Real Mercedes, 2 1/2 back flip, 1/2 twist

[JeffR]

Seems MBWR is trying to duplicate this unusual feature of the CLK GTR:

1999 Mercedes Back Flip mpeg (http://www.f1gallery.ca/f1_movies/Misc/LE_MANS1.mpeg)

Except in MBWR, there's usually a loud bang (can't be heard in the replay though) before the nose pops up. To duplicate this, just drive the MBWR CLK GTR very fast (100% arcade mode can help here), on just about any track. Just like the real thing, when this will happen is unpredictable. Sometimes the car acts like it hit an invisible wall and bounces backwards, other times you get the cool and authentic back flip action of the real thing.

MBWR's version wmv (http://jeffareid.net/cgi-bin/dipbug2.wmv)

[chris]

They are actually different cars though.

The race car (with Peter Dumbreck inside it at the time) is a CLR, while what is in MBWR is an earlier CLK-GTR (road version??)

A few versions of that CLK-GTR exist, some are V12's, while the ones that appeared at Le Mans were V8 engined (called CLK-LM).

The CLR had one hell of an engine. 5.7 litres, V8, with 700 rampaging horsepower.

The Benz site did have a poor quality real-video of a lap with Bernd Schneider in the CLR. In the evening one, he does a reasonable lap, but coming through the quick chicane after the Dunlop bridge (just before tetre rouge), he runs wide, and just about crashes the car! :eek:

After that, he drives more slowly. But the video did demonstrate the considerable acceleration these special cars had.

After Benz pulled out, the race was basically a battle between the V12 (nearly the same as Mclaren F1's powerplant) engined BMW V12 LMR spiders, and the outrageous Toyota GT-One. The GT-One had more speed, but the BMW more fuel-economy. THe race would have probably been won by the Toyota, if not for a tyre blowout right near the end.

Does anyone know what happened to the CLR? Did it do any more races other than that fateful Le Mans race, where Dumbreck, and Mark Webber all suffered those air-borne excursions..

And do the cars still exist?

[JeffR]

This happened 3 times, the 3rd one went off track.

This time off track (http://jeffareid.net/cgi-bin/dipbug3.wmv)

[DC_Tox]

Is this a good reply of the original Le-Mans jump???

Flying three times in 400meters (http://663blacktigers.net/DC/temp/mbwr-gtr-jump.wmv)

^_^ ^_^ ^_^