Have you ever felt like yelling out “Lucky B*$#*rd” at somebody you know is doing your dream job? I have, and still do, whenever I see an image of Bernd Maylaender. Yes, everybody who is a regular reader of autoX knows who he is – every time the F1 Safety Car is called out on track during a race, which it did on many occasions at Monaco this year, it is he who drives the car.

Firstly, the guy gets to drive a specially prepared AMG. Then, he gets to drive it on all the F1 tracks. AND, he gets to lead the entire field of F1 cars on track. At every race, through the year! What’s more, he gets paid to do it! With AMG having provided nine generations of Safety Cars to F1 over the last 14 years, starting with the C36 AMG (W202) in 1997 to the SL 63 AMG (R 230) in 2009, and each being a bomb to drive, can you blame me for venting my feelings? What takes the cake this year, the 60th year of Formula One, is that Maylaender is driving the ultimate AMG till date – the SLS! If I was green in 2008 and 2009, I’m the darkest shade of green known to man now. I mean, the SLS AMG!

Ok, I’ve just had a cold bath to cool me down, so I’m going to stay as calm as possible while I tell you what the new Safety Car is all about. I’ve also got a bucket of ice water next to me to keep myself in check. So here goes.
 
The SLS replaces the SL 63 AMG, which did duty in 2008 and 2009. Simply put, it’s the most powerful Official F1 Safety Car of all time. With its super-sportscar concept, and those gullwings, it’s also the coolest looking, most stylish Safety Car ever. With a 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 571bhp and a peak torque of 650Nm, housed within an aluminium spaceframe body, making the kerb weight just 1,620 kilograms, the SLS goes from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds. To ensure superlative driving dynamics while doing laps at speeds high enough to keep the following Formula One cars’ engines cool, and their brakes and tyres hot, the engine employs dry-sump lubrication so that the AMG V8 powerplant can be installed very low in the chassis – resulting in a low centre of gravity.

Weight distribution has been optimized to 47/53 (front/rear) by having the installation position a long way behind the front axle and the transaxle arrangement of the new seven-speed double-clutch transmission on the rear axle. The suspension is tuned too, consisting of aluminium double-wishbone axles at the front and rear for precise turn-in ability and agility, as well as low mass inertia when changing direction – giving the SLS a high cornering limit.
 
Power is transmitted in the SLS via an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission with double-clutch technology. This ensures the gear changes are fast with almost no interruption in the flow of tractive power. In manual mode, gear changes can be made in 100 milliseconds. Together with the 3-stage ESP, the integrated mechanical multidisc differential lock ensures outstanding traction. Meanwhile, braking distances are minimised, and resistance to fading is maximised, thanks to large 402x39mm ceramic discs on the front axle, and 360x32mm on the rear axle. Weight-optimised 10-spoke forged wheels shod with 265/35 R19 (front) and 295/30 R20 (rear) tyres keep the SLS on the move on track. While this is basically the same engine, transmission, suspension and brake set-up as the standard-production SLS AMG, the technology package for the super sports car means that no technical modifications or lightweight-design measures are necessary, except for a free-flowing all-new rear silencer, which allows the V8 engine to scavenge more efficiently while sounding even better.


 
What distinguishes the Safety Car externally compared to the standard-production SLS, are its prominent F1 logos, carbon-fibre exterior mirrors, and the characteristic roof light bar with an integrated TV camera and energy-efficient LEDs. It sits on an all-new carbon-fibre hood – the shape of which has tested in the wind tunnel to ensure optimum airflow at the rear aerofoil. The aerofoil pops up when the car reaches 120 km/h to provide rear downforce. A special number plate at the rear, displaying the words ‘Safety Car,’ and equipped with 700 LEDs, provides additional safety in darkness or wet weather. There is a rear camera too integrated to the left of the number plate – allowing Maylaender and his co-driver to keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars behind via monitors.
 
The interior of the Safety Car differs only slightly from that of the standard-production model with AMG sports bucket seats with black leather upholstery to ensure optimum lateral support, and six-point seat belts. The centre console, like various other interior trim parts, is finished in genuine carbon fibre, while the 370mm AMG flat-bottomed steering wheel in leather/alcantara has a specially shaped grip area. Two metal shift paddles are used to actuate the double-clutch transmission. Two central monitors, placed one above the other, in the centre console help Maylaender and Pete Tibbetts monitor the progress of the race, and the radio system allows them to communicate with Race Control as well as with each other. A ‘Marshalling System’ is integrated in the central display on the instrument cluster, and in the lid of the glove compartment, so both the driver and co-driver can see exactly the same signals as the Formula-1 drivers in their cockpits – when yellow or green flags are being waved.
 
The AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO is responsible for the development, track-testing, and configuration of the SLS AMG F1 Safety Car. Over 40 years of know-how from the field of motorsport, as well as the wealth of experience in the design of high-performance sports cars has gone into it – not to mention the numerous test drives on various racetracks in order to tune the suspension so that Maylaender gets a fun car to drive on the track!
 
Lucky B*$#*rd!