Alongside the official F1 Safety Car Mercedes also revealed today the fastest ambulance on the planet - the Mercedes C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car. The Mercedes C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car is also equipped with AMG's 6.3-litre V8 engine that outputs 336 kW/457 hp and 600 Nm of torque. The Mercedes C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car is equipped with a SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC PLUS transmission which blips the throttle when changing down in order to achieve better smoothness.
Mercedes Press Release:
C 63 AMG Estate: the new Official F1 Medical Car
Alongside the SL 63 AMG Safety Car, a second AMG high-performance automobile will celebrate its premiere at this season's first Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia: the C 63 AMG Estate Official F1 Medical Car. At the start of every Grand Prix, the high-speed AMG estate car will follow the Formula 1 field on the first lap. This is because the first lap represents a critical phase of the race in which the field of Formula 1 vehicles is especially tightly bunched. Also in the event of an accident during the race, the Medical Car is the first vehicle on the scene and is able to guarantee the fastest possible emergency treatment.
This quite special C 63 AMG Estate has excellent credentials for such a challenging task, where literally every second counts: the high-performance estate vehicle is powered by the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine, which delivers 336 kW/457 hp and 600 Newton-metres of torque. The AMG sport exhaust system boasts larger pipe diameters and new rear silencers, this resulting in a considerably more distinctive sound that comes out of the two chrome-plated dual tailpipes. In order to guarantee greater reliability, the cooling of coolant, engine oil, transmission oil and power steering has been optimized, this being visible also from the new AMG front apron with
its considerably larger cooling-air openings. The power from the engine is transmitted via the AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7G-TRONIC PLUS, which blips the throttle when changing down for even greater smoothness. Perfect traction is guaranteed by the combination of 3-stage ESP® and differential lock with 35 percent locking effect.
New thread chassis and AMG high-performance braking system
Like the SL 63 AMG Safety Car, the C 63 AMG Estate Official F1 Medical Car also features a newly developed thread chassis combining sportscar-like driving dynamics with versatile adjustment possibilities, thus additionally allowing the chassis setup to be customized to a specific racetrack. Equally responsible for perfect road feel is the selected wheel/tyre combination: the 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels of 8.5-inch (front) and 9.5-inch (rear) width are fitted with Pirelli tyres of sizes 255/35 and 285/30, respectively. Concealed behind the attractive multi-spoke wheels is a powerful AMG high-performance braking system, which guarantees extremely short stopping distances with its internally ventilated and perforated composite brake discs on the front axle of size 360 x 36 mm
with six-piston fixed callipers together with 330 x 26 millimetre, internally ventilated and perforated discs on the rear axle. The newly developed cooling system for the especially highly stressed front-axle brakes optimizes the fading resistance of the braking system at high ambient temperatures.
F1 logos, roof bar and flashlights as distinctive marks
At first glance, the C 63 AMG Estate Official F1 Medical Car closely resembles its standard-production counterpart. However, a closer inspection reveals the new AMG front apron with its larger cooling-air openings. At the rear, the cooler which has been integrated into the diffuser insert points to the active cooling of the rear-axle differential. Like the Safety Car, the Medical Car, too, draws attention to its special role on the track through its F1 logos, roof bar and strobe-like LED flashlights at front and rear. Enhanced visibility in darkness or bad weather is ensured by the LED-illuminated number plate with Medical Car lettering on the boot lid tailgate.
The Official F1 Medical Car is driven by Dr. Jacques Tropenat (France), who is a medic and amateur race driver. His co-driver is Dr. Gary Hartstein (Belgium), who is the official FIA Grand Prix Chief Medical Officer. Both of them are accommodated in AMG sports bucket seats with 4-point seatbelts, as are the two medical assistants in the rear. Two monitors in the centre console help the crew to supervise the action on the racetrack, while an on-board two-way radio system is responsible for communication with the race management. The functional feel of the interior is marked by black leather appointments and carbon-fibre trim parts. The 365-millimetre AMG performance steering wheel with its flat underside on the steering wheel rim and AMG aluminium shift paddles guarantees perfect control over the vehicle. With its unrivalled volume of 485 litres, the luggage compartment offers ample space for the full complement of emergency equipment, including defibrillator and respirator.
Transfer from motor sport to series production
Both the SL 63 AMG Official F1 Safety Car and the C 63 AMG Estate Official F1 Medical Car impressively document the transfer from motor sport to series production. With reference to the example of the SL 63 AMG, numerous components in the Safety Car are available straight from the factory. The AMG Performance Package for the SL 63 AMG includes, for instance, the 360-millimetre composite disc brakes on the front axle; the rear-axle differential lock; the 19-inch AMG light-alloy forged wheels and the AMG performance steering wheel. The same is true of the Medical Car: the AMG Performance Package for the C 63 AMG (saloon and estate models) includes, for example, the composite disc brakes on the front axle of size 360x36mm and the rear-axle differential lock. The 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels are optionally available.
AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO responsible for development
The development, track-testing and production of the two Safety Cars and the two Medical Cars – in both cases, there is one emergency vehicle and one replacement vehicle available – is carried out by the specialists from the AMG development team and the AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO. This involves drawing on over 40 years of know-how from the field of motor sport as well as the wealth of experience in the design of high-performance sports automobiles. Numerous test drives were carried out on various Formula 1 racetracks in order to tune the suspension and verify all the systems and components.
