Facts
-
Role
Official DTM Safety Car -
Season
2002 -
Engine
3.2-litre V6 supercharged engine -
Displacement
3,199 cm3 -
Power
260 kW / 354 hp -
Top Speed
250 km/h -
Gearbox
5-speed automatic -
Drive
Rear-wheel drive
With the SLK 32 AMG, AMG went considerably further than simply fitting a supercharger to the familiar 3.2-litre V6. Numerous engine components were revised, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshaft and valve train. An air-to-water intercooler ensured that the additional power remained available even under heavy load.
The suspension, brakes and aerodynamics were also adapted to match the performance level. The rear track was widened, the springs and dampers were retuned, and larger, internally ventilated disc brakes were fitted. Even the small spoiler at the rear had a clear function: according to Mercedes-Benz, it reduced lift at the rear axle by more than 50 percent.
The vehicle
The DTM race car shared little more than its silhouette with a standard C-Class. Beneath the bodywork lay a fully-fledged prototype: racing chassis, carbon fibre components, large aerodynamic surfaces and a high-revving four-litre V8, the air intake of which was restricted by the regulations.
480 PS / 353 kW and some 500 Newton-metres were the dimensions Mercedes worked with in this generation of the DTM. In 2006, a development freeze was also imposed on the DTM cars. Competitive advantage thus shifted heavily towards set-up, tyre management, strategy and flawless pit work. This was precisely where the strength of the well-developed HWA package lay.
The motorsport context
For its deployment as a safety car in the 2002 DTM, the SLK 32 AMG was fitted with the necessary signalling and communications technology. Any further adaptations made to this specific exhibition vehicle should be checked against its individual vehicle documentation.
The above provided a suitable basis for the role: even the series production model had been clearly designed for dynamic performance, featuring high-performance brakes, a modified chassis and a comprehensively overhauled powertrain.
Fun fact
Even before the launch of the SLK 32 AMG, one of Mercedes’ most prominent racing drivers got his hands on it, namely Bernd Schneider. In November 2000, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the new AMG model in the presence of the newly crowned DTM champion, who was given the opportunity to take the roadster out on its first test drives. Two years later, the SLK 32 AMG became a familiar sight as the safety car in the DTM – the racing series that definitively shaped Schneider’s career.
The story behind the car
When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the SLK in 1996, the main technical highlight was the electro-hydraulically retractable Vario roof: the open-top roadster could be transformed into a closed coupé in a matter of seconds. The model was given a further facelift in 2000 – and the SLK 32 AMG became the sportiest model of the first SLK generation.
The SLK 32 AMG remained a rarity within the successful first SLK generation. Of the total of 311,222 vehicles built in the R 170 series, only 4,333 were the top-of-the-range AMG model. Its use as DTM Safety Car gave this already rare variant an additional link to motorsport. An SLK 32 AMG safety car was later displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum as part of an exhibition of historic Mercedes-Benz safety cars. The Red Bull Ring Classics is thus welcoming back to the race track an automobile that was itself once a key component of the DTM.
The legend
- The SLK 32 AMG managed to combine the compact dimensions of a roadster with the performance of a fully-fledged AMG model. It was precisely this combination that made it an unusual addition to the Mercedes range.
- As the DTM Safety Car, the SLK was not a racing car in the strict sense. Its role was to guide the field safely around the circuit in tricky weather conditions or in the aftermath of collisions. Even so, it brought the technology and presence of a high-performance AMG to the race track.
- The combination of a rare production model, AMG technology and DTM deployment makes the SLK 32 AMG Safety Car a special historical artefact of the early 2000s.