Passengers in a Mercedes-Benz now have access to four new entertainment options via the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system. The system has also been made more ‘casual’ and as one of these options will switch to using the familiar form of ‘you’ in many languages. This aims to create a closer, personal bond as the new form of interaction between driver and vehicle.
Reinforcing emotional tie
From April this year, the new form of address will gradually be introduced in new vehicles delivered in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Poland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In these countries, MBUX will address the customer in the familiar form of the language rather than the more formal one. It is hoped that this will help reinforce the emotional tie between the driver and their Mercedes-Benz.
The infotainment system makes it possible to have a detailed weather report for specific regions read out – in virtually any language. In addition, with immediate effect, a driver wanting to know his or her fortune can ask something like ‘Hey Mercedes, give me a horoscope for Aquarius!’.
MBUX will then look into the ‘stars’ for the driver, provided the birth or star sign of the driver is given beforehand. The system will then offer a personal horoscope (only available in German and British English for now) via speech dialogue.
Quiz, anyone?
As well as offering such astrological services, MBUX can also act as quizmaster to entertain passengers with a fascinating geo-quiz about capital cities of the world. It all helps to make the journey in a Mercedes-Benz even more enjoyable. Great for parents with little ones who get restless behind.
These services complement the already comprehensive range of entertainment and assistance functions available from MBUX at all times. The further strengths of MBUX, in addition to the user-friendly voice assistant with natural speech recognition, which is activated with the keyword ‘Hey Mercedes’, include intuitive touchscreen control of the media display.
There is also a navigation display that uses augmented reality technology during active navigation: a video image of the vehicle’s surroundings is enhanced with useful navigation information.
The intelligent assistant that also learns
MBUX was introduced to the world in 2018 with the new Mercedes A-Class being the first model to have it. It was then progressively offered in other models as new generations arrived. The aim is to enhance the user-experience and make the system more helpful with an intelligent assistant that can respond to voice commands – and act on them.
A unique feature of this system is its ability to learn, thanks to artificial intelligence. MBUX can be individualised and adapts to suit the user. It thus creates an emotional connection between the vehicle, driver and passengers. At the same time, updates ‘over the air’ are possible and it also heralds a new era at Mercedes me Connectivity.
COVID-19, the coronavirus, is not only doing nasty things to humans but because of what it does, all kinds of activities around the world are disrupted, including motorsports. The first hit was in mid-February when the organisers of the 2020 Chinese F1 Grand Prix asked to cancel their event scheduled on April 19 – with the hope that it could be run later in the year. The epidemic was getting to other countries and the FIA, motorsports governing body, said it would ‘review the situation for other motorsport events globally in accordance with the changing COVID-19 environment and advisories from the World Health Organisation’.
Liberty Media, which has the commercial rights to F1, was quick to announce that the opening round in Australia as well as the following two rounds in Bahrain and Vietnam would go ahead. That, of course, was before the situation in Italy got really bad to the point that a nationwide lockdown was imposed.
Still, the 10 teams were asked to go to Australia for the race which was to be this weekend, in spite of the fact that Australia was raising its barriers, especially for people from Italy. Tests were required and one McLaren team member showed positive results after being seen to have symptoms on arrival. This led to the team withdrawing from the race and the other teams beginning to question the decision to go ahead – especially after the WHO had declared that the situation was officially a ‘pandemic’. 8 teams withdrew from the race which forced its cancellation although it couldn’t have run as the state government had also asked for the event not to be run in view of the large crowds.
Withdrawal of 8 teams as well as a directive from the state government forced cancellation of the opening F1 round in Australia.
The ‘domino’ effect starts
The cancellation of the race was announced just prior to practices being held, and one could say that the ‘dominos’ started to fall, greatly dictated by stronger actions of governments after the WHO finally declared the pandemic. The organisation had been refraining from declaring the pandemic for a while but decided it must do so in order to get more governments to be much more serious.
Bahrain had earlier announced that its event, the second F1 round of 2020, would be a ‘closed’ event, meaning no spectators would be at the circuit. It would be broadcast live on the usual TV and internet channels only. The third round in Vietnam was a question mark but thought to be possible to continue.
It’s unfortunate for Vietnam that the very first F1 race to be held there cannot start,
All events to be postponed or cancelled
Now, with governments tightening things and preventing events with large crowds so as to reduce the spread of infection, it appears that all motorsports events are cancelled or postponed. “The organiser of the Vietnam Grand Prix 2020 officially announces the delay of F1 Hanoi race due to complicated development of COVID-19,” said the statement from the Vietnam Grand Prix Company.
Bahrain also announced that its event would be postponed as well, and the FIA says that the F1 championship will resume at the end of May in Europe, possibly with the rounds in Monaco or Azerbaijan. Considering how the pandemic has shifted its epicentre from China to Italy, it seems like wishful thinking but the organisation will be constantly reviewing the situation.
The FIA has now announced that the 2020 F1 championship will resume at the end of May, possibly at the Monaco GP or the Azerbaijan GP scheduled in early June.
“Protecting people first,” emphasised Jean Todt, FIA’s President. ”Together with Formula 1, the Bahrain Motor Federation, the Vietnamese Motorsports Association, and the local promoters, postponing both the Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix, as with the Australian Grand Prix, was the only possible decision given all of the information currently available to us. We continue to rely on the input and advice from the World Health Organisation and governments and will work with them throughout this unpredictable period to safeguard the fans, competitors and all of the motor sport community.”
As with other championship sports events, F1 draws very big crowds which, at this time, mean a high risk of infection and spread of the virus.
No exception in Malaysia too
In Malaysia, the government has declared that all public gatherings – international meetings, conferences, sports events, social and religious events – are to be postponed or cancelled until April 30, 2020. Some organisers had already turned their events into closed events as a precaution and now would have to abide by the government’s directive to cancel or postpone. It will be messy for everyone concerned, not just the teams. Sponsors have committed money, some of which would already have been paid and owners of venues would also have to start discussions about rentals and related matters.
It’s hard to say when this situation will change, let alone end. And even if we can see a glimmer of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, can we be sure it is not a train coming at you?
Your little ones deserve the best protection when they are travelling with you in the car, and that means having them securely seated in a Child Restraint System (CRS), typically a childseat. Until this year, there was no compulsion for drivers to use CRS but the fatalities involving small children has been high and the authorities therefore decided that if people won’t use their common sense, then they need to be forced to do so by law.
A child in a car with a proper CRS has a lower risk of getting injured compared to an unrestrained child, in the event of a road accident. As pointed out by the World Health Organisation, a major problem today is child injuries, disabilities and even fatalities caused by road accidents. The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (MIROS) found that only 30% of car drivers use child carseats.
As part of their initiative to support the call in enforcing the mandatory use of child carseats, Shell is giving away 138 child carseats. The campaign is on until April 12,2020 at 136 Shell stations in the Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan regions. Up to 17 customers will stand a chance to win a child carseat every week since the campaign began last month.
Naturally, the winners are delighted to get a free carseat and in the case of Lim Yen Wei, it means that they won’t have to swap the seat between his car and his wife’s car as each one can have its own installed all the time.
Another winner, Mohd Faizal Abdul said: “My 3-year-old niece used to travel without a child carseat. Now, she gets to travel on the road safely. I am very glad that Shell is promoting road safety by rewarding customers with child car seats! This is a good initiative by Shell.”
Click on the image above for the full list of participating stations.
As of this week, 70 lucky parents have already won child carseats. To win one, it takes only two simple steps: No.1 – customers need to spend a minimum of RM40 in a single receipt at participating Shell stations in Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan; No. 2 – customers need to submit their details via a contest form at the station. Upon completion of these two steps, customers will stand a chance to win a child carseat that is given each week.
“At Shell, we always want to make life’s journey better for our customers. This is a gesture from some of our stations to promote the use of child carseats. Often, many parents do not know how important it is to have suitable Child Restraint Systems. By rewarding customers with child carseats, we hope we can educate parents to protect their children when travelling on the road,” said the MD of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd, Shairan Huzani Husain.
The fourth and final round of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival (TGR Festival) and the Vios Challenge one-make race will be held at the Sepang International Circuit on April 18 and 19, 2020. However, the event will not be open to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement just release, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) said it will be a ‘closed-door’ race. “UMW Toyota Motor undertakes accountability for the welfare of Malaysians at large, and also the well-being of our crew members, racers and race teams,” the statement explained.
The final round of the previous season was held for the first time at the Sepang International Circuit,
Minimal number of participants during races
Only essential crew members, racers and race teams will be invited for the completion of the third season which began last August. On event days, the organisers will be conducting health screenings for racers, race team members and crew prior to entering the race premises.
“We trust that our fans appreciate the current situation. All the races will still be broadcast live on Toyota’s Facebook and Youtube accounts and we invite everyone to cheer on their favourite racers and celebrities by tuning in to the live shows’, said UMWT’s Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama, who is also one of the participants.
Motorsport events have large crowds of spectators and at this time, health authorities are strongly urging that ‘social distancing’ be adopted, meaning that people should be at least a metre from each other, to reduce the risk of infection.
Motorsports organisers urged to postpone events
Meanwhile, the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) has also issued a statement urging all organisers to postpone their events until the situation subsides and improves. “This decision is made based on the directives from the Ministry of Health (MoH), Sports Commission, and in consultation with the MAM Medical Commission.
The statement adds that should an organizer choose to still go ahead with its event, the MAM ‘highly recommends that it be held with minimal personnel and spectators, as in a closed-event format’. It calls on the organisers to act responsibly to reduce the risk of infection and to follow the guidelines by the MoH and W.H.O. for participants at the event.
It started with a bold declaration by Liberty Media, which hold commercial rights for the sport, that the first three rounds of 2020 Formula 1 World Championship would go ahead as scheduled. That was around the time (February 29) the Geneva Motorshow was cancelled and so was the China round of the F1 championship in April.
Although the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic was worsening, no one expected it to accelerate and hit Europe and then America and almost every country in the world so quickly. Worse, Italy then went into a lockdown to try to slow the spread of the disease, potentially affecting some of the racing teams which have bases in Italy as well as Pirelli, F1’s tyre supplier. Some countries were getting concerned about Italian travelers and refused to allow them in.
But still the opening round in Australia scheduled for this weekend was to continue. In spite of concerns expressed by the teams, ‘the show had to go own’; Liberty Media had already warned its shareholders that there will be a severe effect on revenues this year with millions of dollars being lost if championship rounds are cancelled and certainly a lot more if the entire championship is not run.
The circuit in Albert Park, Melbourne, where the first round of 2020 was to be held.
Australia was already beginning to have a growing number of cases as March started and restrictions were placed on foreign travelers. An exception was made for those from Italy but they had to go through stringent checks. Eight F1 personnel from two teams were seen to display mild symptoms associated with the virus and tests were done on them.
Then news came that a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and thing began to unravel. Lewis Hamilton was vocal about the race being run, with Sebastian Vettel saying that, ‘for sure you pull the handbrake’, referring to the possibility of cancelling the event if the situation was too unsafe.
“I am really very, very surprised that we are here,” Hamilton said at a press conference. “For me, it is shocking that we are all sitting in this room. It seems like the rest of the world is reacting … Formula One continues to go on – it’s definitely concerning for me.”
In these times, social distancing (standing at least a metre away from another person) is recommended and Lewis Hamilton was certainly not taking chances! The reigning World Champion was surprised that the race was not cancelled earlier.
Among the 20 drivers, personal health safety was of course a priority, but they also felt that any team excluded from the race – due to restrictions – would mean it was not fair to that team or teams. “If a team is prevented from entering a country, we can’t have a race. Not a Formula One world championship race, anyway, because that would be unfair,” said Formula 1 motorsports Managing Director, Ross Brawn.
McLaren then announced it would not participate, issuing this statement: “McLaren Racing has confirmed this evening in Melbourne that it has withdrawn from the 2020 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, following the positive test of a team member for the coronavirus. The team member was tested and self-isolated as soon as they started to show symptoms and will now be treated by local healthcare authorities.”
“The team has prepared for this eventuality and has ongoing support in place for its employee who will now enter a period of quarantine. The team is cooperating with the relevant local authorities to assist their investigations and analysis.”
“Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, and Andreas Seidl, Team Principal of McLaren F1, informed Formula 1 and the FIA of the decision this evening. The decision has been taken based on a duty of care not only to McLaren F1 employees and partners, but also to the team’s competitors, Formula 1 fans and wider F1 stakeholders.”
Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, Jr. were the first two drivers to withdraw from the race after one of McLaren’s personnel was found to be infected.
The teams met and half of them (five) were willing to race so it was a stalemate and had to be discussed with other parties to come to a decision. Then Daimler AG came into the picture, instructing its team (Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Motorsport) not to participate, along with persuading it customer teams Racing Point and Williams to do the same. That left only two teams willing to race – Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. The decision was clear: pull out. Some drivers packed and got on flights home right away.
It was still dark in the western world (6 am in Malaysia) as the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) sent out its statement: “At 9 am today, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation was advised by Formula One of their intention to cancel all Formula 1 activity at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. In light of this decision and updated advice this morning from the Chief Health Officer of the Victorian Government’s Department of Human and Health Services, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation confirms the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is cancelled immediately.”
The FIA, Formula 1 and AGPC confirmed that the race was cancelled although there had been hopes that it could still be run – without spectators as the local government had banned large gatherings. “All parties took into consideration the huge efforts of the AGPC, Motorsport Australia, staff and volunteers to stage the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship in Melbourne, however concluded that the safety of all members of the Formula 1 family and the wider community, as well as the fairness of the competition take priority,” the statement said.
The next round is in Bahrain, which is to be held on March 22, and the organisers for that event have already planned to run the race without spectators present, relying on livestreaming and TV broadcasts. At the time of writing, Bahrain has around 60 cases and no deaths.
Then there is the third round in Vietnam which has yet to be decided upon. The race is scheduled for April 5 but the government has already declared that anyone who has been in Italy (as well as China, Iran and certain areas of South Korea) in the previous 14 days will not be allowed in. That would mean the Italian teams and Pirelli’s personnel. With the W.H.O. having declared that the situation is now a ‘pandemic’ and urging governments to be more serious, it is likely that the Vietnamese will not be as flexible as the Australians. So it looks like the round will be postponed if not cancelled which is unfortunate as it would be the first time F1 is held in the country.
As for the rest of the championship, there is uncertainty since the pandemic is growing daily and even postponement of events may not be possible. The virus isn’t just going to ‘vanish’ overnight and even if it can be slowed, it will still be around for some time to come. Singapore’s Prime Minister last night warned that ‘this outbreak will continue for some time – a year, and maybe longer’.
Apart from F1, other motorsports events have also been cancelled or postponed, including the Formula E round that was scheduled for June 22. The organisers of the Jakarta e-Prix will follow the instruction of the Governor of Jakarta not to run the race even though it is still many months ahead. It will be rescheduled but the new date has not been announced yet. Jakarta joins the circuits in Sanya, China and Rome which have had their events postponed.
Related: Formula E round in China cancelled, other motorsports events under review by FIA due to concerns about coronavirus.
Six years after it appeared, the BMW i8 Coupe will be retired as its production cycle comes to an end. A success story as a unique symbiosis of futuristic design and pioneering technology, it was the BMW Group’s first plug-in hybrid model that spurred interest and excitement for electrified drive technology and laid the foundation for the BMW Group’s now broad range of plug-in hybrid models.
At the same time, the i8 developed into the world’s most successful sportscar with an electrified drive system. With more than 20 000 units sold since 2014, it achieved higher sales than all competitors in its segment combined. Its global market share has been more than 50% in the segment of sportscars with electrified drive for years and the i8 will be able to maintain this leading position until the middle of April 2020.
The i8 began as the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, a concept car shown at Frankfurt Motorshow in 2009. The response was very enthusiastic, and BMW said that the central features of its design and technology would be transferred to a production model of the new BMW i brand.
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept evolved into the i8 concept in 2011. It was used in one of the Mission: Impossible movies.
Launchpad for electrification strategy
The i8 had its world premiere at the same motorshow 4 years later, together with the i3. The double debut was the starting signal for implementing a comprehensive electrification strategy, with which the BMW Group set the early and consistent course for a model programme geared towards sustainable driving pleasure.
Today. Pure electric and plug-in hybrid models are available in all relevant segments, from the compact and midsize class, through the BMW X models, to sportscars and luxury sedans. The BMW Group plans to expand its range to include 25 electrified models by 2023, more than half of which will run on electric power alone.
Pioneer and flagship
As a pioneer and flagship for driving pleasure with plug-in hybrid technology, the i8 was an ideal car for the job right from the start. New paths were forged with the BMW i specific vehicle architecture and the plug-in hybrid system. The combination of a passenger cell made of carbonfibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) with an aluminium chassis was just as revolutionary as the intelligently controlled interaction of the combustion engine and electric motor.
The control of its plug-in hybrid system was designed both for dynamic power delivery and for the most efficient interaction of the two engines. The combustion engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology transfers its power to the rear wheels. The electric motor drives the front wheels. The result is a hybrid-specific all-wheel drive with a noticeably positive influence on traction, agility and driving stability.
This, and the spontaneous power delivery of the electric motor with a maximum torque of 250 Nm available immediately from standstill, means that the sporting character of the i8 also comes into its own in purely electric and therefore locally emission-free driving. Up to 120 km/h can be reached in pure electric driving mode and the combined drive torque of both powerplants unleashes performance characteristics similar to a high-performance sportscar.
Beyond eDrive technology
Right from the start, the pioneering function of the i8 extended far beyond establishing BMW eDrive technology in an iconic sportscar. The extensive use of CFRP in the body structure and the clearly visible measures to reduce air resistance set new standards in the areas of intelligent lightweight construction and aerodynamics. Together with the i3, the sportscar also paved the way for innovative manufacturing technologies, with which the BMW Group became a pioneer in the use of CFRP in the industrial production of volume-produced automobiles.
Already a milestone in the history of the BMW Group
The Leipzig plant is currently producing the 200 units of the limited Ultimate Sophisto Edition of the i8. One of the edition models was already manufactured in December 2019 as the 20,000th unit of the model. Among the milestones in the history of sportscars, its sales figures are well ahead of classics such as the M1, of which only 399 units were produced for road use, and also ahead of the Z8 roadster, which was built in some 5,000 copies.
Zenvo, the Danish hypercar manufacturer, has today revealed its latest TSR-S alongside further developments. This street-legal variant of the TSR track car has received numerous customised touches and is the first car to receive full fragmented carbonfibre wheels designed.
Following Danish design ideals of innovation and creativity, the geometric pattern carbonfibre visible within the blue tinted central stripe is a further evolution of Zenvo’s carbonfibre technology and personalisation options, such as the bespoke ‘watermark’ carbonfibre graphics featured on previous TSR-S models. This technique has also been used on the exposed carbonfibre side pods, with the Zenvo logo emblazoned within the material in an opposing herringbone pattern.
As for the new fragmented carbonfibre wheels, each minute fragment is hand-cut and expertly layered to create the special finish and weigh some 15 kgs less than the aluminium variants. These components are created in-house using a combination of cutting-edge technology and human craftsmanship with countless personalisation options. Each wheel takes two technicians roughly one week to create. All visible carbonfibre on the car can be colour-tinted, including the wheels, and clients can specify individual sections in differing finishes.
Also unveiled today is the latest drivetrain development from Zenvo, a hybrid variant of the 7-speed sequential gearbox with helical-cut dog gears that has become a trademark of the brand. This gearbox offers the driver two changeable modes, Road and Race, controlled by tactile aluminium switchgear on the steering wheel. In its Road setting, the changes are electronically assisted to remove the usual harshness of a traditional ‘dog-box’ while Race mode allows for exceptionally fast and direct mechanical changes usually only offered in fully fledged race cars.
The latest development of this innovative gearbox is the addition of a hybrid module which yields a power boost, further traction control and even the addition of an eighth forward gear with the electric motor providing reverse drive.
The 4.8-metre long TSR-S is Zenvo’s flagship model, combining the road-going capability of the TS1 GT with the track-derived performance of the TSR and is powered by a 1,177 bhp twin-supercharged flat-plane V8. 0 – 100 km/h is achieved in 2.8 seconds, with a claimed top speed of 325 km/h (electronically limited) aided by a super lightweight carbonfibre construction and exceptional aerodynamics including Zenvo’s patented Centripedal rear wing which reacts to steering inputs to create high levels of downforce while cornering.
The TSR-S is priced from at 1.45 million euros (almost 7 million ringgit) and only 5 cars are planned for each year.
Before the 1970s, corrosion in metal car bodies was a problem and one of the reasons was that the protective layer of primer paint was not effectively applied over the metal surfaces. It was manually sprayed on so there would be some little sections that may not have been covered. And like a cut in your skin allowing germs to enter your body and infect you, a small unprotected spot on the metal could allow corrosion to start.
This changed when the electro-deposition (ED) dipping process was introduced where the entire bodyshell was submerged in a giant tank of primer paint. It was covered 100% and even the cavities got properly covered. After the 1970s, corrosion issues reduced significantly. Galvanization of the steel (adding a zinc coating) also made a big contribution to reducing corrosion and enabling vehicles to last longer.
The ASSB plant in Shah Alam, Selangor, started using the ED system in 1979 and corrosion resistance of Toyotas increased significantly, The picture shows a KE70 Corolla being lowered into a tank of primer paint so coverage is complete.
Over the primer goes coloured paint that is sprayed on either manually or in many plants these days, with robotic spraying machines. The quality of application has improved greatly over the years, but coating efficiency has been around 60% to 70%, which you aren’t like to notice but to the quality control people, it is a known issue.
95% coating efficiency
Now Toyota has developed a new type of airless paint atomizer that achieves over 95% coating efficiency (the amount of paint sprayed versus the amount that actually adheres onto the vehicle body), the highest in the world. The machine – the first of its kind in the world – uses static electricity instead of air, to replace the conventional air paint atomizers used in the vehicle body painting process.
By deploying the airless paint atomizer in Toyota Group’s painting process, it is expected that the factories in the Group can reduce CO2 emissions by about 7% as well. In addition, the collection device situated at the bottom of the paint booth (the area where paint is sprayed) can be made more compact. Therefore, painting production lines in the future can be more compact.
Toyota is advancing initiatives to achieve its Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge, one of the targets included in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 announced in 2015. As part of this effort, it developed the airless paint atomizer and deployed it at both Takaoka and Tsutsumi Plants. Gradual deployment at other plants is planned as well as consideration of deployment among other Toyota Group companies and licensing the technology to other companies.
How it works
Conventional air paint atomizer sprayed paint primarily using aerodynamic force, then paint the vehicle body with the atomized particles using an air paint atomizer. For this reason, paint particles are scattered by the air ricocheting off the vehicle body, with up to 40% lost. By comparison, the new airless paint atomizer uses electricity to spray the paint (electrostatic atomization), and the statically charged particles coat in such a way that they gravitate toward the vehicle body (electrostatic painting).
Electrostatic atomization and electrostatic painting technologies greatly reduce the number of atomized particles that scatter, thereby achieving a higher coating efficiency. In a way, it is like the ED process that has been used for applying primer where electrical charges attract the paint to stick onto the metal.
Following the launch of the new Mercedes-AMG GT3, Mercedes-AMG has now come out with an updated GT4 model for the tenth anniversary season of its Customer Racing Programme. The new GT4 features new design characteristics and technical optimisations that, among others, enhance the endurance racing performance. Homologation is expected to be completed this month so customers can receive their cars soon.
In the past 2 years, the ‘little brother’ of the GT3 advanced to one of the most successful cars in the booming GT4 segment worldwide. So far, more than 120 units have been delivered to Customer Racing Teams all over the world. With the new edition of the GT4, Mercedes-AMG expects to give the teams even greater competitiveness.
Improved brake and engine cooling
The notable improvements of the new GT4 are in its optimised brake cooling around the front axle as well as enhanced engine cooling. Both the enlarged brake air inlet as well as the dimensionally stable brake air lines with larger diameter prevent the brake components from overheating. As a result, they ensure better driveability as well as considerably reduced wear of the brakes that are under particular load during endurance races.
Thanks to a new carbonfibre brake air duct, adapted heat protection and optimised brake caliper adapters, the airflow through the thermally affected parts has been improved. A newly developed brake disc on the front axle, aimed at reliability and longevity, complements the optimised brake cooling.
The re-arranged oil cooler contributes to an even more effective cooling of the proven AMG 4-litre V8 biturbo engine, just like the new carbon exhaust air duct and the newly shaped edge on the bonnet, made of natural fibre enforced material. As a result, the Mercedes-AMG GT4 can reliably deliver its performance, even in extremely hot conditions.
New light concept
The update of the GT4 also includes optimised front and rear lights, identical to the corresponding GT3’s. Their design is in line with the current Mercedes-AMG GT road cars. Next to the facelifted look, the new light concept also comes with a practical purpose: the new LED high-performance headlights provide considerably better illumination of the track. In darkness or in poor visibility, this can lead to decisive advantages for the drivers in terms of safety and performance.
Optimised handling
Another optimisation are the modified track rods on the rear axle that are also similar to those used on the new GT3 model and that come with a significantly extended longevity. As a result, the that has, among others, already racked up three class wins in the Nurburgring 24-hour race, is even better prepared for endurance races in the toughest conditions. The integration of an enlarged brake fluid tank, optimised with the particular requirements in endurance races in mind, is also one of the changes in the 2020 GT4.
Highest safety standards
Like its road cars, the GT4 has particularly high safety standards relevant to track racing. The roll-cage of high-tensile steel has been bolted to the aluminium spaceframe and a recovery hatch has been integrated into the roof of the car. The carbonfibre driver safety cell with integrated headrest provides a considerably higher level of protection than usual racing seats. A powerful fire extinguishing system complements the comprehensive safety concept.
Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing: “When we entered the GT4 segment two years ago, it was our aim to build a car that was capable of winning right away. Looking at the achievements of the Mercedes-AMG GT4, we have succeeded in doing so in an impressive way. In order to enable our Customer Racing Teams to accomplish such top achievements at the race track in the future as well and to be prepared in the best way for the challenges in newly entered markets like Asia and South America, we have now decided to update the Mercedes-AMG GT4.
