2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S Takes Over From SLS As Formula 1 Safety Car

Oh, how we’ll miss that bellowing 6.2-litre V8 being driven flat-out around the circuit as TV commentators introduced the starting grid before each Formula 1 race – you can thank Bernd Mayländer, its driver, for any theatrics you would have seen on the grid before, and again this year.

Anyways, it’s about the 2015 Formula 1 season gets cracking again, and with the era of the SLS coming to an end, Mercedes-AMG is sending forth its latest and greatest flagship racer, the AMG GT: specifically in its most powerful ‘S’ form.

This F1 season, fans may want to listen out for the sound of AMG’s latest 4.0-litre biturbo V8 howling around circuits worldwide – it shouldn’t be too hard with the F1 cars themselves sounding a bit “tame” if pre-season is any firm indication.

What won’t be so tame is the V8 510hp and 650Nm powerhouse planted in the AMG GT, screaming its lungs out through a specially modified Performance Exhaust System.

Apart from a specially-tuned suspension, the new Safety Car is largely identical (performance wise) to what customers can buy on the road, all options included: AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission, 265/35 R 19 and 295/30 R 20 (rear) wheels, Edition 1-like aero package, and more.

The only things you couldn’t probably get Mercedes-AMG to equip for you are the telemetry, marshalling and data systems etc., which are of course unique to F1 safety cars.

There’s An All-New Medical Car Too

The all-new 2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate also takes over the role of Medical Car in this year’s F1 championship, alongside the new AMG GT S. The most hardcore version of the C 63 that money can buy is also equipped with a 4.0-litre biturbo V8, which here, makes even more torque than the AMG GT S: 510hp and 700Nm of torque.

Engineers have reworked the vehicle’s AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension to cater to its different uses on track: be it to get to an incident quickly, or to transport the injured comfortably.  The special brakes and wheels are plainly optional equipment to the production series C 63.