Sauber C9
.jpg) |
|||||||||
| Category | Group C Prototype | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Sauber Motorsport | ||||||||
| Designer(s) |
Peter Sauber Heini Mader |
||||||||
| Predecessor | Sauber C8 | ||||||||
| Successor | Mercedes-Benz C11 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Light alloy monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, coil springs over shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilizer | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, push-rod operated coil springs over shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilizer | ||||||||
| Length | 4,800 mm (189.0 in) | ||||||||
| Width | 2,000 mm (78.7 in) | ||||||||
| Height | 1,070 mm (42.1 in) | ||||||||
| Axle track | 1,600 mm (63.0 in) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 2,770 mm (109.1 in) | ||||||||
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz M119 4,973 cc (303.5 cu in) HL 90° 5.0L Turbo V8 Twin KKK Turbos Mid engined, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | 5-speed Hewland Manual | ||||||||
| Weight | 905 kg (1,995.2 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Bosch Motronic MP 2.7 Fuel Injection | ||||||||
| Tyres | Michelin | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants |
 Kouros Racing Team Sauber Mercedes
|
||||||||
| Notable drivers |
Jochen Mass Manuel Reuter Stanley Dickens Mauro Baldi Kenny Acheson Gianfranco Brancatelli Jean-Louis Schlesser Jean-Pierre Jabouille Alain Cudini Johnny Dumfries
|
||||||||
| Debut | 1987 1000km of Spa | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Teams' Championships | 1 (1989) | ||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 1 (1989) | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 1 (Jean-Louis Schlesser, 1989) | ||||||||
The Sauber C9 (later named the Sauber Mercedes C9 or Mercedes-Benz C9) was a Group C prototype race car introduced in 1987 as a continuation of the partnership between Sauber as a constructor and Mercedes-Benz as an engine builder for the World Sportscar Championship. The C9 replaced the previous Sauber C8.
The C9 was a development of Sauber's previous C8 design, retaining a largely aluminium monocoque but considerably stiffer and with numerous other improvements. The rear suspension changed from vertically positioned spring/damper units behind the oil tank to a horizontal layout aligned with the longitudinal axis of the car. Aerodynamic changes included the repositioning of the combination oil/water radiator to the nose of the car, which allowed the use of a modified splitter plate. Commensurate with the repositioning of the radiators, the large NACA ducts were removed from the top of the door sills. The rear deck had been considerably re-profiled and the rear wing was now mounted solely on a central support. The engine was again prepared by Swiss engine specialist, Heini Mader. It had been progressively lightened with the use of a new crankshaft, higher efficiency KKK turbochargers and a liner-less block. It was a semi-stressed part of the chassis and ran a dry sump. There were no special qualifying engines and on 2.2 bar of boost it was said to produce "almost 800 hp". Maximum race boost was 1.9 bar. Maximum RPM was 7,000 but drivers generally kept to 6,500 during races. The torque curve was almost uniform between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm, giving the engine plenty of flexibility. The engine retained a cross plane crankshaft and the firing order was 1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2.
For its debut season in 1987, the cars were run by Kouros Racing, named after the fragrance brand of its parent company, Yves Saint Laurent, although officially backed by Mercedes-Benz. The team managed a mere twelfth in the teams standings, scoring points in only a single round. For 1988, Kouros withdrew their sponsorship and the team was renamed Sauber Mercedes. This coincided with a change of senior management at Mercedes and the announcement by new deputy chairman Prof. Dr Werner Niefer that the company would support Group C sportscars. As a result, Mercedes was sponsored by AEG-Olympia – AEG being owned by Daimler-Benz at the time, effectively giving the team full factory support. They managed to finish second in the championship behind the Jaguar XJR-9 with five wins for the season. Unfortunately at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team suffered an embarrassing setback when they were forced to withdraw due to concern over their Michelin tires after Klaus Niedzwiedz suffered a blow out at high speed.
...
Wikipedia