Mercedes C11 HISTORIC RACING
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A digital supplement from the publisher of HISTORIC RACING Mercedes C11 >> The creation of a legend Bugatti Type 35 Climax engines NDT Testing 1_RCE Digimag_Historic_Cover_bs.indd 1 12/11/2020 18:02 For Anything You Race Whether you’re starting a restoration or starting with a blank sheet ARP makes all the fasteners you need. ARP fasteners provide strength and 5,000 catalog items and specials by request reliability for every type of racing. All ARP fasteners are manufactured entirely in our own facilities ARP-bolts.com in Southern California – Toll-free in the U.S.A 1.800.826.3045 and raced all over 1863 Eastman Ave • Ventura, CA 93003 the world. Outside the U.S.A. +1.805.339.2200 • Special Orders +1.805.525.1497 ARP_HistRacecarEng_202011_v01_final.indd 1 11/9/20 5:08 PM RACECAR ENGINEERING | HISTORIC SUPPLEMENT CONTENTS 4 SAUBER MERCEDES C11 Restoring the prototype of an endurance racing legend 12 BUGATTI TYPE 35 Profi ling possibly the most Bugatti’s Type 35 was a force to be reckoned with in the 1920s and 1930s successful racecar ever on the circuits of Europe 18 NDT TESTING Detailing the processes needed to keep cars safe 26 CLIMAX ENGINES Featherwight engines of the 1950s and 1960s he classic car market is rapidly changing. Prices have built for a singular purpose and lifed accordingly. For the increased in recent years as in many cases investments companies that have been set up to cater for these machines, are considered to be safer in older racing cars than in a their technology has also had to improve in order to monitor T cars such as these and ensure they are safe to run. Never before bank. Due to the increased interest in historic racing, an industry is rapidly becoming more tuned towards the maintenance of has there been so much opportunity to race these cars either. these exceptional cars and their work is becoming ever-more In the pages of this supplement we talk to some of the critical. With more carbon chassis cars coming to the market, companies that are involved in the upkeep of modern classics, the variation in the quality and the differences in lay up styles look at the different technologies that can be used to ensure over the past two decades has meant that their safety, and also at some of the they need to be checked by experts. One cars that are running in competition. manufacturer sold some of its heritage Parts were built for One of those is the development mule having preserved the original spare parts of the classic Mercedes C11 that won in a lock up, only to fi nd when they were a singular purpose the World Sportscar Championship and delivered that they were not fi t to run. and lifed accordingly Le Mans, while we also take a look at While that was a shock to arguably the most successful racing car them, it was also an eye-opening in motorsport history, the Bugatti Type 35. moment for the buyer who fortunately had selected one We also profi le one of the most prolifi c of engine of the many companies in the UK that specialises in the manufacturers, Climax, which dominated the racing scene maintenance of such cars to care for his investment, and in the 1950s and 1960s with its lightweight concept. It the team there already knew the weak points of the car. is our own celebration of a British engine manufacturer The issue with the carbon cars is that they were designed that had such a diverse portfolio for its technology. for a short period of competition and not with a legacy in mind. With increasingly advanced design techniques, parts were Andrew Cotton, Editor Racecar Engineering • Historic Racing 3 Racecar Engineering • Historic Racing 3 03_RCE Digimag_Historic_Contents-AC2BS.indd 3 12/11/2020 17:16 MERCEDES C11 Class of 1990 Mercedes’ C11 is as robust today as it was when it took the 1990 World Sportscar Championship title By Lawrence Butcher he Mercedes C11 was a pivotal Swiss outfit Sauber first became M117 V8, and then following came car in Mercedes’ modern involved with Mercedes in the early the four-valve, 5-litre, M119 V8. motorsport history as in some 1980s. Mercedes engineers provided Officially, these engines were prepared respects it paved the way for some informal development work to by fellow Swiss Heine Mader but in Tthe manufacturer to return to Formula help with Sauber’s C6 and C7 Group C fact the bulk of work was undertaken 1. Through its young driver programme, cars. Unhappy with the performance of by Mercedes at its engine facility in it was also the car that provided BMW’s straight-six engine it was using at Untertürkheim, under the supervision Michael Schumacher with his only Le the time, Peter Sauber had approached of Hermann Hiereth. The Mercedes Mans start, sharing in 1991 with Karl Mercedes for an engine supply, which engined C8 arrived in 1985, and the Wendlinger and Fritz Kreuzpointner. initially came in the form of the 2-valve company’s branding came the next year. 4 Historic Racing • Racecar Engineering 4 Historic Racing • Racecar Engineering 04-10_RCE_Mercedes-AC_converted2BS.indd 4 12/11/2020 17:20 MERCEDES C11 Class of 1990 Mercedes’ C11 is as robust The monocoque today as it was when it took dated back to 1982, the 1990 World Sportscar designed by Leo Championship title Ress while he was By Lawrence Butcher between jobs at Mercedes and BMW Mercedes’ C11 contested the FIA World Sportscar Championship in 1991 before it delivered the company its most recent win at Le Mans. The test mule has received an extensive make over at specialists BBM to allow it to run in modern classic events he Mercedes C11 was a pivotal Swiss outfit Sauber first became M117 V8, and then following came The C7, 8 and 9 were all evolutions hence the car featured a Mercedes Although the first of its kind, chassis car in Mercedes’ modern involved with Mercedes in the early the four-valve, 5-litre, M119 V8. on a theme. The monocoque dated back Benz rather than Sauber designation. 00, which is pictured in this feature, is motorsport history as in some 1980s. Mercedes engineers provided Officially, these engines were prepared to 1982, designed by Leo Ress while The first car was chassis C11-89-00, still actively campaigned in Historic respects it paved the way for some informal development work to by fellow Swiss Heine Mader but in he was between jobs at Mercedes and which embodies a fascinating point in Group C racing, having taken a number Tthe manufacturer to return to Formula help with Sauber’s C6 and C7 Group C fact the bulk of work was undertaken BMW. Ress eventually joined Sauber the mid-evolution between the alloy of high-profile wins and regularly 1. Through its young driver programme, cars. Unhappy with the performance of by Mercedes at its engine facility in full time in 1985. While not an entirely chassis C9 and the carbon-tubbed C11. running at the front of the pack. In it was also the car that provided BMW’s straight-six engine it was using at Untertürkheim, under the supervision clean sheet design, the C11 was the The car has been owned and run by fact, during one outing at Spa in 2011, Michael Schumacher with his only Le the time, Peter Sauber had approached of Hermann Hiereth. The Mercedes first of Sauber’s cars to be built with full Northamptonshire based BBM Sport for its qualifying time of 2m05s would Mans start, sharing in 1991 with Karl Mercedes for an engine supply, which engined C8 arrived in 1985, and the Mercedes backing and it benefited from the past 12 years and as such, Technical have put it in sixth place on the LMS Wendlinger and Fritz Kreuzpointner. initially came in the form of the 2-valve company’s branding came the next year. the company’s resources that entailed, Director Steve Briggs knows it inside out. grid running that same weekend. Racecar Engineering • Historic Racing 5 4 Historic Racing • Racecar Engineering Racecar Engineering • Historic Racing 5 04-10_RCE_Mercedes-AC_converted2BS.indd 4 12/11/2020 17:20 04-10_RCE_Mercedes-AC_converted2BS.indd 5 12/11/2020 17:20 MERCEDES C11 Briggs notes that there are a number carry over parts on chassis 00 from the C9. For example, the routing for the turbocharger air feeds is different between this car and those that went on to race in period. Similarly, it has an aluminium front crash structure, while the later cars were all carbon. The most obvious difference at the front of the chassis is the suspension mounting structure. This is a fabricated aluminium construction, bolted to the carbon tub, while on the race versions it was carbon fibre and fully integrated with the rest of the chassis. Home run The car was delivered to BBM directly from Sauber complete, but still in need of an extensive recommissioning before it could be raced. This entailed an engine and transmission rebuild, One of the anomolies for the car was the aluminium crash structure, replaced in race trim with carbon along with replacement of the coolers and other heat exchangers. At the same time, all of the suspension components were crack tested. The car was ran successfully before a crash at Donington in 2012 led to the replacement of some suspension components. However, a fire at Monza in 2015 necessitated more extensive works. A fuel rail in the engine bay had split and set the rear alight.