avoid on the mountain.

McLaren

#58 Tekno Autosports 650S GT3: Parente/Bell/Ledogar (GT3 Pro)

#59 Tekno Autosports 650S GT3: Barnicoat/Kane/Davison (GT3 Pro)

#11 Objective Racing 650S GT3: Walls/Luff/Slade/Davison (GT3 Pro/AM)

The departure of van Gisbergen leaves a hole in McLaren's winning squad, which still looks good with its full factory lineup in car #58. Defending Bathurst 1000 winner Will Davison will divide his time between driving the #59 car for glory and mentoring newcomers Ben Barnicoat and Johnny Kane, who are set to make their Bathurst debut.

His brother, Alex Davison, will have an easier time of it in the #11 McLaren shared with car owner Tony Walls, V8 Supercars race winner Tim Slade and Bathurst regular Warren Luff, who are looking to upstage their international rivals.

Porsche

#911 Walkinshaw GT3 991 GT3 R: Bamber/Estre/Vanthoor (GT3 Pro)

#12 Competition Motorsports 991 GT3 R: Calvert-Jones/Long/Lieb/Campbell (GT3 Pro/Am)

#51 AMAC Motorsport 997 GT3 R: McPherson/Muston/Miles

#912 Walkinshaw GT3 991 GT3 R: Talbot/Martin/Padayachee (GT3 Am)

Porsche finally has a car worthy of contention in the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The brand focused on other areas until recently, putting programs such as the Porsche Carrera Cup, Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid and 911 RSR LM-GTE machine ahead of the GT3 customer racing category. What's interesting is that Earl Bamber, a man with wins in all three of those programs, is coming back to Bathurst with the new machine. Bamber already has two class wins with Porsche in the 12 Hour, and he will be joined by two drivers each considered in some quarters to be the best GT driver in the world. Porsche poached the first-class driving talent from McLaren and Audi when it nabbed Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor, and a new 911 shared by a trio of this quality should have rivals running scared.

Another new 911 has works drivers Pat Long and Marc Lieb as well as Australia's latest Carrera Cup champion, Matt Campbell, on the driving roster. Neither car will be easy to beat.

Who is the favourite?

There's no car we can point to as a sure winner.

Shane van Gisbergen was a key element in McLaren's win last year, and his #22 Mercedes-AMG partnership with Maro Engel and Craig Baird looks seriously strong. Factor in the proven reliability (and straight line speed) of AMG's 6.2-litre V8, and that car is a serious contender. Likewise, Audi's lead #74 crew of Mies/Tander/Haase features fast, patient and experienced drivers in a bulletproof car.

That said, the Bamber/Estre/Vanthoor #911 Walkinshaw Porsche arguably has the strongest driving lineup on the grid, and a sister car just took a class win in the Daytona 24 Hour (beating Mies' Audi by less than 0.3s), which has to be a good omen.

You could argue the Lowndes/Whincup/Vilander #88 Maranello Motorsport Ferrari can match the top Porsche for talent, but reliability has not come easily for the new 488, which just experienced a heartbreaking driveline failure while in the lead at Daytona.

Though BMW's M6 GT3 has underperformed on local soil to date, a recent upgrade kit, serious test regime and German know-how could get it humming on the mountain.

And you can't discount McLaren, Nissan or Bentley.

There are no weak points in the top driving lineups, and there should be several cars in contention after 12 hours. If forced to pick a winner, we might go the #22 Mercedes.

What else?

The GT4 class is gathering momentum, with plenty of Porsche Caymans joined by a brace of Ginetta G55s, a fascinating KTM X-Bow and Aston Martin's V8 Vantage. As always, the invitational class has plenty to offer, including a gaggle of fire-breathing 5.0-litre V8-powered Ford Focus and Mazda3 sedans and a leggy BMW 335i that has been a regular in this race since 2007 - it's the last reminder of the race's production car roots.

Having clocked 306.1 km/h down Conrod Straight in its 7.0-litre Shelby Cobra replica, it's a relief to see the Daytona Sportscars team has swapped that car for something more sensible: a Dodge Viper coupe with 8.3 litres of displacement.

Watch it

The full race will be broadcast on live free-to-air TV through 7Mate from 5.30am on Sunday February 5, along with the qualifying shootout from 3.30pm on Saturday. Online viewers in Australia can catch those sessions on 7Live.com.au for free, while other sessions will be shown on bathurst12hour.com.au and audio commentary is available via radiolemans.com.

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