The Sauber Mercedes C9 '89 is a race car constructed by Sauber and produced by Mercedes-Benz. It first appeared in Gran Turismo 4 and is featured in the subsequent mainline games, including Gran Turismo Sport, where it was included as part of Update 1.19.
It appears to be the #63, driven by Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens, who won the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Reaching 400 km/h (250 mph) during the qualifying sessions of the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans, it proved to have one of the highest top speeds in the competition's history. Its mark was only exceeded by the WM Peugeot P88, which achieved a speed of 405 km/h (252 mph) in the 1988 race. These speeds led to the introduction of two chicanes on the Mulsanne straight from 1990 onwards.
In-game description[]
Car Index (GT7)[]
"A Group C machine that hinted the return of the 'Silver Arrow' with its overwhelming speed."
Spearheaded by Swiss car constructor Sauber, the C9 appeared in 1988 as a Group C car. Beginning in 1986, Mercedes-Benz began supplying Sauber with Group C engines. Two years later, Mercedes-Benz officially announced Sauber as its motorsports partner, embarking on building race cars for the world's GT races. This was something Mercedes-Benz had not done since 1955, after the big accident at the 24 Hours of Le Mans forced the company out of motorsports.
The Sauber Mercedes-Benz C9 met with success immediately out of the gates. It earned pole position in the opener for the 1988 WSPC (World Sports Car Championship), and went on to win five of 12 races that year. In 1989, Mercedes-Benz replaced the turbocharged 5.0-liter SOHC V8 with a 4-valve version that increased power to 710 BHP. The renewed C9 also looked imposing, bathed in silver paint. The C9s earned the nickname "Silver Arrow," bringing back the feared moniker that graced past Mercedes-Benz (and Auto Union) Grand Prix cars.
That year, the Silver Arrows finished 1-2 at the World Sports Car Championship at Suzuka Circuit and 2-3 at Dijon. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Silver Arrows finished 1-2, with yet another placing 5th. In 1988, with seven wins in eight raced, Jean-Louis Schlesser became the Drivers' Champion and Sauber took the team title.
Café (GT7)[]
Jeremy[]
In 1955, Mercedes-Benz pulled out of all motorsport racing. And it wasn't until 1988 that they officially made their return... With this car, the Sauber-Mercedes! Due to its all-silver body, it is referred to as the 'Silver Arrow'. Actually, there's a story behind the name. Would you care to hear it? Well, it all goes back some 90 years, to the Eifel race of 1934... When the all-white Mercedes F1 was deemed 1 kg too heavy for competition. To reduce its weight, a mechanic scraped off the F1's paint, exposing its aluminum body. It was this aluminum-colored Mercedes that ended up winning the race! Hence the name 'Silver Arrow'—one of motorsports' many brilliant legends! Since then, silver has been Germany's national racing color! Of course, sponsorship liveries are much more common today. And race cars painted in their national colors are very much a thing of the past. Still, if you're interested in F1 history, you should look into the national colors of other countries!
Acquisition[]
| Game | Purchase location | Credits | Other methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 4 | --- | --- | Win the Formula Gran Turismo World Championship[1] Win the Grand Valley 300 km[2] |
| Gran Turismo PSP | Mercedes-Benz Dealership | 3,000,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 5 | Used Car Dealership (Lv. 23+) | 5,245,167 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 6 | Mercedes-Benz Dealership | 2,150,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo Sport (  v1.19+) |
Mercedes-Benz Brand Central | 1,000,000 | Complete the Lewis Hamilton Time Trial Challenge with Silver or better |
| Gran Turismo 7 | Legend Cars | 3,500,000[3] | --- |
Trivia[]
- The car's specifications up until GT Sport appear to be incorrect; the engine used, specifically in the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans, produced 720 PS (710 HP), with a maximum rated output of 830 PS (820 HP) under 2.2 bar of boost pressure, while its weight, as measured by officials before the event started, was 905 kg.
- In GT4 to GT6, it shared its engine sound with the Toyota GT-One (TS020) '99.
- However, in GT Sport, it was finally given its own unique engine sound.
- In GT PSP, it is possible to have the Ferrari F2007 as opponents when the player is driving a C9 equipped with Racing R3 tires in single player races.
- Also in said game, it lacks the AEG logo.
Pictures[]
Liveries[]
Videos[]
