AMG Mercedes C-Class driver Jamie Green is looking to secure his fourth win at the July 3rd race at Norisring after winning the last three DTM races at the Norisring (2008, 2009 and 2010). Mercedes-Benz has won the last eight races in Nuremberg and Mercedes-Benz drivers have scored a total of 13 victories on this track.
Comments on the fifth race of the 2011 DTM season from:
Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):
“The Norisring is one of my favourite tracks – I’ve won here twice and had five podium finishes. That’s why I’m thrilled to be racing again in Nuremberg. As always, I’ll be preparing thoroughly for the weekend and going all out to get a good result. In the overall standings, I’m only one point behind Martin Tomczyk. With such a competitive field as we have in this year’s DTM, the situation at the top can turn around very quickly, so I don’t feel under any pressure. Instead, my team and I are focused on the job in hand and we’ll be on the attack again in Nuremberg.”
Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“I have fond memories of the Norisring which is always a highlight on the DTM calendar. Obviously, I had hoped for more in last year’s race, but in retrospect it was a good performance to get my first pole position and my first fastest race lap in DTM. So if I carry on making similar progress this year, it will be great. With my two podium finishes at Hockenheim and Spielberg, I’ve shown that I’m comfortable driving the C-Class and that I’ve made the adjustment to DTM racing. After my pole last year at this circuit, I want to be battling it out at the front again in this year’s race.”
Jamie Green (29, England, AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“I always feel like I’m in my element at the Norisring – and my three wins in the last three seasons would seem to bear that out. This year, I’m no longer in the same C-Class which I won with from 2008 to 2010, but that shouldn’t make a difference. Now I’m aiming to celebrate a victory in my current AMG Mercedes C-Class. In the past eight seasons, a Mercedes-Benz driver has always won in Nuremberg, and that gives me the confidence that we’ll be competitive again this year. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“In the last race at the Lausitzring, I got closer to the front than in the first three races of 2011. That’s a good sign for the rest of the season because it means we are heading in the right direction. This is a trend we want to continue at the Norisring, where I’m hoping for my first podium finish of the year. I like the street circuit in Nuremberg with its very special characteristics, and I’ve already won there twice. However, my two wins date back to 2004 and 2005, which was quite a while ago, so it would be great if I could add my first win of the 2011 season here. That would also be a nice way of saying ‘thank you’ to my sponsor THOMAS SABO in their home race, as their headquarters are located close to Nuremberg.”
David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“Even after one and a half seasons in DTM, the series still keeps springing surprises. I’m learning from one weekend to the next, and understanding more and more how to set up the C-Class for optimum performance. In Nuremberg, you especially need good brakes and a good front end to cope with all the cornering. The Norisring is quite unlike any other track we drive on – almost like a DTM version of Monaco. This brings back good memories for me, because after all, I won the Grand Prix there twice. But actually, I can’t think of a circuit that I don’t feel good at. If my team and I can find the right car balance, we’ll hope to reward the fans with a good result.”
Christian Vietoris (22, Germany, Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“It’s nice to know that Jamie won each of the last three races at the Norisring driving the C-Class car that I’m in now. Of course, that doesn’t automatically mean that I’m set to continue the sequence this season, but maybe driving the legendary Norisring winner will bring me a bit of luck so that I can score my first DTM points. I know the Norisring from my time in the Formula 3 Euro Series – I’ve even won here twice. The track layout looks pretty straightforward, but as a street circuit, it has a bumpy surface, and the race is usually staged in very hot conditions. Anyone aiming to make their mark here needs to be fully focused and in top physical shape. I feel confident on both those points.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“The Norisring is one of the highlights on the DTM calendar. With the sheer quality of the current field, it may well be that the difference between the fastest and slowest lap times in Nuremberg this year is down to less than half a second. We have won at the Norisring eight times and, most recently, Jamie Green triumphed three times in succession, driving the same C-Class. That achievement is unique in the history of the DTM. This time, we’re trying for win number nine, but I’m sure that more than half a dozen of our competitors will be doing their best to prevent us from achieving it. They have a realistic chance of doing so, but that doesn’t diminish our chances at all.”
For those of you attending the race, here are a few tips:
The city: Nuremberg, the home of the legendary Norisring and the second-biggest city of Bavaria, is located in the heart of Franconia. A true must-see is the restored medieval city centre including the mighty ‘Kaiserburg’ (Emperor’s castle). Apropos: here, you also will find the planet’s oldest Bratwurst restaurant, established back in 1313 – the cradle of the famous ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’ that was already enjoyed by Nuremberg’s most famous son, Albrecht Dürer.
The circuit: The only street circuit of the DTM calendar, built every year extra for the race, the shortest DTM circuit on German soil, a pedestrian tunnel below the circuit allows the spectators to get to the stone grandstand.
Grandstand tip: ‘S-Kurve’: Here, door-to-door battles are guaranteed. View of the chicane and the end of the home straight.
Culture tip: Most definitely, the medieval city centre with the castle, the Albrecht Dürer House as well as the Gothic churches St. Lorenz and St. Sebald represent the highlights of Nuremberg. The cosy atmosphere between frame houses and cobblestone pavement has inspired every visitor of Nuremberg, to date. At the same time, the city also features several culture highlights: the “Germanische National museum”, for instance, is the biggest culture-historic museum in the German speaking countries. The latest information on expositions, events and other places of interest is available in the World Wide Web at: http://go.nuernberg.de. A universal ticket for all the places of interest of Nuremberg as well as the city’s public transport is the ‘Nürnberg Card’.
A culinary must: The ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’! These sausages that aren’t bigger than a finger are a protected trademark and mustn’t be produced anywhere else than in Nuremberg’s urban area. Everywhere in the historic city centre you will find Bratwurst kitchens that serve this specialty – usually as a dish comprising six sausages and sauerkraut. Nonetheless, you also can get them as triple in a bun. They are a true culinary delight!
For partiers: The major part of Nuremberg’s night life takes place in the historic city centre. There, particularly below the castle and in the ‘Weißgerbergasse’, you will find numerous pubs, bars and clubs. And in summer, enjoying the city ambience in one of the countless beer gardens is a really great experience. For a good overview of Nuremberg’s night life please visit http://go.nuernberg.de in the World Wide Web.
Shopping: Nuremberg has got one of Germany’s biggest and oldest pedestrian areas. Here, in the southern part of the medieval city centre, you can get anything your heart desires. One of Nuremberg’s attractions with a special ambience is the ‘Handwerkerhof’. Surrounded by towers and walls of the medieval city fortification, the ‘Little Town at the King’s Gate’ invites to enjoy an eventful shopping trip. It’s really amazing to see what is going on in the small workshops, shops and alleyways and what a great number of adorable special goods can be admired and purchased, here. Tradition-rich craftsmen such as pewterers, purse makers, pottery makers, gold and silver smiths, stained-glass artists, gingerbread bakers and puppet makers have established their workshops in gorgeous frame houses and demonstrate their skills.
At the ADAC Eifel Race at the Nürburgring, Mercedes-Benz was presented for its outstanding sports car history. From June 18 to 20, 2010, six super sports cars were in the Nurburgring paddock behind the Rundbogenzelten for all to admire. On Saturday and Sunday the cars put their fascination potential at the test at three demonstration runs on the Grand Prix circuit.
Since 1922 the ADAC holds a race in the Eifel-Region near Aachen and Koblenz. The legendary Nuerburgring is the place where the first Eifelrennen took place on a race track in 1927. It was the premier opening race of the news race track. Until 1927 the Eifelrennen was held on public roads as a Targa-Florio – like race since 1922.
Four years ago the Eifelrennen returned to the Nuerburgring as a historic revival. Main part of the racing days for classic cars are the Grand-Prix-Track and the legendary Nordschleife with 21 km length for one lap. A lot of the history of the Nuerburgring is based on the famous races on the Nordschleife – a competitive track for ambitious drivers.
Mercedes Supercars define the automotive superlative, they set the standard in terms of performance and innovation. Super Sports Cars are not primarily intended for racing, but are sold as exclusive vehicles for road use. Mercedes-Benz has continued to set new standards with such a high-performance vehicles for customers. They arouse the passion of a particular form of car culture.
The super sports car family includes some of the Mercedes-Benz SSK Models (1928 to 1932, W 06) and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1954-1957, W 198). Examples from the recent past are the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (C 297) in 1997 and 2004 appeared Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG. Also in 2004, is the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199) in the super sports car segment on the market.
These cars feature all – the mirror of its time – by impressive levels of performance and technical proximity to the racing off. Super Sports Cars are a way to give incentive for the developers in the current competition of motor sport vehicles and also help to obtain the latest results from laboratory and research in their work. Such exclusive and fascinating automobiles in small quantities occur with an extremely high level of sporting aspiration. These exceptional originals are also characterized by the fact that they are manufactured with a large proportion of manual work.
The balancing act between competition use on the racetrack and the sporty driving is on the road to the classical virtues of this class of vehicle. Because super sports car from Mercedes-Benz recorded a number of racing successes.
In particular, the Mercedes 35 hp and its direct successor, and the Mercedes-Benz SSK in their time even offered both as powerful models for top sporting private drivers as well as a successful competitive vehicles used.
The appendix to the supercar shows in the history of Mercedes-Benz but also in series studies and experimental vehicles that are not in production. This applies, for example of the legendary family of type C 111 rotary engine in the years 1969 and 1970 and for the C 112 of 1991.
Record vehicles and racing prototypes have enriched the genes of the super sports car from Mercedes-Benz as well. These include the 1953-built prototype of the W 194 racing coupe and the so-called “Uhlenhaut coupe” of the racing car 300 SLR (W 196 S).
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG continues this unique tradition. It celebrates the international press today as a contender for the title of “Sports Car of the 21 Century “.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, as the latest Mercedes-Benz contribution to super-sports car history, harks back to a very special tradition of high-powered automobiles over the last four decades: the AMG era. The successful collaboration now operating as Mercedes AMG GmbH had also created two previous super-sports cars: the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR and Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG.
AMG was founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, establishing a reputation as a pioneer in the motorsport and vehicle tuning sectors. After signing a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz AG in 1990, AMG became increasingly integrated with what was then DaimlerChrysler AG in the years from 1999. Its acquisition as a wholly owned subsidiary took place on 1 January 2005.
The collaboration has resulted in a number of racing sports cars and high-performance models, with many examples of cross-fertilisation between the two areas of AMG’s activity. For example, Team AMG 1997 won the FIA GT championship in 1997 with the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR racing sport prototype, and AMG then produced a road-registered model based on the racer – the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR super-sports car, presented in April 1997. The coupé was equipped with a 6.9-litre V12 engine, developing 450 kW. Innovative details implemented by the engineers in this vehicle included the carbon fibre composite body. The super-sports car also came with air-conditioning, a hi-fi system and leather upholstery, in contrast with the racing vehicle designed exclusively for power and handling attributes.
Yet the CLK-GTR remains true to its racing lineage at all times: the super-sports car delivers outstanding driving performance ratings, and the compact cockpit provides an authentic racing feel for both driver and passenger. This vehicle highlights all of AMG’s skills and experience in technology transfer from sports racing to sophisticated production cars with outstanding sports performance. A total of 25 CLK-GTR cars were made.
AMG repeated the feat of transferring purebred racing technology onto the public roads in 2004, with the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG. As before, the road driving model is derived from one of the most successful racing cars of its time, the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK. This is the car that gave Bernd Schneider the German Touring Cars (DTM) championship title in 2003.
The production version of the vehicle has a 428-kW AMG 5.5-litre V8 Kompressor engine, along with a new chassis design, optional sports tyres and aerodynamics optimised in the wind tunnel. The new super-sports car accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, with a top speed electronically controlled at 320 km/h.
The interior features two leather-upholstered AMG sport bucket seats with four-point safety belts, an oval AMG racing deerskin-upholstered steering-wheel, and the AMG instrumental panel with speedometer reading up to 360 km/h. The production run of the Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG was limited to 100 units.
AMG is now established as the performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars. Other standout high-performance vehicles in the AMG range since 2006 include the “Black Series” models, where AMG has been totally committed to its motto of “technology transfer from purebred motorsport”. This family of top performers so far includes the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Black Series (2006), Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series (2007) and Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series (2008), AMG’s most powerful car at that time at 493 kW.
Another high-performance sports car launched in the same year as the CLK DTM AMG was the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. First unveiled in 1999 at the Detroit Motor Show as the Vision SLR, it incorporates numerous innovations and features carried over from the Formula 1 vehicle. Standout features include the distinctive front end with its arrow-shaped tip and the characteristic double wing. Examples of functional refinements are the carbon-fibre body, ceramic brake disks and pneumatic brakes.
The Vision SLR proved such a sensation that it was decided to put the vehicle into series production. The first Mercedes-Benz SLR cars for sale to customers arrived on the market in 2004. Their AMG Kompressor engine developed 460 kW, for a top speed of around 334 km/h. The open-top version followed in 2007, and there were also two special models with engine power ratings boosted to 478 kW, the SLR 722 from 2006 and the SLR Stirling Moss from 2008. Production of the SLR McLaren ended in 2004.
Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (C 297)
In production: 1997
Units produced: 25
Engine: 12-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 6898 cc
Power: 450 kW
Top speed: 320 km/h
Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG
In production: 2004
Units produced: 100
Engine: 8-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5439 cc
Power: 428 kW
Top speed: 320 km/h
Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR
In production: 1999
Units produced: 1
Engine: 8-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5496 cc
Power: 410 kW at 6500 rpm
Top speed: 320 km/h
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199)
In production: 2004 to 2009
Engine: 8-cylinder, V arrangement
Displacement: 5439 cc
Power: 460 kW at 6500 rpm
Top speed: 334 km/h
Since their inception Mercedes-Benz super sports cars have symbolised three things: high performance, dynamic appearance and spectacular racing success. From April 27th to August 29th, 2010 the Mercedes-Benz Museum is devoting a unique exhibition to the topic, while Mercedes will also be presenting its historic high-performance vehicles at many Classic Events later this year. According to Michael Bock, Managing Director of the Mercedes-Benz Museum and Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic: “Super sports cars symbolise fascination and perfection. These vehicles have influenced generations and continue to excite people today. Their uniqueness is tangible for every visitor to the special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum and can be experienced by at first hand at our driving events this season.”
As the elite members of the automotive world, super sports cars must find the ideal balance of competitive use on the race track and dynamic driving on public roads. Their hallmarks are extreme performance and innovative technology, and with high-performance automobiles such as these, Mercedes-Benz has been setting new standards of automotive engineering for decades.
Super sports cars at the Mercedes-Benz Museum
The Super Sports Car special exhibition from 27 April 2010 to 29 August 2010 presents the unique super sports car tradition of the brand with the three-pointed star. Visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Museum will be able to experience at first hand eight vehicles that are the realisations of dreams – including the SSK of 1928, the C 111 design study of 1969 and the CLK-GTR of 1998. Also present is the most recent addition to the family, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The other vehicles in the exhibition are the 75 hp Mercedes of 1906, the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of 1954, the Mercedes-Benz C 112 of 1991 and the Mercedes-Benz Vision SLR of 1999.
What accounts for fascination on four wheels? Which models are the antecedents of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG? Historic vehicles illustrate the various development stages and multimedia elements bring to life the passion that super sports cars generate. As a world exclusive, visitors are also able to undertake a virtual spin in the new SLS AMG. The special exhibition can be found in Collection 5 and forms the climax of the themed tour of the permanent exhibition. The bilingual exhibition is open daily, except Mondays, from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Admission is included in the price of a Museum day ticket. The Super Sports Car special exhibition is also part of the regular guided tours.
Super sports cars in motion: pre-season warm-up on the test track
ADAC Eifelrennen, Le Mans Classic or Goodwood Festival of Speed – for Mercedes-Benz Classic the 2010 season is all about super sports cars. And this year’s technical preparations were in the hands of some distinguished guests. Six drivers demonstrated the capabilities of these historic jewels during today’s track test around the test circuit at the Untertürkheim plant:
The ranks of super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz include vehicles from the recent past such as the CLK-GTR of 1998 and the CLK DTM AMG that appeared in 2004. This segment also saw the market launch in 2004 of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG continues the fascinating tradition of super sports cars in 2010.
Historic icons include the 300 SL and SSK models. But the history goes back further still. The great-grandfather of the super sports car chronology is considered the 35 hp Mercedes. This car dominated the races of Nice Week in 1901, and was followed a year later by its successor model, the 40 hp Mercedes Simplex. Both these models were bought by customers as regular road-going vehicles, as was the 60 hp Mercedes Simplex, which in 1903 achieved similarly significant motor racing successes. A number of extraordinary near-series experimental vehicles and racing prototypes have also enriched the gene pool of these super sports cars from Mercedes-Benz. These include the closed version of the 300 SLR racing sports car, the so-called “Uhlenhaut-Coupé”, the experimental and record-breaking vehicles from the C 111 family and the C 112 experimental car. More information about the Super Sports Car special exhibition and Mercedes-Benz Classic Events are available for visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Customer Center online at www.mercedes-benz-classic.com/supersportscars.