Stuttgart, 8 March 2015: Baptism of fire on the race track: The GT S and the C 63 S – the new high-performance cars from Mercedes-AMG – provide for maximum safety in the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship. At the first Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia (12 to 15 March 2015) the GT S will debut on the race track as the Official Safety Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship. As the Official Medical Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the C 63 S Estate will be on hand to provide fast emergency medical care. Mercedes-AMG has been active continuously at the pinnacle of motorsport since 1996.
The new GT S is the perfect vehicle to guide the Formula 1 field safely around the track when bad weather conditions or accidents necessitate deployment of the Safety Car. The second sports car developed independently by Mercedes-AMG boasts ideal credentials for this tough job in the premiere motorsport competition. The front mid-engine concept with transaxle, the V8 biturbo engine with dry sump lubrication, the dual clutch transmission and the cutting-edge sports suspension with aluminium double-wishbone axles provide the basis for fast laps on the race circuit. Excellent driving dynamics are in the DNA of the Mercedes-AMG GT S: the intelligent aluminium lightweight design guarantees not only a low vehicle weight but also a low centre of gravity for the vehicle and an advantageous weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent between front and rear axle.
Bernd Mayländer (GER, age 43), driver of the Official Safety Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship since 2000, notes: “The gull-wing SLS AMG was my official car in Formula 1 for five years. Now I’m looking forward to the new Mercedes-AMG GT S, which I have been fortunate enough to get to know during its development phase. The new AMG sports car won me over immediately with its high-calibre race track performance.” The former DTM driver also works as an instructor for the AMG Driving Academy and as a Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador at selected events.
The drivetrain of the Official Safety Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship corresponds to the system featuring on the road-going version of the AMG GT S. With a maximum power output of 375 kW (510 hp) and peak torque of 650 newton metres, the 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine guarantees high-end performance: the GT S dashes from a standing start to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and attains a maximum speed of 310 km/h. As music to the ears of the Formula 1 fans in the stands and in front of their TV screens, the GT S is fitted with a modified Performance exhaust system for an even more striking and emotive AMG V8 engine sound.
The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is debuting on the race track as the second Official Car alongside the GT S, succeeding the C 63 AMG Estate in this role. The new Official Medical Car of the FIA Formula One World Championship™ is on hand to provide fast emergency medical care and is crewed by up to three medics. At the wheel is racing driver Alan van der Merwe (RSA, age 35). His co-driver is the official FIA head physician, Dr Ian Roberts (GB, age 51). The rear accommodates one or two assistant medics from a selected specialist hospital near to the race circuit concerned.
- 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: SL 55 AMG (R 171)
- from 2006: CLK 63 AMG (C 209)
- from 2008: SL 63 AMG (R 230)
- from 2010: SLS AMG (C 197)
- from 2012 (Belgium): SLS AMG GT (C 197)
- since 2015: Mercedes-AMG GT S (C 190)
- 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)
- since 2015: Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate (S 205)
