Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz C11
The Mercedes-Benz C11 is a Group C prototype race car introduced for the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship. Built by Sauber as a successor to the Sauber C9, the C11 used the same Mercedes-Benz M119 5.0L twin turbo V8. It was the first time that Mercedes-Benz chose to put their name on the car, instead of simply using Sauber.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Sauber C9
All Mercedes-Benz C11 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Development
Following on the success of the Sauber C9, the Mercedes-Benz C11 was the last Group C prototype built by the Sauber Mercedes team before the introduction of the 3.5 litre category. Whereas, the C9 chassis had been constructed mostly from aluminium, the C11 was built from carbon fibre. The chassis was designed from scratch by Leo Ress, who had been with the team since the days of the Sauber C7, and the first example was built by local Swiss firm Nobrac ("carbon" spelt backwards). The remainder were built by DPS Composites in Surrey, UK whose principal, Dave Price, was also a team manager at Sauber. The new chassis was designed for more downforce with a lower frontal area. At 320 km/h (200 mph) it generated 5,879 lbf (26.2 kN) of downforce, about 1,000 lbf (4.4 kN) more than the C9 at the same speed. Unlike the Sauber C9, the new C11 did not have a low downforce/low drag configuration for Le Mans, that race not being a part of the championship season in 1990. The whole car was considerably slimmer in appearance than its older sibling and was both lighter and stiffer. Ballast was added to bring its minimum weight up to the required 900 kg (1,984.2 lb) with an extra 5 kilograms added for safety. Particular attention was paid to air entry and exit points around the wheel arches and the airflow through the cockpit was improved for driver comfort. The development program also included the use of a rolling road wind tunnel which was unique for Group C at the time. A new Mercedes 5-speed transaxle was designed with the rear suspension in mind and the previous longitudinal spring/damper design of the C9 was abandoned in favour of a transverse layout, actuated by push rods. This allowed for a better integrated rear end that was much stiffer than before, according to designer Leo R
History
Sauber had planned to build four C11 chassis and have enough spares for a fifth if needed. They had also changed to Goodyear tyres because of the development potential for the new Mercedes-Benz C291 which was in virtual co-development. The first C11 had its initial test run at Paul Ricard in early October 1989 but the car did not debut until the first round at Suzuka in April the following year. Although debuting at the first round of the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship at Suzuka, the car did not actually race. The team had to revert to the older C9 on race day after Jean-Louis Schlesser crashed the new car in practice. However, the C11 finally made its much-anticipated debut at the second race at Monza in late April and its performance potential was immediately apparent. Mauro Baldi and Jochen Mass qualified 1–2, with Baldi almost two seconds clear of Mercedes' nearest competitors. They came home first and second. Throughout the rest of the season, the C11 won all but one race and easily took the team's championship for the year. The only black spot on an otherwise flawless performance was at Silverstone, when the leading car of Schlesser & Baldi suffered a rare engine failure. At that stage they had carved out a lead of about 50 seconds after 40 laps. The other team car of Mass and Schumacher had been disqualified for outside assistance during practice. The only other blot on an otherwise exceptional season was the disqualification of the number 1 car in Mexico for exceeding its fuel allocation. Although Sauber-Mercedes had triumphed at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team choose not to defend the title in 1990 due to the race not being part of the 1990 World Sports-Prototype Championship schedule. The race reverted to being part of the championship season
Specifications
Year: 1990 Make: Mercedes-Benz & Sauber Model: C11 Engine Location: Mid Drive Type: Rear Wheel Weight: 905 kg (1,995 lb) Engine Configuration: V Cylinders: 8 Aspiration/Induction: Twin-turbocharged Displacement: 4,973 cc (303.5 cu in) (5 L). Horsepower: 730 hp (540 kW) at 7,000 rpm Torque: 820 N⋅m (600 lb⋅ft) at 3,500 rpm HP to Weight Ratio: 0.365 hp (0.272 kW) / lb HP / Liter: 146.8 bhp / Liter Gears: 5 speed Transmission: Manual
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1736380CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C11CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1240793996 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1990_Mercedes-Benz_C11_HCC25.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: MrWalkr · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.