I expected a large growl when this tribute to the Sauber-Mercedes C9 came gliding into the pitlane, however I could barely hear it running! After the door had flipped open and hands were shaken, there was a brief discussion about the morning’s proceedings.
Its jubilant owner, Johan Ackerman, unscrewed plugs from the side exhausts. He started the car up again and suddenly the exhaust gases exited through the side pipes and not through the rear pipes with two silencers. Bingo! Immediately, the exhaust sound gave the car the attitude one expects from a real race car.
The dream
Each enthusiast has a different dream. For some of us, it is to own a specific car. For another, it is to experience a supercar.
And there are those special occasions when an enthusiast’s hobby and dream merge. In this case, the dream was to build a car to celebrate Sauber-Mercedes’ 1-2 finish at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans. But how does one start such a project?
Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Ackerman’s career included being a test driver for another German automotive manufacturer. This entitled him to capture data from pre production cars when they were tested in South Africa. He was also one of the main mechanics responsible for legendary South African racer Tony Viana back in 1988 and 1989. It is fair to say that, apart from being a job, he is seriously passionate about racing and race cars. From his youth he wanted to build his own car, but he couldn’t decide which to replicate.
It was during an online gaming episode that Ackerman fell in love with the C9. He picked the car to compete in for an online race and won, inspiring him to build a C9 for himself. This decision was the simple part – the next steps proved a real challenge. After he had bought books, ordered DVDs and carried out research, he started to put a plan together. Then, the correct dimensions and specifications of the original C9 racer – which were easily available – were sourced.
Next, he began building the chassis, but he would later discover that this was the easier part of the project. To start with, square and rectangular tubing was used to construct a space frame, the chassis designed so that modern Mercedes-Benz suspension parts would fit onto the car. After all, Ackerman’s aim was to use Mercedes-Benz parts wherever possible.
The next challenge proved more tricky. He had to get the fibreglass body panels to reflect the original car’s shapes and angles – but our man had a clever idea up his sleeve. Using a 1:32 scale C9 model car, the design was enlarged and transferred onto Ackerman’s creation with the help of cardboard templates. Inspired!
On all four corners, W202 C-Class suspension components were installed. Since these suspension parts were manufactured from steel (unlike today’s more modern aluminium parts), Ackerman was able to cut and modify them where necessary. Included in the suspension set up were Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, both brands associated with the Stuttgart manufacturer. It is, however, the engine that forms the centre of the project. And this, positioned right behind the cabin, also has an interesting history.
Again, Ackerman wanted the engine to be as closely linked to the original race car’s engine as possible. Although he wasn’t able to use a V8, he fitted the M112 3,2-litre V6 found in the W220 S-Class. To increase the power from the standard engine’s 165 kW to the current dynometer proven 250 kW, two turbochargers were added, together with two intercoolers and two blow-off valves, which is in effect the same
layout as the original C9. The boost pressure of the turbochargers is currently fixed at 0,5 bar in the interests of reliability, rather than extracting maximum power. The use of Mercedes-Benz parts continues throughout the rest of the drivetrain. As a W124’s five-speed manual gearbox was the transmission of choice, the 3,2-litre V6 engine would need an adapter plate as it was previously connected to an automatic. Eagle-eyed readers will be able to recognise the wheels.
These dark alloys came directly from the luxurious 221-series S600. This is also where the front brakes came from, which proved to be more than adequate for this racer. Another challenging aspect of the project was preparing and sanding the surfaces before the paint was applied. After two applications, the overall result is rather impressive.
The finished product closely resembles the real car and, standing next to it, I was amazed at how small and compact these cars were. Ackerman confirms my thoughts on the car’s size, and proudly states that his car is within 5 mm of the original C9’s dimensions. He admits the height and design of the cabin’s canopy isn’t as low as he wanted, but the real race car was equipped with a very laid back and rather impractical seat, so Ackerman went for something more upright. After the photographs were taken, it was finally time to experience this tribute to the famous C9. With the door already flipped open, I stepped onto the flat area to the left of the door. The other side of the car is taken up by the SLK sourced 65-litre fuel tank.
Behind the wheel
I supported myself by pressing against the roof, then with less effort than I anticipated, I slid my legs towards the pedals before dropping my body into the driver’s seat. As expected, the cabin is tight, but one would not really trade the snugness of the cabin for anything else. At just over six feet, I am significantly taller than Ackerman, so I had to bend my head a little to avoid touching the roof. Even so, I had all the controls in sight, the steering wheel was close and my feet had full leverage on the pedals.
The gearlever is situated to the left, and it took a few shifts to get used to the stiff action. It also took a lap to remember first and second gears are closest to you, and third, fourth and fifth furthest away! There is little to look at in front of you. The only visible parts of the car are the vents at the top of the arches, perfect for placing the front wheel on an apex. The blow-off valves, despite being situated behind the engine, are one of the dominant sounds one hears each time one changes gear or releases the throttle pedal.
Although there is a decent amount of power, it is really the torque that pushes the car through corners and onto the straights. High revs aren’t needed – real shove can be felt from just 2 500 r/min.
One of the most enjoyable corners of Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria is the first one, a sharp and slow right hander. While driving Ackerman’s car, during my final lap, I decided to turn in a little sharper. The result was slight and very brief oversteer, easily corrected with a few degrees of steering lock.
Ackerman’s C9 isn’t snappy at the limit and is therefore in line with what one expects of a car weighing 1 050 kg and fitted with road tyres. After a few laps, and especially since I’ve attended Le Mans races in the past, I had a much greater appreciation of what it must have felt like to race a real C9 for a full 24 hours. Obviously, in terms of handling and performance, this car is not comparable to the real race cars, but it definitely gives you a whiff of the real thing, and that’s truly impressive.
Ackerman admits the project would not have been possible if his sponsors had not assisted him financially and participated in the process. The Mercedes-Benz parts alone would have cost him around R250 000, not to mention all the effort and expertise that went into making the body panels, as well as the final paint finish. Overall, it took Ackerman 14 months to build his dream car and a further three months of paperwork to get it registered and road legal. (I’ll say that again: this machine is road legal!) As a project that basically started from scratch, that is a remarkable timescale.
“The car is 99 per cent done. There are still a few niggles I want to sort, such as redesigning the wing, but otherwise I am very happy with how the car turned out,” concluded Ackerman. What a mammoth project, but the result is not only one that grabs attention, it also makes people ask questions and then the story of the real C9’s 1989 victory can be shared again!
This article first appeared in Mercedes Enthusiast.
