Frankfurt 2011: DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé

Mercedes is the second manufacturer to show off their 2012 DTM car in Frankfurt after Audi revealed the A5 DTM. The official name of the three-pointed star racecar is the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé.

It’s powered by a 4.0 litre V8 and is good for around 500hp/500Nm. At just 1050kg and with a trick 6-speed gearbox it’d sure be a hoot to drive.

Mercedes proudly boast they are the most successful DTM manufacturer in the category’s 27 year history. They’ve notched up 84 race wins from 156 starts and have earned a total of five drivers’ championships.

Sadly they’ve only given us three pics of the DTM C-Coupé to date. If we find any more we’ll be sure to add them here.

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveil DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé at the Frankfurt Motor Show

Frankfurt, Sep 13, 2011

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveiled the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé for the 2012 DTM season at the IAA in Frankfurt, alongside Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management at Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division, and Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

The new car is based on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé, which was launched worldwide in the summer of 2011, and is the first DTM car from Mercedes-Benz to be built around a new, improved safety concept, developed in collaboration with the ITR e.V, the DMSB (Germany’s motor racing governing body) and the DTM manufacturers. The new car incorporates a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque with a roll cage made ​​of high-strength steel. Moreover, each vehicle is equipped with six energy-absorbing crash structures, giving the driver additional protection to the front, rear and sides.

The DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé will succeed the AMG Mercedes C-Class, which is the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM, having scored 84 victories in 156 races and five driver’s titles.

Development, design and manufacture of the new car began in June 2010 at HWA headquarters in Affalterbach, near Stuttgart, Germany. HWA is responsible for production of the cars, including engines.

Michael Schumacher: “The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz DTM car looks fantastic, but what I find even more impressive than the car’s visual appearance is the new safety concept with its innovative safety cell and more advanced carbon-fibre crash structures. This safety standard is exemplary and constitutes, in my opinion, the benchmark for touring car racing. I’m looking forward to seeing the new C-Class Coupé in action and hopefully winning lots of races. I’ve got my fingers crossed for everyone in the Mercedes-Benz DTM team.”

Nico Rosberg: “I was pleased to take part in unveiling the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé for the 2012 DTM season at its Frankfurt Motor Show world premiere. It looks really cool and I particularly like the chrome finish. The car is certainly an important step forward for the DTM, which is a great series – I began my career racing on the same weekends as the DTM, and it will attract even more fans in 2012 when the third manufacturer arrives. Whenever possible, I still follow the races on TV, and always enjoy going to local DTM events. I will of course keep my fingers crossed next year for my Mercedes-Benz DTM colleagues and hope they can bring the title home to Stuttgart with the new C-Class Coupé.”

Gary Paffett: “The first test of a new car is always an exciting moment. After getting a feel for the handling and performance of the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé around the Lausitzring, I can say I’m very pleased with it. Of course, we still have a lot of development work ahead of us before the 2012 season opener at Hockenheim. The driving experience is quite different to that of previous DTM cars. The new Hankook tyres for 2012 are wider and have taller sidewalls, providing more mechanical grip. Also, the gear lever has disappeared for 2012 – we will change gear using paddles on the steering wheel instead – and that’s something I’m already used to from Formula One.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “This new-generation vehicle, based on our Mercedes-Benz C- Coupé, signals the introduction of an even more spectacular racing car from the start of 2012. I am certain that the spectators will get their money’s worth from the three-way fight between Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the DTM next year.”

DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé

• The new 2012 DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé
• Mercedes-Benz will race the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé based on the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé in the 2012 DTM season
• New, improved safety concept with state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque, a high-strength steel roll cage and six crash structures

Mercedes-Benz chose the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt to present the new 2012 DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé. The new car is the successor to the AMG Mercedes C-Class, which scored 84 victories in 156 races to become the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM. HWA AG began development, design and construction of the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé in June 2010. The first chassis was assembled in June 2011, with the first vehicle completed in August.

The DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé was designed to meet the new and improved safety concept for 2012, which includes a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque and a roll cage made of high strength steel. In order to improve driver protection in the event of an accident, all safety-related components such as the fire extinguishing system and fuel tank have been incorporated into the monocoque. Furthermore, each vehicle is equipped with six crash structures to give the driver additional protection to the front, rear and sides. These carbon fibre crash structures are designed to gradually absorb impact energy, so that the driver is not exposed to high deceleration forces.

The new safety concept was developed jointly by rights holder and promoter ITR e.V., the DMSB and the three manufacturers – Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In order to verify the performance of the DTM safety concept, the DMSB developed a test programme, which was carried out and analyzed by DEKRA, the independent testing organization. All tests were completed without any problems.

The new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé is based on the latest Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé, which celebrated its world premiere in summer 2011. The C-Class Coupé rounds off Mercedes-Benz best-selling range and is offered with a choice of five engines – two diesel and three petrol units – developing from 115 kW (156 hp) to 225 kW (306 hp). The C-Class Coupé is manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen. It’s the fourth model to be built on a single production line alongside the saloon and estate versions, plus GLK – a new production method for Daimler.

DTM offers spectators racing like no other touring car series. Viewers in 83 countries can follow DTM either live or as-live. A total of 5,881 hours of DTM racing were shown worldwide on TV in 2010. In Germany last year, 89 hours of TV coverage generated an estimated 480 million TV contacts. On every race weekend of the 2011 season, an average of approximately 2.4 million TV viewers watched coverage of qualifying and the race on ARD television.

Technical Data

Chassis:
Carbon fibre monocoque with steel roll cage, front, lateral and rear crash structures, bonnet, doors, side panels and wings in carbon fibre

Length: 5.010 mm
Width: 1.950 mm
Height: 1.210 mm
Wheelbase: 2.750 mm
Fuel tank: 120 litres
Weight: 1050 kg (with driver)

Aerodynamics:
Aerodynamic modifications to front splitter and side panels, flat bottom, front and rear diffusers, rear wing

Engine:
Capacity: 4.0 litres
Cylinder head: 4 valves per cylinder
Cylinder arrangement: V8, 90°
Performance: approx 500bhp at 7500 rpm
Maximum torque: 500 Nm
Air intake restrictors: 2 x 28 mm diameter

Transmission:
Standard 6-speed transverse-mounted gearbox, rear-wheel drive, pneumatically operated sequential gear shift on steering wheel, mechanical differential lock without traction control, carbon fibre driveshaft, 3-plate carbon fibre clutch operated by foot pedal

Suspension:
Double wishbones with spring/damper units to front and rear axles, actuated via pushrods

Brakes:
Standard carbon braking system without ABS

Steering:
Rack and pinion steering with power assistance

Wheels / tyres:
Aluminium wheels, control tyres

Wheels: Front 12×18, Rear 13×18
Tyres: Front 300/680 R18, Rear 310/710 R18