1996 Mercedes-Benz C-Class ITC

The W 202 series also took the Mercedes-Benz star out onto the racetrack when the new AMG-Mercedes C-Class with six-cylinder engine was entered in the DTM championship in 1994. Klaus Ludwig drove the new car to victory in the championship in its very first year. The body might have been that of a C-Class, but the engineering was totally focused on performance on the racetrack. The V6 engine, developing 400 hp (294 kW), was based on the 4.2-liter V8 power plant from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

This was followed in 1995 by a new version of the AMG Mercedes C-Class racing car. In comparison with the 1994 version, the driver’s seat was moved further back and toward the center of the car. This enhanced driver safety, and the car’s stability was increased by the integration of the anti-roll cage in the body. The structure now had up to 300 percent greater rigidity than the production version. Powered by a V6 engine developing 440 hp (324 kW), the C-Class again came out tops in the DTM championship in 1995, with Bernd Schneider winning the title ahead of teammate Jörg van Ommen as runner-up.

AMG then built another racing car in 1996 for the International Touring Car Championship (ITC), again based on the C-Class. The 2499-cc V6 engine delivered 500 hp (368 kW) for a top speed of 320 km/h. Bernd Schneider finished the ITC season as runner-up.

Story by Daimler AG