Whether on the Nordschleife or Down Under

Australia loves AMG vehicles: in hardly any other country in the world is the market share of the sporty sub-brand greater in relation to Mercedes sales.
But Mercedes-AMG is not only on top Down Under: in the legendary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2022, the factory teams, which are all equipped with Bilstein suspensions, took second and third place.

The 24h race celebrates its anniversary – two places on the podium for Mercedes-AMG
From 26 to 29 May, the legendary endurance event in Germany took place for the 50th time and it was extremely exciting right up to the end.
Certainly, numerous petrolheads from Australia followed the action live on the screens. And who knows, maybe some of them even mingled with the 230,000 spectators at the track.
Towards the end, unpredictable weather gods challenged the teams to a game of tyre poker.
Although Mercedes-AMG’s choice proved disadvantageous in this gamble, GetSpeed’s trio of Maximilian Götz, Adam Christodoulou and Fabian Schiller still took second place with the number three car.
Right behind them, their teammates came in with number four – alternately driven by Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella.
The Mercedes-AMG Team Bilstein by HRT with start numbers 12 and 6, painted in the suspension manufacturer’s striking blue and yellow, also achieved a respectable success with places seven and eight. The number 6 was also driven by Nico Bastian, among others.
“The 24h Nürburgring was a real highlight, as always. I got to drive the top qualifying, the start and the finish,” Nico said.
The 32-year-old racing driver is also known to workshops as the presenter of the video series ‘Suspension Fundamentals – powered by Bilstein Academy.’
As a result, he is now very familiar not only with racing suspensions, but also with the subject of standard replacements for road use.
As an AMG fan, he naturally knows exactly what Bilstein has to offer customers in this regard. Car number 12 also played a special role, presenting the new Bilstein logo with ‘full speed,’ featuring a simplified depiction of the shock absorber and a simpler basic design.
The reduced look enables a modern and clearly staged customer approach: flexible and user-friendly. Under the new claim ‘Way Ahead,’ Bilstein also summarises its own ambition to offer all customers and partners a head start, be it in development, in terms of market coverage or in the use of suspension technologies.

Perfect replacement for air suspensions and electronically controlled suspension systems
In the aftermarket, for example, the German suspension experts offer the perfect shock absorbers and air suspension modules for the C-Class W205 and the E-Class W213, including the AMG versions.
Unlike many other IAM suppliers, all components are 100 percent compatible with the factory features, including the electronic damper control. Moreover, the quality is also completely at OE level. After all, Bilstein is the OEM for many Mercedes models.
The Bilstein B4 gas pressure shock absorber, for example, is 100 percent the same as the factory-fitted components in terms of quality and functionality – but at a lower price.
This applies to the actively controllable DampTronic variants just as much as to the basic product used for passive suspension systems.
The Bilstein B6 DampTronic shock absorber is available for people who have to master particularly tough everyday conditions with their vehicle or who simply want to improve its performance.
It stands for improved OE replacement in combination with active suspension systems. Going beyond the original, it offers a noticeable plus in safety and performance – even without lowering or changing springs.
Its higher power reserves are particularly effective in the following scenarios: on poor or winding roads, when driving in a dynamic style, in dangerous situations, when towing a trailer, when transporting external loads – such as bicycle racks or roof racks – and generally with heavily loaded vehicles.

Bilstein B4 air suspensions
Defective air suspensions are often replaced by relatively inexpensive remanufactured parts. However, the price advantage comes at the price of various disadvantages in terms of performance and functionality.
Bilstein B4 air suspension modules, on the other hand, are a real alternative to expensive original parts. As one of the few aftermarket options, they are completely new from the factory, while remanufactured air suspension modules include used shock absorbers with uncertain wear status.
In addition, manufacturers of remanufactured components often disable the electromagnetic control valve instead of replacing it.
This turns a high-end system with active control into a passive one. Not so with Bilstein: B4 air suspension modules or B4 DampTronic and B6 DampTronic shock absorbers let cars drive like on day one.

For more information, visit workshop.bilstein.com

Photos: Copyright BILSTEIN 2022.