MARCH 15, 2003

Mercedes's new Safety Car

Mercedes-Benz has been the official supplier of the Safety Car to F1 since 1997 and in that time we have seen the CLK 55 AMG, the CL 55 AMG and the SL55 AMG all doing the job. This year the new CLK 55 AMG coupe has taken over the job with Bernd Maylander once again at the wheel.

The F1 Safety Car has to fulfil stringent requirements for the job as it must be fast enough to avoid the F1 engines overheating and the brakes and tyres cooling down too much. The 5.5-litre V8 has been tuned to produce 367 horsepower. The car may look similar to roadgoing versions but it is fitted with a vast array of extra equipment, including radio systems and TV cameras to monitor what is going on.