#Sauber C11

[vintagercfreak]

Mercedes-Benz C11 1990: #TAM47484

A few weeks ago I saw a YT video about this kit and instantly got rememmbered about the older days. This was back then one of my favorit kits in the Tamiya catalog.

Since I was a child back then I couldn't afford it and my parents refused to buy it. In addition there wasn't an "on road" track nearby to drive it properly. So it remained a dream.

But now it's time to make this dream become reality :-)

Racecar history:

Whenever Group C sportscars are shown nowadays the're well known for their pure insanity and a lot of people well remember cars like the C11, hte 787B from Mazda and the XJR-11 from Jaguar.

The car had its race debut in 1990 at Monza and scorred a pos 1 / 2 with well known drivers like Karl Wendlinger, Jean-Louis Schlesser, Jochen Mass and Maro Baldi. During the 1990 season of the World Sports-Prototype Championship the car managed to win a total of 7 races. However the C11 didn't take part of the famous 24hrs of LeMans. Sauber decied to not defend their victory in 1989 since the 1990 24hrs of LeMans didn't count for the Sports-Prototype Championship.

Most of the other Sports-Prototype drivers, including Martin Brundle in his XJR-11, sayd, that it would have been nearly impossible to follow the car since it was way easier to drive, had more power and more efficient aerodynamics than other group c racecars back then.

In 1991 the successor was the Sauber C-291 but due to some techincal issues in the early season Sauber decided to run the C11 along the successor.

More details can be found in this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C11

RC kit history:

In 1990 Tamiya first released the Sauber C11 as kit with item-Nr 58088. 14 Years after its initial release there was a second kit with Item-Nr 58351. While tha chassis itself stayed more or less the same the newer kit included an allready painted and finished body.

The box cover changed in 2009 when they released a second batch / version from the Tamiya specific white box art to a black box art.

In 2022...18 Years after the last release...Tamiya decided to bring it back to customers not with the item-nr 47484 and again with a black art box cover.

While the chassis remained almost the same the newest releases all contain a clear polycarbonate body (1mm) and a sports tuned motor as well as high grip foam sponge tyres.

More details about the dimmensions and a detailled parts list are available here https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/110-f-1gtindy-cars/rc-1990-mercedes-benz-c11/ and here https://tamiyabase.com/tamiya-models/47484-47484#original

The build:

I found the kit at a nearby hobby shop in Switzerland for about 150$ https://www.scamora.ch/pi/RC-MODELLE/Auto-Modelle/Elektro-On-Road/Bausatz-Modelle/rc-kit-tamiya-sauber-mercedes-benz-c11-1990-110.html

Compared to other vinatge kits and re-releases this is a rather easy one to find.

The kit is easy to build and it's quite fast since the manual only consits of 20 build steps with additional 6 for the painting and livery.

Since I first saw a build clip on YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4oZGuvd84o I got hooked to the few hop up options and decided to add them as well.

Hop-up parts:

Unfortunately the YT clip isn't listing a detailled hop-up parts list. So it was a bit of fiddeling around with "pause" and "zoom" into the clip to get all the parts together. I doubt they do have much of an impact but if you can go with blue alloy tuning parts there's no doubt you should do :-) Here's a list of the used tuning / hop-up parts:

TAM42375 - 1280 Sealed Ball Bearings (2)

TAM54158 - Full alloy diff (F104)

TAM54240 - F104 Clamp Type Wheel Hub

TAM53008 - Kugellager 11x5x4mm (4)

TAM53901 - TRF Damper F013/F103GT/F104

Since there are no official hop-up parts for these vintage kits they need a bit of adjustments and I had to design and print some parts on my 3D printer to made them fit perfectly. But it's no big deal and you might find "fitting" parts in other kits out of the box.

If I find some time I'll publish the printable *.stl files on Thingiverse later on.

And like every other tuned rc car with hop-up parts from Tamiya this one looks great even if you don't see them with the body on.

[todomeaburre]

1991 24 Hours of Le Mans

[formlab]

Sauber C11, 1990

[autotopic]

1989 Mercedes-Sauber C9

After a 30-year break from endurance racing following the tragic 1955 Le Mans disaster, Mercedes-Benz decided that enough time had passed to make a triumphant return. In 1989, drivers Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens secured an overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their Sauber-Mercedes C9.

It was a memorable day for both Mercedes-Benz and Sauber, as the winning #63 car finished ahead of its sister car, driven by Mauro Baldi, Kenny Acheson, and Gianfranco Brancatelli. Two laps behind them, the third-place Joest Racing Porsche 962C, a car that had previously won Le Mans six times, completed the podium.

The Sauber C9, a Group C prototype, made its debut in the 1987 season. Developed by Peter Sauber, the car was built on an all-aluminum monocoque chassis with a rear steel subframe to house the Mercedes-Benz engine.

Due to the fuel restrictions of that era, the engine had to be highly efficient. Swiss engineer Heini Mader developed a production-based block that delivered a peak power of 720 bhp, though it was capped at around 650 bhp to save fuel.

During its initial 1987 season, the C9s were fielded by Kouros Racing with limited success. However, when Mercedes-Benz made it an official factory team in 1988, the car secured five victories, even under intense competition from the Silk Cut Jaguar team.

In 1989, the C9 was refined to its ultimate form, featuring a new DOHC-head M119 V8 engine. That year, the C9s dominated the racing circuit, winning every event but one. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the car set a record of 247 mph (398 km/h) on the Mulsanne Straight.

Following their remarkable run, including winning the 1989 World Sports Car Championship, the Sauber-Mercedes C9 was named Racing Car of the Year by Autosport. The team then moved on to the next chapter, introducing the C11 model for the 1990 season.

[frenchcurious]

Jochen Mass (Team Sauber Mercedes - Mercedes-Benz C11 #04) 480 km de Donington - WSPC 1990. - source Carros e Pilotos.

[ummick]

Mick Schumacher Fully Lives His Adventure At the 24 Hours of Le Mans With Alpine

Mick Schumacher is preparing to make his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For this 92nd edition of the Le Mans classic, he is driving the Alpine A424 #36 from Alpine Endurance Team entered in the Hypercar category. He shares his impressions at the start of this great adventure.

After having competed in single-seater championships, first and foremost the Formula 1 World Championship, Mick Schumacher (25 years old) entered endurance and therefore the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The German driver joined Alpine's hypercar program last winter. He pilots the A424 #36 alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere. He approaches the biggest endurance race in the world after showing strong performances in the previous three rounds of the FIA ​​WEC World Endurance Championship. "When we arrive at Le Mans, it's always with the ambition to shine and do the best possible. Being with Alpine, which is a French brand, gives another dimension," recognizes the man who competed in 43 grands prix between 2021 and 2022. Schumacher experienced the previous rounds of the FIA ​​WEC as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. "Everything is new to me. What is obvious is that people come here because of their passion for car racing, and that's a real pleasure. On a more personal level, I can't wait to race, to see what it's like to be on the go for 24 hours, because I've never had this experience. There is always something happening here, there is constant traffic, so being in the wrong place at the wrong time can be costly. This is an additional challenge. You have to constantly have a strategy in mind to be sure you can finish your relay."

One of the many special features of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is night driving, a new experience for Schumacher and one that he appreciated last night during the second free practice session. "Frankly, I didn't find the exercise that difficult," he tempers. "During the tests we conducted in Jerez, it seemed much harder to me than here. To be honest, I really liked it. This gives different sensations. My teammates have experience of night driving and I'm going to learn a lot from them. The race is going to be exciting, that’s for sure." He can count on the valuable advice of Nicolas Lapierre, who has sixteen participations. "We spend a lot of time with Mick. With the other drivers, we talk about traffic or slow zones, which can be quite tricky. The point of alertness that I specifically pointed out to him is sunrise. I advised him to stay focused because, seeing the day dawn, you almost have the impression that the race is over, so much so that attention is relaxed and that's when we see a lot of errors occurring," explains the leader of the drivers of the brand with the A arrow.

Given his experience in Formula 1, Mick Schumacher cannot escape the comparison with endurance. He is categorical: "It's not comparable. I strive to separate the two, not to create a bridge in terms of driving style, to be 100% on one side or the other. A hypercar is heavier, but it's still fun to drive. The car is made for Le Mans, so every time I get behind the wheel it's a joy." Schumacher is therefore preparing to add a new string to his bow. Between technical challenges, adaptation to night driving and constant learning, this race promises to be a decisive step in the young pilot's career. Remember that his father, Michael, took part in the Le Mans classic in 1991 at the wheel of a Sauber Mercedes C11 which he shared with Karl Wendlinger and Fritz Kreutzpointner. This unique participation resulted in fifth place in the general classification and the best lap in the race. We bet that Mick would happily sign up for such an assessment next Sunday at 3 p.m.

[th21w]

Sauber Mercedes-Benz C11, Sauber Mercedes-Benz C291, Sauber Mercedes-Benz C292

[yom-2]

1990 Sauber-Mercedes C11

via arboboost

[hotguyswdogs]

Sauber-Mercedes C11

[davorkuhelj]

Mercedes-Benz C112 - Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart The Mercedes-Benz C112 was an experimental mid-engine concept car built in 1991 by German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as a test bed, similar to the later versions of the C111. Despite using the same chassis code, it was not related to the W112 series of limousines and coupes of the 1960s. The C112 was intended to be the road-legal counterpart of the Sauber-built C11 Group C prototype race car developed for the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship. Features and specifications: The C112 was equipped with the new 6.0-litre (5,987cc) M120 V12 engine, with peak power of 300 kW (408 PS; 402 hp) and peak torque of 580 N⋅m (428 lb⋅ft). The body was built by the Italian coach builder Carrozzeria Coggiola on the chassis supplied by Mercedes-Benz. The use of pop-up headlamps, a common feature on sports cars at that time was avoided as it increased drag and created aerodynamic turbulence, two fixed units with clear lenses and transparent fairings were used while the fog lamps and indicator lamps were integrated into the front bumper, made from Kevlar. An electronically controlled front spoiler was integrated into the funnel-shaped underwing inlet located under the front bumper's air-intake. A notable feature of the car were the gullwing doors, giving a nod to the iconic 300 SL. Door opening was servo-assisted by hydraulic cylinders positioned under the roof. The doors were designed in such a way that they could be bent open in case of a roll-over.  #mercedes #mercedesbenz #mercedesc112 #midengine #v12engine #experimental #mercedeslife #mercedeslifestyle #mercedesheritage #classiccars #classiccar #luxurycars #traveling #travelgram #travel #enjoyinglife #carmuseum #museum #museums #mercedesmuseum #c112 #carrozzeriacoggiola #rarecars #vintagecars #sportcars #supercars #photooftheday #history #carhistory #prototype (at Mercedes-Benz Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoF5JxkovIE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tifosif1]

Here’s What Group C Liveries Would Look Like On F1 Machinery.

[davescheapgarage]

[silhouettehistory]

24H Winners SilhouetteHistory

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[s-t-r-m]

C11

[carpr0n]

Starring: Mercedes-Benz C11 

By Jose Maria Gallardo Castro

[itracing]

Sauber-Mercedes C11

Image by Marcin Wojciechowski || FB