Sauber C8
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Category | Group C Prototype | ||||||||
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| Constructor | Sauber Motorsport | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Peter Sauber | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Sauber C7 | ||||||||
| Successor | Sauber C9 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Light alloy monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | double wishbones, coil springs over shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilizer | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | double wishbones, coil springs over shock absorbers, torsion bar stabilizer | ||||||||
| Length | 189 in (480.1 cm) | ||||||||
| Width | 78 in (198.1 cm) | ||||||||
| Height | 42.1 in (106.9 cm) | ||||||||
| Axle track | 63 in (160.0 cm) | ||||||||
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in (270.0 cm) | ||||||||
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz M117 5.0 L Turbo 90° V8 Twin KKK turbos Mid, longitudinally mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | 5-speed Manual | ||||||||
| Weight | 870 kg (1,918.0 lb) | ||||||||
| Fuel | Bosch Motronic MP 1.2 Fuel Injection | ||||||||
| Tyres | Dunlop, Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants |  Sauber Racing Kouros Racing Team Noël del Bello | ||||||||
| Notable drivers |  John Nielsen Dieter Quester Max Welti Henri Pescarolo Christian Danner Mike Thackwell | ||||||||
| Debut | 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans | ||||||||
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| Teams' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
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.
Mercedes decided not to put forth the money for a full effort on their own until they had time to develop the production-based M117 5.0L Turbocharged V8. Therefore, Mercedes turned to Sauber to create a chassis for them and initially to run the team before Mercedes took on a larger role. Sauber chose to evolve the previous C7 prototype for the C8, although modifications were needed to house the larger V8 instead of the C7's previous Inline-6.
