0 sport auto Award 2013: Threefold victory for Mercedes-AMG in the vote for the sportiest car of 2013

The sporting heart of Mercedes-Benz continues to beat firmly and with gusto - as confirmed by the latest reader poll undertaken by the German motoring magazine "sport auto", which had called for its readers to vote for "the sportiest cars of 2013". Mercedes‑AMG took the first place in three categories. Winners of the "sport auto Award" 2013 were the A 45 AMG, the C 63 AMG and the SLS AMG GT.

More than 230 cars, in 15 categories, lined up this year in the now traditional reader poll to determine the sportiest cars around. 15,353 readers of the specialist motoring magazine "sport auto" cast their votes.

The undisputed leader in the compact car category was the A 45 AMG, which took almost a third of all votes. With 265 kW (360 hp) from a displacement of 1991 cc, its four-cylinder engine is considered to be the most powerful four-cylinder turbo unit in series production anywhere in the world.

Among saloons in the price range up to 100,000 euros, more than one in four "sport auto" readers voted to put the C 63 AMG with V8 engine, a displacement of 6208 cc and 336 kW (457 hp), in first place, while among the coupé models priced at more than 150,000 euros, the SLS AMG GT leapt convincingly ahead to take the lead in this high-octane category. From a displacement of 6208 cc, this model boasts 435 kW (591 hp). The SLS AMG GT is also the model supplied by AMG, the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, as the Official F1® Safety Car – the 18th time it has been provided by the brand.

Fittingly enough, the main prize in this year's poll – the winner of which was drawn from among all entries submitted – was a Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG. The lucky winner will therefore soon be driving a winning model.

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: sport auto Award 2013: Threefold victory for Mercedes-AMG in the vote for the sportiest car of 2013

0 24-Hours of Nürburgring: Victory for Black Falcon AMG customer team and first overall victory for Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

Mercedes-Benz and AMG today secured the first overall win in the 24-Hours of Nürburgring. Bearing starting number 9, Black Falcon with Bernd Schneider (Germany), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Sean Edwards (GB) and Nicki Thiim (Denmark) went from sixth position on the grid to finish the legendary endurance race 2:39 minutes ahead of the second placed car after 88 laps. This historic overall victory in the legendary endurance classic in the Eifel represents the first success for Mercedes-Benz. Record-breaking five-time DTM champion Bernd Schneider had a largely trouble-free race in the SLS AMG GT3 Black Falcon– an excursion off track on Monday morning ended without drama. The victory was rounded off by positions three and four for ROWE RACING.

Thomas Jäger was a double entrant, taking the cockpit in two SLS AMG GT3s prepared by ROWE RACING. In Gullwing #22, the former DTM driver, along with Klaus Graf, Jan Seyffarth and Nico Bastian (all Germany), came home in third place overall. Jäger, at the wheel of car number 23, aided by team-mates Lance David Arnold, Alexander Roloff and Jan Seyffarth (all Germany), finally took the chequered flag in fourth place.

Alexander Böhm, Black Falcon General Manager: “The ultra-reliable SLS AMG GT3 was once again the cornerstone for this historic victory. All the drivers did a great job – we were really fast, especially in the wet. A big thank you to all team members!”

Hans-Peter Naundorf, ROWE RACING Team Manager: “I am extremely pleased with securing P3 and P4 with #22 and #23, especially as we were forced to retire last year while in the lead. My thanks go to all drivers and team members. Congratulations to the winning team, Black Falcon.”

Uli Fritz, Head of AMG Customer Sports: “We were not among the favourites to win, as we are not a works team but simply a customer outfit. We are very excited about this historic success. So far in 2013, we have won every major endurance race with the SLS AMG GT3 – in January, the Dubai (UAE) 24-hour race, in February, the Bathurst 12-Hours (Australia) and now the legendary 24- hour race here at the Nürburgring. My congratulations go to all AMG customer teams, and many thanks to tyre partner Dunlop for the excellent manner in which they have supported our team.”

Ola Kaellenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “A great success for our customer teams Black Falcon and ROWE RACING. I am very pleased that we have succeeded at only the third attempt in taking the top spot in the SLS AMG GT3. This victory is the best confirmation of our customer sports programme.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Motorsport at Mercedes-Benz: “This victory in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring is the just reward for the loyalty of our customer teams. Mercedes-Benz has a magnificent tradition in endurance racing that stretches back as far as the 1950s. The Nürburgring has always had a great importance and symbolic meaning for Mercedes-Benz, because this is where the legend of the Silver Arrow was born, so it is all the more gratifying to witness the success here today of the AMG customer teams. The Mercedes-Benz name stands for performance, quality and reliability – which are the perfect prerequisites for winning such a tough race on the most demanding racetrack in the world. I extend my congratulations to our customer teams, Black Falcon and ROWE RACING. Credit is also due to Mercedes-AMG for their outstanding support without which this success could not have been achieved.”

Bernd Schneider, Black Falcon, # 9: “Our car was super to drive, especially in the wet, and even while the surface was drying out, we were always up with the leading group. I’ve attempted the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring on several previous occasions, but this is the first time I’ve ever crossed the finish line. My congratulations and thanks go to the whole team. The guys at Black Falcon did a great job.”

Thomas Jäger, ROWE RACING, # 22: “Once again, we have seen what a fabulous car the SLS AMG GT3 is to drive, even under these very difficult conditions here at the Nürburgring. Our third and fourth place finishes represent a great team result for ROWE RACING, and obviously I’m delighted for the guys at Black Falcon on their historic victory.”

Lance David Arnold, ROWE RACING, # 23: “I’m very pleased that I was able to finish fourth on my very first outing for the AMG customer team ROWE RACING. This was very tough race, not least because of the heavy rain and the constantly changing conditions. I’d like to express my gratitude and congratulations to the whole team.”

Seven SLS AMG GT3s in 24-hour race at Nürburgring

There were no fewer than seven SLS AMG GT3s contesting the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Car number 63 entered by Black Falcon and driven by Vimal Mehta (IND), Kaled al Qubaisi (UAE), Daniel Keilwitz and Christian Bracke (both GER) finished in 19th position. Number 125 (ROWE RACING) with Michael Zehe, Reinhold Renger, Marko Hartung and Mark Bullit (all GER) sharing the cockpit crossed the line in P27. Car number 10, also entered by Black Falcon and driven by Andrii Lebed (UKR), Andreas Simonsen (SWE), Dennis Rostek (GER) and Hari Proczyk (AUT), spent much of the race under repair and eventually finished in 130th position. The ROWE RACING number 21 driven by Marko Hartung, Kenneth Heyer, Roland Rehfeld and Christan Hohenadel (all GER) had to retire from the race after an accident.

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: 24-Hours of Nürburgring: Victory for Black Falcon AMG customer team and first overall victory for Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

0 75 years ago: Triple victory for Mercedes-Benz in Tripoli

A triple victory was secured for Mercedes-Benz and the then new W 154 twelve-cylinder racing car on 15 May 1938. Hermann Lang won the Tripoli Grand Prix, ahead of fellow drivers Manfred von Brauchitsch and Rudolf Caracciola. This one-two-three win launched a season that saw Mercedes-Benz dominate European racing – a season in which Caracciola would also be crowned European Champion.Sand, heat and a dangerously fast route: the conditions faced by participants in the 1938 Tripoli Grand Prix, the first major race of the season. After 40 laps of the 13.1 kilometre course, Hermann Lang secured victory driving the new Mercedes-Benz W 154 racing car in 2h 33m 17.14s. The former motor racing mechanic earned the first starting place after achieving the fastest training time (3m 26.24s) and dominated the entire race. He lapped the entire field – even the two W 154 vehicles driven by his teammates, who finished the race 4m 38.50s (von Brauchitsch) and 5m 13.62s (Caracciola) later.

“I was the first foreigner to now have won the million-dollar race twice in succession,” reminisces Lang in his autobiography “Vom Rennmonteur zum Meisterfahrer” (From racing mechanic to racing champion). He secured victory in the Tripoli Grand Prix for Mercedes-Benz a total of three times, one year after the other: in 1937 with the W 125, in 1938 with the W 154 and in 1939 driving the 1.5-litre W 165 racing car designed specifically for the event – ahead of Rudolf Caracciola, who secured the double victory, equally behind the wheel of the W 165.

V12 racing car for the new Grand Prix formula

In 1938, there was a new formula for the Grand Prix vehicle: the cars with mechanical chargers were permitted a maximum of 3 litres displacement, no more than 4.5 litres with a naturally aspirated engine. These specifications called for a completely new vehicle and head engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut used them as a basis for designing the Mercedes-Benz race car with twelve-cylinder engine. The W 154 was capable of achieving up to 468 hp (344 kW), its V12 engine with 60-degree cylinder bank angle was supplied with compressed intake air via two roots type compressors. An aerodynamically efficient vehicle body protected the technology within. Racing manager Alfred Neubauer recalls the design of the W 154 in his biography: “It looked more like a silver ray than a silver arrow, it was more like the wing of a utopian jet fighter than an automobile.”

The new W 154 made its first appearance at the Pau Grand Prix on 10 April 1938. The main priority for the Mercedes-Benz racing team here was to sound out what exactly the new car was capable of. Hermann Lang described this Grand Prix as a “test run under racing conditions”.

The championship in sight

The actual season kicked off in Tripoli. The team travelled by land to Palermo, where they continued on to Libya by ship. “Tripoli is always an experience, despite the heat, the awful fine, dusty yellow sand and the particularly nasty midgets,” remembers Rudolf Caracciola. The 1938 race was a very difficult one; for the first time the Grand Prix vehicles were starting together with the Voiturettes. The various speeds made for some hairy encounters along the circuit.

Mercedes-Benz continued the successful streak started in Tripoli with the qualifying race for the European Championship. Triple victories were also secured at the French Grand Prix (3 July 1938) and the Swiss Grand Prix (21 August 1938). At the German Grand Prix (24 July 1938), the “Silver Arrow” from Mercedes-Benz secured first and second place. Third place in the Italian Grand Prix (11 September 1938) was then achieved by Rudolf Caracciola to secure the title.

Credits: Daimler AG

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Detail: 75 years ago: Triple victory for Mercedes-Benz in Tripoli