Ten years on, the 2015 ADAC Zurich 24h Nürburgring stands out as a race of transition. It marked the final chapter before new GT3 regulations reshaped the top class. Some manufacturers arrived with farewell performances, others with first steps into a new era. Set against a backdrop of regulatory change and heightened safety measures, the race offered an early glimpse into what the next decade of endurance racing would become.

A season shaken, a race reformed

The year began in mourning. During VLN1 in March, Jann Mardenborough’s Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 became airborne at Flugplatz and crashed into the spectator area, fatally injuring one and causing multiple injuries. The incident prompted immediate changes: GT3 cars were briefly barred from the Nordschleife and only reinstated under strict safety conditions.

For the 24-hour race, speed limits remained in place: 200 km/h at Flugplatz, Schwedenkreuz, and Antoniusbuche, and 250 km/h on Döttinger Höhe. Power output for top-class cars was also reduced by 5%. For the first time, the leading cars were subject to enforced restrictions, altering not only outright speed, but the strategic complexion of the race.

The changing face of GT3

Audi arrived at the Nürburgring with something new. Just recently, they had homologated their second-generation R8 LMS, a car built to GT3’s evolving regulations. Where others refined, Audi replaced. Two factory-backed teams were tasked with unleashing the car’s potential: Phoenix Racing and Belgian powerhouse WRT.

Meanwhile, BMW brought the Z4 GT3 for one last assault on the Nordschleife. The wide, low-slung coupé had always looked at home on the mountain circuit, but victory had never materialised. This time, both Schubert Motorsport and Marc VDS Racing carried full-factory support. The car was in its prime, but also at its end.

In a similar position to BMW, Mercedes-AMG entered with a known quantity. The SLS AMG GT3, with its gullwing doors and bellowing V8, was already nearing retirement. The new AMG GT3 had been testing, but the SLS would have to see out the season. Black Falcon and Rowe Racing took up the fight for Affalterbach, determined to end the model’s Nürburgring tenure on a high note.

At the same time, Bentley joined the grid for the first time at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. While the Continental GT3 had already run several VLN races at the end of 2014, this marked its debut in the twice-around-the-clock classic. The car had shown solid pace during its preparation programme, and with Bentley Team HTP and M-Sport managing the effort, expectations were measured but ambitious. The entry featured strong line-ups and a car that, by now, had earned respect rather than scepticism on the Nordschleife.

Finally, Porsche entered the race not through a works effort, but through teams that knew the Nordschleife and the 911 (997) GT3 R inside out. Falken Motorsports came back with their own tyre compound and a well-drilled crew, while locals Frikadelli Racing showed up with experience, confidence, and a line-up strong enough to rattle the factory squads.

Lastly, a bold privateer entry defied categorisation. Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus fielded the striking SCG 003C, a car built specifically for the Nordschleife and developed to meet GT3 performance targets, though never homologated under official GT3 regulations. It was Glickenhaus’ first self-constructed race car following the popular Ferrari P4/5 Competizione project, and it marked a new chapter: from reimagining classics to building original machines. Entered in the experimental SP-X category, the car’s carbon monocoque chassis, aggressive aerodynamics, and twin-turbo Honda-based V6 engine stood apart from the rest of the field. Run by a small, passionate team with support from Podium Engineering, the Glickenhaus project represented a rare throwback: an independent constructor going up against global manufacturers. Its presence may have been unconventional, but it fit the moment in a year where the shape of GT racing was shifting, and the door to new ideas had not yet closed.

Frikadelli’s charge, Schubert’s surprise

From the start, it was a BMW barrage as both Schubert and Marc VDS surged ahead. Schubert Motorsport’s #20 BMW Z4 GT3, driven by Martin Tomczyk, Claudia Hürtgen, Jens Klingmann, and Dominik Baumann, took the early lead before being caught out by the weather. A sudden downpour barely 90 minutes into the race transformed parts of the track into a trap. Hürtgen, on slicks, lost control at Pflanzgarten and crashed heavily. The car was brought into the garage for repairs but was eventually retired.

With the #20 out, the focus shifted to Schubert’s #19 car, driven by Dirk Werner, Alexander Sims, Marco Wittmann, and Dirk Müller. That car moved into the fight at the front, running cleanly and showing serious pace in the changing conditions.

Meanwhile, Frikadelli Racing’s #30 Porsche, driven by Patrick Huisman, Sabine Schmitz, Klaus Abbelen, and Patrick Pilet, came to the fore. Smart strategy and quick pace allowed the team to lead outright by sunset, a remarkable feat for a non-factory effort. Their charge through the front of the field electrified the grandstands.

Rain and ruin in the night

By nightfall, the rain returned, and this time it stayed. The Nordschleife became a chessboard of tyre choices, aquaplaning, and shifting confidence.

The #19 Schubert BMW, still in contention, was next to fall. In the early hours, Dirk Werner lost control in wet conditions and hit the barriers, ending the team’s hopes. Another BMW factory car gone.

Frikadelli’s race ended shortly after midnight. Patrick Pilet lost the car in the wet at Hohe Acht and crashed out, eliminating the team from contention in what was then their most promising 24-hour campaign.

Bentley’s challenge also unravelled overnight. Mechanical trouble and on-track incidents plagued the effort, and by dawn, the British marque had quietly slipped from the leaderboard.

In contrast, Falken Motorsports executed a near-flawless night. Wolf Henzler, Martin Ragginger, Peter Dumbreck, and Alexandre Imperatori kept their Porsche on track and steadily climbed into podium position. By sunrise, they were third — and stayed there.

Among the eye-catching survivors of the night was the #9 SCG 003C, which pressed on through the chaos in its distinctive LMP-style bodywork. While not contending for the podium, the Glickenhaus car ran reliably and completed lap after lap as more established teams faltered. For a new and unproven prototype, just making it to sunrise was a quiet triumph.

Sunday sprint: Audi vs BMW

With the circuit drying, Sunday dawned with a renewed sense of intensity. The final hours were not about preservation. They were about outright speed.

Out front, it was Audi Sport Team WRT’s #28 R8 LMS against Marc VDS Racing’s #25 BMW Z4 GT3. The Audi, driven by Christopher Mies, Nico Müller, Edward Sandström, and Laurens Vanthoor, had been inch-perfect to that point.

Marc VDS countered with Maxime Martin, who set a searing pace in the morning. Lucas Luhr, Markus Palttala, and Richard Westbrook had kept the car in striking distance, and now Martin was cutting down the gap.

Then came a moment of panic. During a routine stop, a refuelling mishap on the WRT car caused a burst of flame. Crew members jumped into action, extinguishers were deployed, and the fire was snuffed within seconds. Nico Müller, already strapped in, was released back onto the track. The gap narrowed, but the Audi was still ahead.

Behind them, the Falken Porsche held station. No threat to the lead battle, but no threats from behind either. Their third place looked secure.

The finish

After 156 laps, Audi Sport Team WRT crossed the line to win the 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours. It was the first victory for the second-generation R8 LMS, a flawless debut. BMW’s Marc VDS effort finished just 40 seconds behind after 24 hours of racing, a heartbreakingly close runner-up, but a career-best finish nonetheless. Falken Motorsports’ Porsche took a hard-earned third.

It was a podium of contrasts: a brand-new machine, a swan song, and a privateer’s triumph. Old met new at the Nürburgring, and for once, they crossed the line together.

After the flag: What came next

The 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours was a moment of convergence between what endurance racing had been and what it was becoming. The years that followed confirmed just how much was about to change.

Audi: The new era begins

For Audi, the victory was perfectly timed. The second-generation R8 LMS had proven itself on debut, validating the manufacturer’s decision to fully commit to the next wave of GT3. WRT’s win at the Nürburgring was followed by a string of successes worldwide. The R8 LMS became one of the most decorated cars of its era, dominating in GT World Challenge, IMSA, and beyond. Drivers like Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies cemented their reputations as Audi stalwarts, becoming icons of the brand’s customer racing programme.

BMW: The Z4’s final stand

For BMW, the narrow defeat felt bittersweet. The Z4 GT3 had finally shown it could go the distance at the Nordschleife, but victory slipped through their fingers one last time. The car was retired at the end of the year, replaced by the all-new M6 GT3 for 2016. Marc VDS, despite their brilliant run, would soon withdraw from GT racing altogether. The team ended its motorsport activities after the 2015 season, making their Nürburgring swansong all the more poignant.

Drivers like Maxime Martin and Lucas Luhr moved on to new projects: Martin to Aston Martin’s factory GT programme, Luhr back into broader GT and development roles. Alexander Sims, part of the Schubert effort, would eventually rise to the top tier of Formula E with BMW.

Mercedes-AMG: Closing the SLS chapter

The SLS AMG GT3 bowed out after 2015, replaced by the sleeker, more agile AMG GT3. Though the gullwing legend never won the Nürburgring 24 outright, it had built a lasting legacy through consistency and brute-force endurance. Teams like Black Falcon and HTP Motorsport carried the torch into the next era with the new AMG GT3, which would go on to become a Nürburgring winner in its own right.

Many of the drivers — Maro Engel, Bernd Schneider, and Adam Christodoulou among them — remained central to AMG’s factory-supported operations and mentoring programmes, while the customer racing structure expanded globally.

Bentley: A bold but brief campaign

Bentley’s debut in 2015 showed promise but would never truly pay off at the Nürburgring. The Continental GT3 was continuously improved, and Team Abt continued fielding the car in following editions. Yet, Bentley never returned to the 24 Hours after 2017 but did live up to its promise in other series with the next generation Continental GT3. The brand’s factory GT3 programme concluded in 2020, closing a unique but ultimately short-lived chapter in its motorsport history.

Porsche: Patience rewarded

Falken’s podium was a reminder of Porsche’s unshakable Nordschleife DNA. Though the brand sat out with a full-factory team in 2015, its partner squads carried the flag admirably. The next-generation 991 GT3 R debuted in 2016, and by 2018, Manthey Racing’s ‘Grello’ Porsche would reclaim the top step at the Nürburgring.

Patrick Pilet, who had led Frikadelli’s charge in 2015, would continue to be a key name in Porsche’s IMSA efforts, winning the championship that same year. Sabine Schmitz, the heart of Frikadelli, remained a Nordschleife hero until her untimely death in 2021. The memory of the team’s 2015 run remains one of the most cherished moments in their story.

Glickenhaus: From outsider to prototype builder

For Glickenhaus, the 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours was the first major test of a bold vision. The SCG 003C continued to appear at the Nordschleife in the following years, gaining attention for its distinctive looks and earning a loyal following. The experience gathered through the 003C programme would directly inform the design of the SCG 007 LMH, a Le Mans Hypercar built to the new FIA World Endurance Championship regulations. Though aimed at the global stage, the 007 retained clear visual and conceptual links to the 003C, reflectieng the team’s belief in building race cars from the ground up. What began as a private experiment in the Eifel became a stepping stone toward something far more ambitious.

A race that marked a turning point

In hindsight, 2015 was a hinge year. The end of the Z4, SLS, 997 and first-gen R8. The rise of new GT3 machinery shaped by both performance and safety. A final dance for some, a prologue for others.

The race itself mirrored that evolution: part endurance war, part flat-out sprint, part chaos, and part calculation. Its participants — cars, teams, and drivers alike — would scatter into different stories, but all left changed by those 24 hours on the Nordschleife.

Moments from the 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours

From the early chaos of the opening laps to the quiet tension of the final morning, the 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours delivered one of the most compelling editions in recent memory. Relive the race through a selection of images capturing the drama, rain, heartbreak, and triumph that unfolded across the Nordschleife.

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