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Photo: DaimlerChrysler        Background retouching and further preparation for the web by MBEP webmaster

Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG is new Formula 1 Safety Car

· CL 55 AMG leading the Grand Prix field
· V8 engine from Mercedes-AMG with 265 kW/360 hp
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Stuttgart /Affalterbach – When the first race of the new Formula 1 season starts in Melbourne on March 12th, the Silver Arrows of world champion Mika Häkkinen and team colleague David Coulthard will be accompanied by another Mercedes-Benz performing a vital Grand Prix service: the CL 55 AMG. This silver flagship coupe will in future be present at all international Formula 1 races as the official Safety Car, which is brought into action whenever the field is ”frozen” for a short period due to rain or accidents. In these cases, the Safety Car takes up position at the front of the field and leads the Formula 1 racing cars until the race can be continued. In this role, the CL 55 AMG replaces the CLK 55 AMG, which has proved its capabilities as a Safety Car at the Grand Prix races of the last few seasons and has also proved very popular with customers as a road-going version.
Even when the Safety Car does take the head of the field at a race, it certainly doesn’t mean crawling along. To ensure that the high-tech engines of the sensitive Formula 1 racers do not overheat and their tires do not overcool and thereby lose adhesion, the Safety Car as lead car has to set a quick pace. On some tracks, that requirement means speeds of up to 280 km/h. Strong sprinting capacity and a high top speed are also necessary to ensure that the Safety Car can race to its required position at the head of the Formula 1 field in as short a time as possible in order to secure the track.

Both photos: DaimlerChrysler	Both: Backgr. ret. and further prep. for the web by MBEP webmaster

Strong sprinter with race tuning
The Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG provides the optimal basis for high-speed applications: its powerful 265 kW/360 hp V-8 engine accelerates the majestic coupe effortlessly to 100 km/h in only 6 seconds and passes the 1000 meter mark in only 25.4 seconds.
To enable the car to perform its special function on Formula 1 tracks, the engineers at Mercedes-AMG have upgraded certain details of the road version of the CL 55 AMG. For racing-quality braking, the Safety Car has a racing car brake system with newly developed 8-piston fixed caliper disc brakes and 380-millimeter brake discs at the front and 315-millimeter discs at the rear. On the basis of long experience of racing, the specialists in Affalterbach have set a much stiffer wheel damping characteristic and have lowered the vehicle by about 15 millimeters, while widening the front track by 20 millimeters and the rear track by 30 millimeters. The unique ABC suspension fitted as standard minimizes both body roll during cornering and diving movements when braking. At the front, the Mercedes AMG Safety Car runs on wide size 255/40 tires fitted on 8.5 x 19-inch wheels. At the rear, the car has size 285/35 tires on 9.5 x 19-inch wheels.
The special equipment for deployment on Grand Prix tracks is completed by racing-design bucket seats with 4-point harness belts, an interior design in sporty carbon instead of wood trim, and the lighting system specified by the FIA with roof lights, together with the radio system with camera and TV equipment.
The Mercedes-Benz CL 55 AMG is continuing in a tradition and following in the tracks of the Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG, which has performed the function of Safety Car with flying colors for the last two years – often out of sight of the millions of spectators. After all, the Safety Car has to demonstrate its power and reliability even before each Formula 1 race starts, since it is used for synchronizing the timers along the track in punishing long drives at constant top speed.
In its operational service as Safety Car, the CL 55 AMG will be driven by experienced racing driver Bernd Mayländer.
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Active Body Control combines sporty character with comfort
The active suspension system – known as Active Body Control (ABC) – which the CL 55 AMG has adopted from the standard CL, represents a milestone in the field of driving dynamics and ride comfort. This system adjusts the damping of the car body within seconds to the current driving situation by means of high-pressure hydraulics and a high-performance control unit, thereby reducing body movements during drive-away, cornering and braking.
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End of DaimlerChrysler press text from March 6th 2000. Slightly revised by MBEP webmaster.
Three points ... denote deleted text not dealing with the F1 safety car.

Photo: DaimlerChrysler        Background retouching and further preparation for the web by MBEP webmaster

Last revised: March 7th 2000  Visits since March 7th 2000.

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