cyrenepenya: Mercedes-Benz hooks DTM up with a new C63 AMG safety car

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Mercedes-Benz hooks DTM up with a new C63 AMG safety car

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Safety, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

2011 DTM Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG safety car - Click above for high-res image gallery

The DTM series and Mercedes-Benz have a long and beautiful history together. Particularly when it comes to the AMG-tuned C-Class. That's the car that the German automaker currently runs in the touring car series, and stands as the most successful in the series' history. Also, one of the most coveted models Mercedes AMG ever made was the CLK DTM. And now the latest C63 AMG will be setting the pace as the series' new safety car.

The safety car is essentially the same as the model you can order from your local showroom, complete with the AMG Performance Package, but has been outfitted with such features as flashing LEDs front, rear and top, Safety Car decals on every exterior surface and an interior fitted with a communications radio, TV monitor for watching the live race feed, a pair of bucket seats with four-point harnesses and a steering wheel covered in Nappa leather and Alcantara.

While this latest iteration will debut at Hockenheim this weekend, this isn't the first time that the C63 has been called into this particular line of duty. In fact Mercedes-AMG has provided pace cars to DTM every year since its relaunch in 2000, the C63 filling the role since 2008. But rather than replacing the R8 safety car, the Mercedes alternates with Audi from race to race. Which are the only two teams currently on the grid, leaving us to wonder what they'll do when BMW joins in next year.

Gallery: 2011 DTM Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG safety car