Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing Official F1 Safety Car

Oh this is totally wicked. The official safety car for the upcoming season of Formula 1 racing will be a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing. Normally, or at least in the past, it has been some sort of Mercedes sedan of some sort or another. Fast to be sure, but c'mon, this Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing is totally bitchin'.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing will debut at the first race of the 2010 Formula-1 season in Bahrain on March 12. It will also be the most powerful official F1 safety car in grand prix history, replacing the 63 AMG roadster that was used in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

The SLS AMG Gullwing is pretty much stock in the engine department. The new F1 safety car features the same 571HP V8 engine, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, suspension and brake system as the standard-production SLS AMG. It does get an all-new rear muffler, that Merc says allows the naturally aspirated V8 to breathe more easily and offer improved acoustics.

Keeping things more or less stock is a phrase that cannot be applied to the outside, however. The Gullwing safety car is noticeable by its huge F1 logos, the way cool carbon-fiber exterior mirrors and the roof light bar that also has an integrated TV camera. There's also a special license plate at the back, with "Safety Car" lettering and 700 LEDs.

On the inside, there are nice bucket seats with the six-point seat belts. There are also two central TV screens to monitor the progress of the race and a radio system to communicate with race organizers.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing also integrated into the instrument cluster is a "Marshalling System" that allows the driver and co-driver to see the same exact signals as the Formula-1 drivers in their cockpits.

Paired with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing will be a Merc-provided C 63 AMG Estate to be used as the Official F1 Medical Car for the coming season.

Source: CarScoop