Autoblog

Schumacher to drive Mercedes F1 car on Nürburgring Nordschleife

Seyth Miersma — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:31:00 EST

In advance of this year's 24 Hours of Nürburgring race, and as a "thank you" to German motorsports fans, Mercedes-Benz has arranged quite the driving demonstration at the legendary German track. Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher will pilot a the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 W02 - the team's 2011 F1 car that carried the Silver Arrow name - around the Nordschleife. As far as we know, this will be the first time that an F1 car will have lapped the North Loop since Nick Heidfeld drove a BMW Sauber car around it in 2007.

This will be far from Schumacher's first go with the Nürburgring: In 2011 he drove a classic Silver Arrow Stromlinie W196 (pictured above) for a demo lap around the Grand Prix track, and in 2007 he infamously punted a Ferrari prototype on the Nordschleife.

There's no word from Mercedes as to how exactly Schumacher will drive for his 'Ring run this time. Heidfeld's lap was slowed massively by his car wearing hard, demonstration tires and for slow-downs to film the event. We have every expectation that Schumi will be subject to the same demands of safety and public relations.

Of course, having the all-time fastest lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in your CV is something that we'd guess might tempt the über-competitive driver, and he'll certainly have the car to make that happen. Stefan Bellof holds the record for the fastest-ever lap of the 'Ring in its current configuration and length, with a time of 6:25.91 in 1983, at the wheel of a Porsche 956. (Niki Luada has the record at the original length, with a lap of 6:58.6 in 1975, in a Ferrari 312T.) Pundits analyzed the fast bits of Heidfeld's 2007 run, and figured his full-pace time, on admittedly unsticky tires, would have clocked in at around 6:12.

Again, we're not suggesting that Schumacher will have the green light to drive at full speed, but it does sound as though the now one-year retired driver is amped for the opportunity. Said Schumacher, "Posting a lap in a modern Silver Arrow on the most beautiful and most testing circuit in the world, what a brilliant mix - it's every motor racing driver's dream!" We'll keep our fingers crossed on May 19, and hope that the lap is a hot one.

Continue reading Schumacher to drive Mercedes F1 car on Nürburgring Nordschleife

Schumacher to drive Mercedes F1 car on Nürburgring Nordschleife originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Checking the Goodwood Revival off my bucket list

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Europe, Racing

Driving A Silver Arrow Though The Heart Of Vintage Racing

What I stumbled upon is, quite literally, the stuff of legends.

I'd have been no more flummoxed if Noah's Ark had floated past on a river of rainbows skippered by a pair of unicorns.

I had heard, off in the distance, a rumbling I couldn't quite place. I'd know the basstone of overhead-valve V8 mills from America if I heard them in my sleep, and a quick pinch to the fleshy part of my forearm proved that I was, for better or for worse, wide awake. No, not from America.

The sound continued, louder and more insistent as more engines were fired; clearly not the shriek that accompanies the spinning guts of an Italian 12-cylinder engine, either. And then the unmistakable whine of a supercharger. My walk turned into a quick jog, and then an all-out sprint.

I went out in search of the mysteriously glorious sound of internal combustion. What I stumbled upon is, quite literally, the stuff of legends. It's true: One-horned horses have managed to master the art of ark wrangling. How else could I be seeing a brace of open-wheel Silver Arrows, shivering with every percussion of compression, all hailing from 1934 to 1939 and ready to race? I must be at the Goodwood Revival.

Continue reading Checking the Goodwood Revival off my bucket list

Checking the Goodwood Revival off my bucket list originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes mastering the seas with 'Silver Arrows' yacht concept

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Specialty, Design/Style, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed star was intended by Gottlieb Daimler to signify three modes of transport: land, air and sea. Land has been well taken care of for more than 125 years. The brand took a leap back into the sky with a Eurocopter EC145 interior designed by Mercedes-Benz Style, its product design division. Now its UK-registered Silver Arrows Marine division will get the brand back in the water in 2013: it has showed off concept looks for a 14-meter "Granturismo" at the Monaco Yacht Show that will soon go into production.

Silver Arrows Marine is being vague about details, only providing soundbites like "innovations hitherto unknown in the boat industry," an "innovative layout and use of space," and "innovative versatility," plus a design "suitable for a wide range of uses" and "elegant and timeless interior appointments." The 46.2-foot motor yacht is mainly a day-tripper but "can" also do an overnight on the water.

Martin Francis of Francis Design and Tommaso Spadolini of Design Studio Spadolini have been called upon to lead its design. If you saw Kia's "Epic Ride" commercial during the 2011 Super Bowl, you've seen Francis' work: he was a technical expert concerning the hull on the Philippe-Stark-designed Yacht A. Spadolini, over the past 20 years, has done scores of yachts, from small sport boats to the Wally 77 to 70-meter Rossinavi behemoths.

We should see the final product soon enough. In the meantime, you can study the concept in the image gallery above.

Continue reading Mercedes mastering the seas with 'Silver Arrows' yacht concept

Mercedes mastering the seas with 'Silver Arrows' yacht concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Sep 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten original Silver Arrows assemble at the 2012 Goodwood Revival

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Videos, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, UK, Racing

The Earl of March, the man responsible for the Goodwood Revival, said he's been trying to get all of the Silver Arrows race cars - those of Auto Union, now Audi Tradition, and Mercedes-Benz - to the event for 20 years. This year, the stars aligned. 2012 marked the 75th anniversary of the Silver Arrows arriving in the UK, and there have never been as many of the instantly recognizable winners in one place at the same time. Ten of them, to be specific.

They weren't just there to sit in "the box," either, with drivers like Jackie Stewart, Jochen Mass and Karl Wendlinger throwing them around the Goodwood Circuit. For all of their Wagnerian pre-war thunder,at least one of them was apparently kinder than it sounded: Mass compared the handling of the Mercedes W25, with its over 400-horsepower 4.3-liter inline eight-cylinder, to a Volkswagen Beetle.

For more commentary and a great look at the retro style of the Goodwood Revival, check out the video posted below.

Continue reading Ten original Silver Arrows assemble at the 2012 Goodwood Revival

Ten original Silver Arrows assemble at the 2012 Goodwood Revival originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi buys last Auto Union Type D twin-supercharged racer

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Performance, Audi, Racing

After a great many years dying in the wilderness of the former USSR, and then spending a few more years in the hands of private collectors, the twin-supercharged 1939 Auto Union Type D is finally back home with Audi. One of the precursor companies to Audi, Auto Union, based in Zwickau, Germany, was the other Silver Arrows team (alongside Mercedes-Benz) that demolished the racing competition in the 1930s until World War II intervened.

Audi Tradition, the heritage arm of the firm, says there are five original Auto Union racers in existence. This 1939 model was specially prepped with two superchargers instead of the usual one, and won the 1939 French and Czechoslovakian Grands Prix with its 485-horsepower 12-cylinder engine and 330 kilometer-per-hour (205 mph) top speed. But Zwickau fell in the eastern portion of Germany; caught in the Russian web at the end of WWII, the stored Auto Union cars were carted back to Russia as part of German reparations.

Enter Paul Karassik, an American immigrant from Serbia, of Russian ancestry, who had watched the Auto Unions race in Belgrade just before the outbreak of war. Starting in the 1970s, he spent a decade tracking down the remains of two Auto Unions in Russia and Ukraine - this 1939 model and a 1938 Type D with a single supercharger - and finally managed to buy them. In 1990 he began commissioning their restorations, which included building completely new bodies for both, and by 1994 they were finished.

Karasssik sold the 1938 Type D to Audi in 1998, and the 1939 Type D to another collector in 2000. Audi Tradition has made that second car part of its collection, meaning it now owns three of the five originals. Scroll down for a press release with all the details on the car and the acquisition.

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Audi buys last Auto Union Type D twin-supercharged racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Silver Arrows are Mercedes-Benz World's private army of Stigs

Noah Joseph — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, UK

We all have trouble getting out of bed in the morning once in a while. Some more often than others. But when you've got a lot full of Mercedes-Benz AMG muscle sedans to play with, you jump up with a little more spring in your step.

That is, assuming you actually need sleep at all, because some say these drivers from Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands in Surrey, England, aren't quite human. At least, not if they are who they look like. Mercedes calls them their Silver Arrows, and if you thought one Stig was good, just follow the jump to check out what kind of antics a whole team can get themselves into. Let's just say it involves plenty of tire spinning and opposite lock.

Continue reading The Silver Arrows are Mercedes-Benz World's private army of Stigs

The Silver Arrows are Mercedes-Benz World's private army of Stigs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: BBC interviews Schumacher about his return to Mercedes-Benz F1

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Celebrities

Michael Schumacher talks about his return to F1 racing - Click above to watch the video

Let the rumors rest -- Michael Schumacher is back. As we reported earlier this morning, it appeared he was all set to sign with Mercedes-Benz, and now the deal is done. The newly named Mercedes GP Petronas team (nee Brawn GP) finally announced that they have signed the soon-to-be-41-year-old, seven-time World Champion to drive for the Silver Arrows team in 2010, and the BBC has already tracked him down for an extensive interview. Although most closely associated with Ferrari for returning that legendary marque to the winners circle following a decades-old drought, Schumacher does have a history with Mercedes having started his top level driving career via their junior program back in 1990 competing in Group C and DTM racing.

Besides being reunited with Ross Brawn - the man who brought him every one of his seven championships - Michael brings just a bit more experience to the Mercedes F1 team with his 248 starts, 91 wins, 154 podiums, and 68 pole positions. And even after a three-year layoff, the consensus seems to be that he hasn't missed a step. As you may remember, Michael almost made his comeback for Ferrari last year following Felipe Massa's unfortunate accident in Hungary, but he was sidelined due to neck problems related to a motorcycle racing crash. Schui has been tuning up with some karting action, most recently in Las Vegas, where he was competing against some of the best racers in the world, including fellow F1 pilots Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Sebastien Buemi.

MS will be joining fellow German Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, making the team an all-German affair. The F1 driving contract is said to be worth nearly $9.9 million to Schumi for 2010. Michael, for his part, says he has high hopes for returning to the podium right away and in fact plans to grab another championship trophy next year. Why else would he bother, right? It should be a fascinating season. Click through to the jump to watch the BBC interview Schumacher talking about his decision to return to racing and read the official statement from Mercedes GP.

[Sources: YouTube via BBC Sport, Brawn GP]

Continue reading VIDEO: BBC interviews Schumacher about his return to Mercedes-Benz F1

VIDEO: BBC interviews Schumacher about his return to Mercedes-Benz F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Mercedes GP confirms Nico Rosberg for 2010

Noah Joseph — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Mercedes-Benz

Following earlier speculation, the newly-acquired Mercedes Grand Prix team has confirmed its first driver for the upcoming Formula One season. As expected, Nico Rosberg will be switching places with Rubens Barrichello, the departing Brawn GP driver who moves to Williams for next year.

24-year-old Rosberg is the son of former World Champion Keke Rosberg, but he has earned a reputation all his own. After winning the inaugural GP2 Series title in 2005, Nico became the youngest driver to test an F1 car and was subsequently hired by Williams F1, for whom he's raced for the past four seasons. This year, he placed a respectable seventh in the drivers' championship, but there's no telling what he can accomplish with his new World Champion team.

Although he holds Finnish citizenship, Nico was born in Germany, raised in Monaco and races under a German license. The new Mercedes team is tipped to be pursuing an all-German driver lineup, with eyes locked on departing arch-rival BMW's Nick Heidfeld to join Rosberg behind the wheel, while rumors of Michael Schumacher's return or Kimi Raikkonen's change of heart persist.

Details are the press release after the jump, where the team repeatedly refers to the return of the Silver Arrows, leading us to wonder exactly what banner the new team will fly when it hits the grid next year.

[Source: Mercedes GP | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

Continue reading Officially Official: Mercedes GP confirms Nico Rosberg for 2010

Officially Official: Mercedes GP confirms Nico Rosberg for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2009: Lawn Darts - Silver Arrows hit target at Pebble Beach

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Mercedes-Benz

Silver Arrows at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz has had more than their share of entrants in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance over its 59 years. The classic Teutonic automaker has even had an overall winner or two in the Best of Show judging. This year the marque was honored in another special class, with a twist. The organizers invited Mercedes to bring a sampling of their Silver Arrows race cars, and the company obliged.

For fans of Grand Prix racing, the legend of the Silver Arrows is a memorable one. When the team showed up at a race way back in 1934, the new W25 GP cars were a bit over the maximum allowable weight. To save a few pounds, the team stripped off the white paint and ran the cars through tech again with just the bare metal skins. The cars met the weight requirements and raced on to a win. The press dubbed the cars "Silver Arrows" for their color and speed, and the name stuck.

One of those original 186-mph W25 race cars was on hand along with two of the 1939 W154 Grand Prix racers, a 1952 W194 Coupe (which led to the development of the 300SL Gullwing road cars) and the amazing 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Streamliner that the likes of Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio drove back in the day. It was a truly spectacular gathering of priceless historic race cars.

Check out our gallery below and the press release from Mercedes-Benz after the jump.

Gallery: Silver Arrows at Pebble Beach

Continue reading Monterey 2009: Lawn Darts - Silver Arrows hit target at Pebble Beach

Monterey 2009: Lawn Darts - Silver Arrows hit target at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow back on the auction block at Bonhams in August

Noah Joseph — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Audi

Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow - Click above for a high-res image gallery

The history of the notorious Silver Arrow racers parallels that of the nation which bore its birth. In the years leading up to WWII, Adolf Hitler was bent on world conquest - not just on the battlefield, but on the race track as well. Convinced that motor racing was the perfect venue to exhibit what he viewed as Germany's superiority, the Fuhrer commissioned Germany's top engineers at both Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union to develop a generation of advanced racing machines that would later become known as the Silver Arrows. The 1938 Auto Union D-Type was Hitler's favorite.

The cars reigned victorious in the 1930s, but with the outbreak of the war, racing in Europe ground to a halt. The following decade Nazi Germany lay in ruins, Hitler was dead, and the Soviets seized the D-Types from the Auto Union factory in East Germany. With an Iron Curtain cutting off contact between the Soviet Bloc and the Western world, enthusiasts and historians were convinced the Silver Arrows remained intact somewhere in the Communist empire, but all the while they were being brutally dismantled. Although many of the Mercedes pre-war racers survived, few of the Auto Unions did. Only three of these D-Types are known to remain intact.

The example you see here, Chassis 19, was painstakingly restored to original condition, and was set to hit the auction block at Christie's two years ago until it was withdrawn at the last minute due to unanswered questions over its heritage and provenance. With the questions answered and its pedigree assured, Bonhams is now offering this extremely rare and most desirable piece of automotive history at its upcoming auction at the Quail Lodge this coming August, where it is expected to fetch in excess of $8 million. But with previous estimates having placed it closer to $12 million, it stands a real chance of breaking the $12.2 million record set by the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testarossa at the RM Auction in Maranello just last month. Check out the press release after the jump and the high-res pictures in the gallery below.

Gallery: Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow

[Source: Bonhams]

Continue reading Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow back on the auction block at Bonhams in August

Auto Union D-Type Silver Arrow back on the auction block at Bonhams in August originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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