|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
6.3
liter V8 |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
natural |
Torque |
479
lb-ft |
|
HP |
571
hp |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
90.6
hp per liter |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
3.8
seconds |
Top Speed |
-- |
(from Mercedes-Benz
Press Release) The most powerful Official F1™ Safety Car of
all time: The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG takes its place at the head
of the Formula-1 field
-- Gullwing model
for motor racing's top flight
-- Unique super sports car concept
-- Two monitors for keeping a close eye on the race
-- C 63 AMG Estate once again Official F1™ Medical Car
When the new Formula-1
season gets underway in Manama/Bahrain (12-14 March 2010), it will
mark the debut of the most spectacular and powerful Official F1™
Safety Car of all time. The job of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG,
which will be launched on 27 March 2010, is to ensure maximum safety
in Formula 1. The "gullwing" model replaces the SL 63 AMG, which was
used as the Official F1™ Safety Car in 2008 and 2009. As in the last
two years, the C 63 AMG Estate will be used as the Official F1™
Medical Car for the coming season.
"Together with the
entire AMG Team, I am very proud that the new SLS AMG is the
official F1 safety car. I'm sure all Mercedes and AMG fans will be
excited to see the gullwing model together with the new Mercedes GP
Petronas Team at the F1 circuits," says Volker Mornhinweg, Chief
Executive Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
From March 2010, the
Official F1™ Safety Car will be deployed whenever hazardous
situations such as accidents or bad weather endanger normal racing.
The SLS AMG, piloted by Bernd Mayländer (38, from Germany), will be
on standby in the pit lane throughout the entire race. When radioed
by Race Control, the former DTM driver and his co-driver, FIA man
Pete Tibbetts (44, from the UK) will take to the track at the head
of the field in order to guide the Formula-1 race cars safely around
the circuit.
Unique vehicle concept for maximum
driving dynamics
The Mercedes-Benz SLS
AMG has the best possible credentials for this demanding role in the
top flight of motor racing: its 6.3-litre V8 engine has a peak
output of 420 kW (571 hp) and a maximum torque of 650 Nm, enabling
the gullwing model to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. Fast
lap times are a must for the Official F1™ Safety Car, otherwise the
Formula-1 cars' tyres and brakes would cool down too quickly, while
their engines could overheat.
The unique vehicle
concept is a key factor in ensuring outstanding driving dynamics:
the aluminium spaceframe body keeps the vehicle weight down to 1620
kilograms (DIN kerb weight). And thanks to the dry-sump lubrication
system, the AMG V8 powerplant can be installed very low down,
resulting in a beneficial lowering of the vehicle's centre of
gravity. The installation position a long way behind the front axle
and the transaxle arrangement of the new seven-speed double-clutch
transmission on the rear axle have a positive effect on the weight
distribution, which is 47/53 percent (front/rear). Pure motorsport
tech-nology is used for the AMG sports suspension: aluminium
double-wishbone axles front and rear ensure outstanding driving
dynamics with precise turn-in ability, first-class agility, low mass
inertia when changing direction spontaneously and, therefore, a high
cornering limit.
Double-clutch transmission and
ceramic composite brake system
The AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT
7-speed sports transmission with double-clutch technology features
four modes and allows fast gear changes with practically no
interruption in tractive power – in manual mode ("M"), gear changes
can be effected in 100 milliseconds. Together with the 3-stage ESP®,
the integrated mechanical multidisc differential lock ensures
outstanding traction. Meanwhile, braking distances are minimised and
resistance to fading is maximised, even when the brakes are subject
to typical race-track loads, courtesy of the AMG ceramic
high-performance composite brake system with its generously sized
ceramic discs measuring 402 x 39 mm on the front axle and 360 x 32
mm on the rear axle. The weight-optimised 10-spoke forged wheels are
shod with 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear) tyres.
The Official F1™ Safety
Car features the same engine, power transmission, suspension and
brake system as the standard-production SLS AMG. The exceptional
technology package for the super sports car ensures perfect driving
dynamics and means that no further technical modifications or
lightweight-design measures are necessary, with the sole exception
of the all-new rear silencer, which allows the high-revving AMG V8
naturally aspirated engine to breathe more easily and offers
Formula-1 fans an even more emotionally charged sound experience.
Aerodynamically optimised roof
light bar incorporating LED technology
Compared to the
standard-production SLS, the Official F1™ Safety Car is
distinguishable on the outside by its prominent F1 logos, carbon-fibre
exterior mirrors and the characteristic roof light bar with
integrated TV camera. It sits on an all-new carbon-fibre hood whose
shape has been tested in the wind tunnel to ensure optimum airflow
at the rear aerofoil. The aerofoil pops up when the car reaches 120
km/h and, together with the rear diffuser, provides the necessary
rear downforce. LEDs are used for all light functions for the first
time in the new, aerodynamically styled roof light bar. Their
advantages over the previously used bulbs lie in their extremely
fast response time and low power consumption.
The two centrally positioned green lights in the aerodynamically
optimised light bar are illuminated when the Official F1™ Safety Car
joins the field and first needs to overtake all the racing cars in
front of it. Once the SLS AMG has assumed the leading position, the
outer orange flashing lights are switched on to signal to the
Formula-1 drivers that no overtaking whatsoever is allowed. The
white stroboscopic lights in the headlamps and tail lights perform a
general signalling function in that they always flash whilst the
safety car is deployed. A special number plate at the rear, with
"Safety Car" lettering and 700 LEDs, provides additional safety in
darkness or wet weather. A reversing camera is integrated to the
left of the number plate, allowing those in the cockpit of the
Official F1™ Safety Car to keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars behind
via monitor.
Practical interior with AMG sports
bucket seats
The distinctive gullwing
doors open to reveal a practical cockpit which, like the exterior,
differs only slightly from that of the standard-production model.
AMG sports bucket seats with black leather upholstery and six-point
seat belts ensure optimum lateral support. On the right side of the
AMG DRIVE UNIT, there are four coloured buttons for controlling the
various light functions, along with the signal horn, which is
activated when the car is driving into and out of the pit lane. The
centre console, like various other interior trim parts, is finished
in genuine carbon fibre, while the AMG performance steering wheel in
leather/Alcantara features a specially shaped grip area, a
high-quality genuine-metal insert and a flat-bottomed rim with a
diameter of 370 millimetres. Two genuine-metal shift paddles are
used to change between the seven gears in the double-clutch
transmission.
Two central monitors in
the SLS AMG cockpit are used to monitor the progress of the race. To
the left and right of the lower monitor are the controls for the
radio system, which allows Bernd Mayländer and Pete Tibbetts to
communicate with Race Control as well as with each other. A second
interior mirror lets the co-driver keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars
behind. Meanwhile, the "Marshalling System" is integrated in the
central display on the instrument cluster and in the lid of the
glove compartment: here the driver and co-driver can see exactly the
same signals as the Formula-1 drivers in their cockpits. For
instance, the various LEDs indicate when yellow or green flags are
being waved. LEDs indicating the status of the roof light bar, along
with an on-board camera angled towards Bernd Mayländer, are mounted
at the front end of the dashboard.
C 63 AMG Estate once again
Official F1™ Medical Car
The SLS AMG is not the
only AMG high-performance car to be involved in the Formula-1 World
Championship: as in 2008 and 2009, the C 63 AMG Estate is the
Official F1™ Medical Car – responsible for ensuring rapid emergency
response in the event of an accident. The lightning-fast estate car
follows the Formula-1 field on the start lap because the race cars
are still bunched extremely closely together during this critical
phase of the race.
The concept on which the
AMG Estate is based is ideal for meeting the requirements of
Formula-1: outstanding driving dynamics are assured courtesy of the
AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 336 kW (457 hp) with a peak
torque of 600 Nm, not to mention the AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC
transmission, the adjustable coil-over suspension, the AMG
light-alloy wheels shod with 235/35 R 19 (front) and 255/30 R 19
(rear) tyres, the differential lock, the 3-stage ESP®, and the AMG
high-performance brake system with internally ventilated and
perforated composite brake discs on the front axle.
The new AMG front apron
with larger air dams is an indicator of the optimised cooling for
the water, engine oil, transmission fluid and power steering. One
aspect that cannot be seen but can certainly be heard is the
distinctive AMG V8 sound emitted from the new rear silencers of the
AMG sports exhaust system. Like the Official F1™ Safety Car, the
Official F1™ Medical Car is distinguishable by its F1‑ logos, the
roof light bar, and the stroboscopic flashing LED lights at the
front and rear. A number plate illuminated with LEDs and displaying
the words "Medical Car" on the tailgate makes the car easier to see
in darkness or adverse weather conditions.
Plenty of space in the boot for
emergency equipment
The Official F1™ Medical
Car is piloted by racing driver Alan van de Merwe (from South
Africa); his co-driver is the official FIA Grand Prix Chief Medical
Officer Dr Gary Hartstein (from Belgium). Two assisting medical
experts from a specially selected clinic near the race track sit in
the rear. There is plenty of space for all of the emergency
equipment – including a defibrillator and respiration apparatus – in
the 485-litre boot of the C 63 AMG Estate. Four AMG sports bucket
seats with six-point seat belts, two monitors integrated in the
centre console for monitoring the race and a radio set for
communicating with Race Control distinguish the interior of the
Official F1™ Medical Car from that of the standard-production C 63
AMG Estate.
AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO responsible
for development
The development,
track-testing and configuration of the two Official F1™ Safety Cars
and the two Official F1™ Medical Cars – in both cases, there is one
emergency vehicle and one replacement vehicle – are carried out by
the specialists from the AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO in close
collaboration with the test team for AMG overall vehicle
development. This involves drawing on over 40 years of know-how from
the field of motorsport as well as the wealth of experience in the
design of high-performance sports cars. Numerous test drives were
carried out on various racetracks in order to tune the suspension
and verify all the systems and components. Two highly-qualified AMG
technicians are also on hand to take responsibility for the
deployment of the Safety Car and Medical Car at all 19 Formula-1
races.
Nine generations of Safety Cars
from AMG
For 14 years AMG has
continuously provided the Official F1™ Safety Car and the Official
F1™ Medical Car in the top flight of international motorsport.
All AMG Safety Cars at a glance
1996: C 36 AMG
(W 202)
from 1997: CLK 55 AMG (C 208)
2000: CL 55 AMG (C 215)
from 2001: SL 55 AMG (R 230)
2003: CLK 55 AMG (C 209)
from 2004: SLK 55 AMG (R 171)
from 2006: CLK 63 AMG (C 209)
from 2008: SL 63 AMG (R 230)
from 2010: SLS AMG (C 197)
All AMG Medical Cars at a glance
1996: C 36 AMG
(W 202)
1997: C 36 AMG (W 202); E 60 AMG (W 210)
from 1998: C 55 AMG Estate (S 202)
from 2001: C 32 AMG Estate (S 203)
from 2004: C 55 AMG Estate (S 203)
from 2008: C 63 AMG Estate (S 204)
As early as 1984, an AMG
E-Class Coupé with V8 engine was used occasionally as the Medical
Car. The activities of the Affalterbach-based company are also
evidence of Mercedes-Benz's long-standing commitment to Formula 1.
