Mercedes-Benz chose the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt to present the new 2012 DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé. The new car is the successor to the AMG Mercedes C-Class, which scored 84 victories in 156 races to become the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM. HWA AG began development, design and construction of the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé in June 2010. The first chassis was assembled in June 2011, with the first vehicle completed in August.


The DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé was designed to meet the new and improved safety concept for 2012, which includes a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque and a roll cage made of high strength steel. In order to improve driver protection in the event of an accident, all safety-related components such as the fire extinguishing system and fuel tank have been incorporated into the monocoque. Furthermore, each vehicle is equipped with six crash structures to give the driver additional protection to the front, rear and sides. These carbon fibre crash structures are designed to gradually absorb impact energy, so that the driver is not exposed to high deceleration forces.

The new safety concept was developed jointly by rights holder and promoter ITR e.V., the DMSB and the three manufacturers – Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In order to verify the performance of the DTM safety concept, the DMSB developed a test programme, which was carried out and analyzed by DEKRA, the independent testing organization. All tests were completed without any problems.

The new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé is based on the latest Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé, which celebrated its world premiere in summer 2011. The C-Class Coupé rounds off Mercedes-Benz best-selling range and is offered with a choice of five engines – two diesel and three petrol units – developing from 115 kW (156 hp) to 225 kW (306 hp). The C-Class Coupé is manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen. It’s the fourth model to be built on a single production line alongside the saloon and estate versions, plus GLK – a new production method for Daimler.

DTM offers spectators racing like no other touring car series. Viewers in 83 countries can follow DTM either live or as-live. A total of 5,881 hours of DTM racing were shown worldwide on TV in 2010. In Germany last year, 89 hours of TV coverage generated an estimated 480 million TV contacts. On every race weekend of the 2011 season, an average of approximately 2.4 million TV viewers watched coverage of qualifying and the race on ARD television.

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “This new-generation vehicle, based on our Mercedes-Benz C- Coupé, signals the introduction of an even more spectacular racing car from the start of 2012. I am certain that the spectators will get their money's worth from the three-way fight between Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the DTM next year.”

DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé - Technical Data

Stages in the development of the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé

June 2010 - First design meeting at HWA
July 2010 - Vehicle concept laid out
August 2010 - Vehicle data determined
September 2010 - Start of design work on computer (CAD)
October 2010 - Vehicle dimensions agreed
January 2011 - Initial work in wind tunnel
April 2011 - Start of chassis production
May 2011 - Engine testing commences
June 2011 - Assembly of first chassis
July 2011 - Building of first vehicle begun
August 2011 - Completion of first vehicle

History: Mercedes-Benz and DTM

Mercedes-Benz DTM vehicles

• Mercedes-Benz has run three different cars in DTM since the first work’s entry in 1988.

• The AMG Mercedes C-Class is the most successful car in DTM history, having secured 84 victories in 156 races, plus five drivers’ titles in the DTM and one in the ITC.

AMG Mercedes 190E (2.5-16 Evo 2)

Mercedes-Benz scored 50 DTM victories with the 190 between 1988 and 1993. The 190E 2.5-16 Evo 2 won 16 of 24 races in the 1992 season and took the first three places in the drivers’ standings. Driving this car, Klaus Ludwig won the first DTM championship title for Mercedes-Benz. At the wheel of a 190E 2.5-16 Evo 2, Ellen Lohr became the only woman to date to win a DTM race.

AMG Mercedes CLK

Mercedes-Benz introduced the AMG Mercedes CLK to the ‘new’ DTM in 2000. Mercedes-Benz drivers posted 30 DTM victories from 2000-2003 with the CLK. In the 2001 season, the CLK won eight of ten races, and in the 2003 season was victorious in a grand total of nine of ten races.

AMG Mercedes C-Class

With 84 victories in a total of 156 races (1994/1995 as well as 1996 in the DTM successor series International Touring Car Championship, and since 2004 in the DTM), the AMG Mercedes C-Class is the most successful car in the 27-year history of the DTM. Of the 164 Mercedes-Benz victories in 339 races since 1988, half have been won by the C-Class, which has gone through three generations of redesign since 1994.

Statistics: Mercedes-Benz and DTM

Facts & Figures

• Since 2000, Mercedes-Benz has won 80 of 128 races in the ‘new’ DTM, which corresponds to a win rate of 62.50%. Since 1988, Mercedes-Benz has won a total of 164 DTM races, nearly half of all the 339 races (winning percentage: 48.38%)

• Mercedes-Benz has been involved in DTM and ITC since 1988, securing 33 titles: nine in the drivers’ championship – five with Bernd Schneider, two with Klaus Ludwig, one with Gary Paffett and one also with Paul Di Resta – plus ten in the manufacturers’ championship and thirteen in the team standings.

Statistics: Mercedes-Benz in DTM

Statistics: Mercedes-Benz in DTM/ITC

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Source: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveiled the new DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé for the 2012 DTM season at the IAA in Frankfurt, alongside Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management at Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division, and Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.


The new car is based on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé, which was launched worldwide in the summer of 2011, and is the first DTM car from Mercedes-Benz to be built around a new, improved safety concept, developed in collaboration with the ITR e.V, the DMSB (Germany’s motor racing governing body) and the DTM manufacturers. The new car incorporates a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque with a roll cage made ​​of high-strength steel. Moreover, each vehicle is equipped with six energy-absorbing crash structures, giving the driver additional protection to the front, rear and sides.

The DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé will succeed the AMG Mercedes C-Class, which is the most successful vehicle in the 27-year history of the DTM, having scored 84 victories in 156 races and five driver’s titles.

Development, design and manufacture of the new car began in June 2010 at HWA headquarters in Affalterbach, near Stuttgart, Germany. HWA is responsible for production of the cars, including engines.

Michael Schumacher: “The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz DTM car looks fantastic, but what I find even more impressive than the car’s visual appearance is the new safety concept with its innovative safety cell and more advanced carbon-fibre crash structures. This safety standard is exemplary and constitutes, in my opinion, the benchmark for touring car racing. I’m looking forward to seeing the new C-Class Coupé in action and hopefully winning lots of races. I’ve got my fingers crossed for everyone in the Mercedes-Benz DTM team.”

Nico Rosberg: “I was pleased to take part in unveiling the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé for the 2012 DTM season at its Frankfurt Motor Show world premiere. It looks really cool and I particularly like the chrome finish. The car is certainly an important step forward for the DTM, which is a great series – I began my career racing on the same weekends as the DTM, and it will attract even more fans in 2012 when the third manufacturer arrives. Whenever possible, I still follow the races on TV, and always enjoy going to local DTM events. I will of course keep my fingers crossed next year for my Mercedes-Benz DTM colleagues and hope they can bring the title home to Stuttgart with the new C-Class Coupé.”

Gary Paffett: “The first test of a new car is always an exciting moment. After getting a feel for the handling and performance of the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé around the Lausitzring, I can say I’m very pleased with it. Of course, we still have a lot of development work ahead of us before the 2012 season opener at Hockenheim. The driving experience is quite different to that of previous DTM cars. The new Hankook tyres for 2012 are wider and have taller sidewalls, providing more mechanical grip. Also, the gear lever has disappeared for 2012 – we will change gear using paddles on the steering wheel instead – and that’s something I’m already used to from Formula One.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “This new-generation vehicle, based on our Mercedes-Benz C- Coupé, signals the introduction of an even more spectacular racing car from the start of 2012. I am certain that the spectators will get their money's worth from the three-way fight between Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the DTM next year.”