Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the M-B C63 AMG DTM safety car.

The Mercedes-Benz SL63 might have the honor of being picked as the official safety car for Formula One, but the equally badass, slightly more affordable and dangerously practical C63 AMG has been chosen to run ahead of the DTM racers, minus its 250 km/h speed limiter.

While the DTM safety car might look exactly like its production counterpart, save the roof-mounted lights and decals, the suspension, brakes, cooling system and exhaust have all been modified. To help keep the stock 457 hp, 6.2-liter V8 from running too hot while trying to avoid a DTM car-shaped enema, the radiator has been upgraded, along with a larger transmission oil cooler and two engine oil coolers mounted behind the front bumper's large air dams. Additionally, the rear axle cooling fins have been optimized to provide better airflow and benefits from a remote oil cooler.

The AMG C63 DTM safety car will make its official debut this weekend at the second race of the season in Oschersleben, Germany.

Hit the jump for the full press release.

Our main-MINI-man Gabe over at MotoringFile procured a handful of shots showing the safety car for the 2008 MINI Challenge, and the series' organizers have commissioned a one-off Clubman S to be built with a host of modifications to make it track worthy. Although there's no mention of what changes were made under the hood, according to the site, a John Cooper Works (JCW) exhaust is fitted and the new rear spoiler will be an option for the Clubman come 2008. The obvious changes to ride height would imply that some serious suspension tweaks were in order, while the new front and rear diffuser could foretell the future of JCW-equipped Clubmans.

You can read over our previous posts about the MINI JCW Challenge racer here and here, and check out more shots of the Clubman safety car here.

[Source: MotoringFile]