Mercedes-Benz C292
Encyclopedia
The Mercedes-Benz C292 was a stillborn Group C
prototype
race car intended for the 1992 World Sportscar Championship season
as an evolution of the Mercedes-Benz C291
, but never raced due to Mercedes-Benz
withdrawing from sportscar racing after a dismal 1991 season.
Built by Sauber
for Mercedes-Benz
, the C292 featured the same Mercedes-Benz M291 3.5L Flat-12
which had initially disappointed in 1991, but during the offseason continued development and testing and was finally able to produce power similar to Jaguar
, Peugeot
, and Toyota.
However, given the large amount of money Mercedes-Benz had invested in sportscar racing since their return, while receiving very little returns even after winning two championships and a 24 Hours of Le Mans
, the decision was made to cancel the project after only a few C292s had been produced by Sauber. The exact number of C292s that were built is unknown, however one remaining copy is on display in the Sauber
museum.
With the cancellation, the C292 was never tested, and therefore its potential in comparison to its competitors was never able to be seen. It is unknown if Mercedes even got to the point of installing the M291 engine in the C292.
This would be the last Mercedes-Benz sportscar until the launch of the CLK-GTR in 1997.
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
race car intended for the 1992 World Sportscar Championship season
1992 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1992 Sportscar World Championship season was the 40th and final FIA World Sportscar Championship season. It was a series of Group C formula sportscars separated into two classes, termed C1 and FIA Cup. It ran from April 26, 1992 to October 18, 1992, comprising 6 races.-Pre-Season:From the...
as an evolution of the Mercedes-Benz C291
Mercedes-Benz C291
The Mercedes-Benz C291 was a Sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season.-Introduction:The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 litre formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used...
, but never raced due to Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
withdrawing from sportscar racing after a dismal 1991 season.
Built by Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
for Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, the C292 featured the same Mercedes-Benz M291 3.5L Flat-12
Flat-12
A flat-12 is an internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, having 12 cylinders.The flat-12 is wider than a V12...
which had initially disappointed in 1991, but during the offseason continued development and testing and was finally able to produce power similar to Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
, Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, and Toyota.
However, given the large amount of money Mercedes-Benz had invested in sportscar racing since their return, while receiving very little returns even after winning two championships and a 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, the decision was made to cancel the project after only a few C292s had been produced by Sauber. The exact number of C292s that were built is unknown, however one remaining copy is on display in the Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
museum.
With the cancellation, the C292 was never tested, and therefore its potential in comparison to its competitors was never able to be seen. It is unknown if Mercedes even got to the point of installing the M291 engine in the C292.
This would be the last Mercedes-Benz sportscar until the launch of the CLK-GTR in 1997.