MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG BECOMES AN F1 SAFETY CAR

As the 2010 Formula One World Championship fast approaches for the Bahrain Grand Prix on 14 March, it will mark the debut of the most powerful Official F1 Safety Car of all time - the Mercedes Benz AMG SLS. 

The "Gull Wing" Benz is set to ensure maximum safety at Formula 1 races in all 19 venues. It replaces the SL 63 AMG, which was used as the car in 2008 and 2009. 

The F1 safety car will be deployed whenever hazardous situations such as accidents or bad weather endanger normal racing. The car will be piloted once again by seasoned driver Bernd Mayländer. When an incident occurs, Maylander and colleague Pete Tibbetts will be radioed by race control to take to the track at the head of the field in order to guide the F1 cars safely around the circuit. The "Gull wing" will be a perfect fit to F1 as its power output alone would assist F1 cars' tyres and brakes from cooling down under a safety car period which would in turn prevent F1 cars' engines from overheating.
 

Much have been featured on the SLS AMG here on www.motorsportchannel.com since its debut, this super AMG variant  boasts 6.3-litre V8 engine with a peak output of 571 hp and a maximum torque of 650 Nm. And in a mere 3.8 seconds,  it could sprint from 0 to 100 km/h. 
 

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.

 

Next feature is the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission with double-clutch technology featuring 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. Coupled with its 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 SLS AMG  is bound for optimized handling and stopping power. Additionally, its 10-spoke forged wheels shod with 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear) tyres simply amalgam it into a perfect vehicle for safety purposes.

Compared to the standard-production SLS, the 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.
 

Inside, this high-tech supercar differs only slightly from that of the standard-production model. Its signature includes 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.

In the centre console, it 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 Mayländer and 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 F1 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 F1 drivers in their cockpits.