Which Mercedes-Benz is this?

[Cider Andy]

A little bit of fun, here's a photo I took a couple of weeks ago. Which Mercedes model is it? I'll post more clues later, unless it's identified.

[dazren]

Guessing one of the F1 safety cars? SLK55 or CLK55/63?



DAZ

(BR I think all AMG 65 come with grey coloured lighter weight titanium alloys?)

Edited by dazren on Sunday 25th June 23:51

[dazren]

A good point. Forgot about the new S series.

DAZ

[zaktoo]

Maybe CLK DTM?

[zaktoo]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Ah, ok ;-)
S 65 AMG it must be then, I suspect...

Edit: Nope, the S 65 has 5 spoke jobbies...

Edited by zaktoo on Monday 26th June 10:01

[Cider Andy]

Dazren, you're right on the money with your guesses, now tell me exactly which car it is:



More pictures will follow.

[dazren]

CLK63AMG?

[steve-p]

Looks like the current F1 safety car to me, i.e. the CLK63 AMG. Presumably you took the picture at the Silverstone GP a couple of weeks ago?

[Cider Andy]

Top marks, Steve-P, but you were just pipped at the post by Dazren! Yes, it's Berndt Mayländer's FIA steed. Here's a couple more pictures:





The car has a few visible modifications apart from obvious additions like the lighting bar. There are no rear seats, the area is just carpeted. The rear side trim panels are carbon fibre with a tranverse pole mounted behind the front AMG racing seats to mount the harnesses.

Curiously there is no VIN plate visible in the front screen. Presumably the car is owned by Merecedes-Benz and is not resold after the FIA has used it for a few years?

[steve-p]

Cider Andy said:

Curiously there is no VIN plate visible in the front screen. Presumably the car is owned by Merecedes-Benz and is not resold after the FIA has used it for a few years?

I expect it will go to one of the MB museums when it is retired.

[pentoman]

Awesome car..

[Cider Andy]

pentoman said:

Awesome car..

Yes, as is the C55 estate next to it. Whether it's true or not, I don't know, but I heard a report that after each Grand Prix all four cars (two identical safety cars, two identical medical cars) are sent back to Stuttgart for servicing, where their engines are stripped and rebuilt. If that's the case, they will have been flown back to Germany from Montreal this week for this 'service' then returned to Indiana for this weekend's Grand Prix.