The Mercedes-Benz C291 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship. It was Mercedes-Benz’s last car in the Group C category and was designed with Sauber.
Mercedes-Benz C291 at a glance
| Season | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Designed by | Sauber |
| Category | 3.5-litre sports-prototype |
| Engine | M291 3.5-litre flat-12 |
| Power | about 550–600 hp |
| Weight | 750 kg |
| Predecessor | Mercedes-Benz C11 |
| Planned successor | C292, never raced |
| Survivors | one in the Carl Benz Museum, one in the Schumacher collection |
| Only win | Autopolis, final race of 1991 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz C291.
History of the Mercedes-Benz C291
The 1991 season brought the FIA’s new 3.5-litre formula, which replaced the Group C rules used since 1982. The change made the C11’s 5-litre twin-turbo engine illegal, so Mercedes-Benz and Sauber designed an all-new car with a purpose-built 3.5-litre naturally aspirated flat-12, the M291, producing about 550 to 600 hp against roughly 730 hp from the C11.
The car looked like the older prototypes, with a full-width low-drag rear wing and no front wing, which gave it a higher top speed than the Jaguar XJR-14 but slower acceleration above 150 to 170 mph and less cornering speed. Its 750 kg weight could not compensate. The engine also caused problems: the team started the season with one C291 while still running a C11, and in the first two races the new car failed to finish while the C11 came second and third. At the third race the C291 finished second, ahead of the C11.
For the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team judged the C291 unable to last the distance and entered three C11s instead. After Le Mans the C291 ran on its own, but failed to finish the next three races. Only in the final race at Autopolis did it finish, taking its only win, and Sauber-Mercedes ended the season third in the teams championship. A more radical C292 was planned for 1992, but Mercedes-Benz withdrew from sportscar racing and moved to Formula One in 1993. One C291 survives in the Carl Benz Museum in Ladenburg, and the Autopolis-winning chassis is in the Michael Schumacher collection in Cologne.
Design and features
- Flat-12 engine: a purpose-built 3.5-litre unit of 550 to 600 hp.
- Low-drag body: a full-width single-tier rear wing and no front wing.
- Lightweight: a 750 kg chassis.
- Short career: a single season followed by Mercedes-Benz’s move to Formula One.
Mercedes-Benz C291 versions
- C291 (1991): the only version raced.
- C292: the planned replacement, never raced.
The C291 replaced the C11 and ended Mercedes-Benz’s Group C programme. More racing cars are in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz C291, English Wikipedia: engine, design, race results
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