By: Dave Abrahams
Berlin, Germany - Even before the 2015 DTM season reaches is climax with three closely spaced meetings at Oschersleben, the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, Mercedes-AMG has taken the wraps off next season's C63 AMG DTM racer and a special edition road car to match.
The race car is based of course, on the new C63 AMG Coupé, although the family resemblance is a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, AMG has brought out companion models - the DTM Launch Edition 1 - of the C63 and C63 S Coupés, to make the most of it.
Unlike the road car, the DTM racing machine is built on a carbon-fibre monocoque with a steel roll cage and crumple zones, and carbon-fibre bonnet, doors side panels and wings.
It has a four-litre V8 engine, limited by two 28mm air restictor plates to 360kW at 7500 revs and 500Nm, driving the rear wheels via a three-plate carbon-fibre clutch, pneumatically operated, six-speed sequential gearbox, carbon-fibre propshaft and mechanical lock-up differential, with no ABS or traction control.
Suspension is by double wishbones all round with pushrod-operated inboard dampers, braking by carbon-ceramic discs inside 18 inch rims shod with 300/680 front and 320/710 rear control slicks, and the whole car weighs just 1120kg.
Performance, needless to say, is like a kick in the kidneys from a muay thai master.
EDITION 1
Each of the two special-edition C63 AMG Coupé road models has its own distinctive livery. the 375kW C63 S, in particular, is resplendent in metallic grey with yellow foil, and black rims with yellow flanges. There are yellow 'go-fast' stripes on the bonnet, roof, boot-lid and down the sides above the sill trims.
The AMG aero kit, in gloss black, includes an extra-large front spoiler, special skirts and diffuser fins and a special boot-lid spoiler.
Inside, there are AMG Sports seats upholstered in nappa leather and a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel in Dinamica microfibre, in addition to the standard C63 AMG features.