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SLS AMG SAFETY CAR
The most powerful Official F1TM 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 flightUnique super sports car conceptTwo monitors for keeping a close eye on the raceC 63 AMG Estate once again Official F1TM 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 F1TM 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 F1TM Safety Car in 2008 and 2009. As in the last two years, the C 63 AMG Estate will be used as the Official F1TM 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 F1TM 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 F1TM Safety Car, otherwise the Formula-1 cars' tyres and brakes would cool down too quickly, while their engines could overheat.Press Release continues Below:
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 F1TM 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 F1TM
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 F1TM
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 F1TM 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 F1TM 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 F1TM 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 F1TM Safety Car, the Official F1TM
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 F1TM
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 F1TM 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 F1TM Safety Cars and the two Official F1TM
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 F1TM Safety Car and the Official F1TM Medical Car in the top flight of international motorsport.
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