Sauber C7
Encyclopedia
The Sauber C7 was a Group C
prototype
race car built by Swiss manufacturer Sauber
for competition in the World Sportscar Championship
.
Meant to replace Sauber's previous effort, the SHS C6
, the C7 would continue Sauber's initial failed development of the BMW M88
3.5L I6
engine in the SHS C6. Debuting at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans
, the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship
, the Sauber C7 finished an impressive 9th, behind eight Porsche 956
s. The C7 would appear again at Suzuka
, where it would finish 10th overall.
However, development of the C7, of which only one chassis existed, came to a halt after the brief 1983 season. Sauber would begin a brief hiatus from sports car racing, forcing the team to sell their lone C7 chassis to El Salvador outfit Fomfor Racing, who took the car to the United States to participate in the 1984 IMSA
Camel GT championship
. The team retained the economical BMW M88 motor for the first five races of the season, with a best result of 7th at Road Atlanta
before the team dropped out of the championship. They would make one final appearance at the series finale at Daytona
, except now using a Chevrolet
6.0L V8 in place of the BMW motor, where the team would finish 11th overall.
Fomfor Racing attempted to continue into 1985, appearing for only two races, in Miami for IMSA where they did not finish and Mosport
for the World Sportscar Championship
7th overall. However, the team would fold soon after, thus bringing the C7's career to a quick end after only just over a full season of use. Sauber would return to sportscar development after a year off with their partnership with Mercedes-Benz
and the Sauber C8
, which carried over a large number of design traits from the C7.
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 built by Swiss manufacturer 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 competition in the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
.
Meant to replace Sauber's previous effort, the SHS C6
Sauber SHS C6
The Sauber SHS C6 was a Group C prototype racing car built by Swiss manufacturer Sauber and engineering firm Seger & Hoffman , intended for competition in the World Endurance Championship and Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft series...
, the C7 would continue Sauber's initial failed development of the BMW M88
BMW M88
The BMW M88/3 is an in line 6 cylinder piston engine. It was based on the M88/1 that was used in the BMW M1's street version, with double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder. The M88/1 was in turn based on the M49 engine which was used in the BMW 3.0CSi...
3.5L I6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine in the SHS C6. Debuting at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans
1983 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 51st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 1983. It was also the fourth round of both the World Endurance Championship and European Endurance Championship. The win was fought right down to the line between the Rothmans Porsche 956s of Al...
, the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
, the Sauber C7 finished an impressive 9th, behind eight Porsche 956
Porsche 956
The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship...
s. The C7 would appear again at Suzuka
Suzuka Circuit
, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...
, where it would finish 10th overall.
However, development of the C7, of which only one chassis existed, came to a halt after the brief 1983 season. Sauber would begin a brief hiatus from sports car racing, forcing the team to sell their lone C7 chassis to El Salvador outfit Fomfor Racing, who took the car to the United States to participate in the 1984 IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
Camel GT championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
. The team retained the economical BMW M88 motor for the first five races of the season, with a best result of 7th at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
before the team dropped out of the championship. They would make one final appearance at the series finale at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
, except now using a Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
6.0L V8 in place of the BMW motor, where the team would finish 11th overall.
Fomfor Racing attempted to continue into 1985, appearing for only two races, in Miami for IMSA where they did not finish and Mosport
Mosport
Mosport International Raceway is a multi-track facility located north of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The facility features a , 10-turn road course; a half-mile paved oval; a 2.4 km advance driver and race driver training facility with a quarter-mile skid pad Mosport International Raceway...
for the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
7th overall. However, the team would fold soon after, thus bringing the C7's career to a quick end after only just over a full season of use. Sauber would return to sportscar development after a year off with their partnership with 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...
and the Sauber C8
Sauber C8
The Sauber C8 was a Group C prototype race car introduced in 1985 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the first in a partnership between Sauber and Mercedes-Benz....
, which carried over a large number of design traits from the C7.