Mercedes SL 63 AMG Pace Car & C 63 AMG Medical revealed for 2008 Formula 1 season

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220 kg lighter than the series-production vehicle thanks to targeted lightweight design measures

Like its predecessor, which was based on the CLK 63 AMG, the SL 63 AMG Safety Car weighs in lighter than its series-production counterpart thanks to targeted lightweight design measures allied to the selective omission of some comfort features on account of the vehicle's specific mission – and this despite a larger braking system including brake cooling, additional cooling measures, lighting system and communications equipment. In order to deliver top-drawer racetrack performance, the specialists from AMG have produced the bonnet, front and rear aprons, front wings and luggage compartment lid from carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), a material that has been tried and tested in motor sports. Since the Safety Car is always driven with its top up, it has been possible to dispense with all the mechanical and hydraulic components of the Vario roof. Likewise, the sound-absorbing materials, which serve primarily to improve the ride comfort, have been removed. The result is a weight reduction of 220 kg, with the Safety Car weighing in at just 1750 kg (with a full tank and without occupants).
Apart from its roof bar and F1 logos, the SL 63 AMG Official F1™ Safety Car is distinguished from the standard-production AMG high-performance roadster by a newly designed front apron with larger cooling-air openings. A prominent feature at the rear of the vehicle is the modified diffuser insert in the rear apron, which incorporates the active rear-axle cooling, this compensating for temperature peaks in the highly stressed differential housing. The white LED flashlights in the headlamps and tail lamps are always in operation whenever the vehicle is in use and have a neutral signalling function. An all-new feature is the number plate with Safety Car lettering: illuminated by means of 672 LEDs, it guarantees even greater safety, particularly in rain or darkness.

Interior with undiluted motor sport flair

The inside of the Safety Car is dominated by an atmosphere of undiluted motor sport flair. The workplaces of Bernd Mayländer and his co-driver feature two AMG sports bucket seats with 4-point seatbelts, trim parts in real carbon fibre, black leather appointments and the AMG performance steering wheel with its 365 mm steering wheel rim, flat underside and AMG aluminium shift paddles. The centre console is equipped with two monitors for supervising the action on the racetrack, and the two-way radio system allows the crew of the Safety Car to remain in contact with the race management. A roll-over bar serves to increase both the safety of the occupants and also the stability of the vehicle.

C 63 AMG Estate: the new Official F1™ Medical Car

Alongside the SL 63 AMG Safety Car, a second AMG high-performance automobile will celebrate its premiere at this season's first Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia: the C 63 AMG Estate Official F1™ Medical Car. At the start of every Grand Prix, the high-speed AMG estate car will follow the Formula 1 field on the first lap. This is because the first lap represents a critical phase of the race in which the field of Formula 1 vehicles is especially tightly bunched. Also in the event of an accident during the race, the Medical Car is the first vehicle on the scene and is able to guarantee the fastest possible emergency treatment.
This quite special C 63 AMG Estate has excellent credentials for such a challenging task, where literally every second counts: the high-performance estate vehicle is powered by the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine, which delivers 457 hp and 600 Nm of torque. The AMG sport exhaust system boasts larger pipe diameters and new rear silencers, this resulting in a considerably more distinctive sound that comes out of the two chrome-plated dual tailpipes. In order to guarantee greater reliability, the cooling of coolant, engine oil, transmission oil and power steering has been optimised, this being visible also from the new AMG front apron with its considerably larger cooling-air openings. The power from the engine is transmitted via the AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC PLUS, which blips the throttle when changing down for even greater smoothness. Perfect traction is guaranteed by the combination of 3-stage ESP® and differential lock with 35 percent locking effect.

New thread chassis and AMG high-performance braking system

Like the SL 63 AMG Safety Car, the C 63 AMG Estate Official F1™ Medical Car also features a newly developed thread chassis combining sportscar-like driving dynamics with versatile adjustment possibilities, thus additionally allowing the chassis setup to be customised to a specific racetrack. Equally responsible for perfect road feel is the selected wheel/tyre combination: the 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels of 8.5-inch (front) and 9.5-inch (rear) width are fitted with Pirelli tyres of sizes 255/35 and 285/30, respectively. Concealed behind the attractive multi-spoke wheels is a powerful AMG high-performance braking system, which guarantees extremely short stopping distances with its internally ventilated and perforated composite brake discs on the front axle of size 360 x 36 mm with six-piston fixed callipers together with 330 x 26 mm, internally ventilated and perforated discs on the rear axle. The newly developed cooling system for the especially highly stressed front-axle brakes optimises the fading resistance of the braking system at high ambient temperatures. Source: Daimler AG

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