Mercedes-Benz C11
Encyclopedia
The Mercedes-Benz C11 was a Group C
prototype
race car introduced in 1990 for the World Sportscar Championship
. Built by Sauber
as a successor to the Sauber C9, the C11 used the same Mercedes-Benz M119
5.0L Turbocharged V8 from the C9. It was the first time that Mercedes-Benz chose to put their name on the car, instead of simply using Sauber.
Debuting at the first race of the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season
, the car did not actually race, choosing instead to run only in practice while the team used the reliable C9 from the previous year. However, for the 2nd race the C11 did race, and was able to successfully come home with first and second. Throughout the rest of the season, the C11 won all but one race and easily took the team's championship for the year.
Although Sauber-Mercedes had been successful in winning the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans
, the team choose not to defend the title in 1990 due to the race not being part of the World Sportscar Championship schedule. The team chose instead to concentrate on winning the championship.
Although the C11 was to be replaced by the Mercedes-Benz C291
for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season
, problems with the C291's new engine led Mercedes-Benz to continue to campaign the C11 alongside the C291. The C11 was able to gain three more class wins in the 1991 season before the C291 fully replaced it.
The reason that Sauber skipped from C9 to C11 is due to the difficult pronunciation of C10 in German, with C and 10 being pronounced nearly identically.
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
race car introduced in 1990 for the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
. Built by Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
as a successor to the Sauber C9, the C11 used the same Mercedes-Benz M119
Mercedes-Benz M119 engine
The Mercedes-Benz M119 was a V8 automobile engine produced from 1989 through 1999. It was available in 4.2 L; 5.0 L; and 6.0 L displacements. It was a double overhead cam design with 4 valves per cylinder and variable valve timing on the intake side...
5.0L Turbocharged V8 from the C9. It was the first time that Mercedes-Benz chose to put their name on the car, instead of simply using Sauber.
Debuting at the first race of the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season
1990 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1990 World Sportscar Championship season was the 38th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship racing. It featured the 1990 FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship for Drivers and the 1990 FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship for Teams, both of which were contested over a series for cars...
, the car did not actually race, choosing instead to run only in practice while the team used the reliable C9 from the previous year. However, for the 2nd race the C11 did race, and was able to successfully come home with first and second. Throughout the rest of the season, the C11 won all but one race and easily took the team's championship for the year.
Although Sauber-Mercedes had been successful in winning the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans
1989 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1989.-Race:The race was the last time the 24 Hours of Le Mans ran without the two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight; for the interest of safety to reduce speeds after speeds reaching in the previous...
, the team choose not to defend the title in 1990 due to the race not being part of the World Sportscar Championship schedule. The team chose instead to concentrate on winning the championship.
Although the C11 was to be replaced by the Mercedes-Benz C291
Mercedes-Benz C291
The Mercedes-Benz C291 was a Sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season.-Introduction:The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 litre formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used...
for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season
1991 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship season was the 39th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship, which was contested over an eight race series from 14 April to 28 October 28 1991...
, problems with the C291's new engine led Mercedes-Benz to continue to campaign the C11 alongside the C291. The C11 was able to gain three more class wins in the 1991 season before the C291 fully replaced it.
The reason that Sauber skipped from C9 to C11 is due to the difficult pronunciation of C10 in German, with C and 10 being pronounced nearly identically.
1990 Mercedes-Benz (Sauber) C11
- Year: 1990
- Make: Mercedes-BenzMercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
& SauberSauberSauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993.... - Model: C11
- Engine Location: Mid
- Drive Type: Rear Wheel
- Weight: 1995 lb | 904.9 kg
- Engine Configuration: V
- Cylinders: 8
- Aspiration/Induction: Twin-turbocharged
- DisplacementEngine displacementEngine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
: 4973.00 cc | 303.5 cu in. | 5 L. - HorsepowerHorsepowerHorsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
: 950.00 hp (699.2 kW) - HP to Weight Ratio: 2.1 lb (0.952543977 kg) / hp
- HP / Liter: 190.0 bhp / Liter
- Gears: 5 speed
- TransmissionTransmission (mechanics)A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
: Manual
- Top Speed: 402 km/h (250 mph)
External links
- Prototyp - Sauber C11
- www.ultimatecarpage.com - Sauber C11