You may have already seen the images we posted on our Facebook page yesterday, but we thought we’d share a few more details about the F1 Safety Car, which is usually overshadowed by the excitement of the F1 field.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Official F1 Safety Car has been unveiled ahead of the 2012 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix, where it will almost certainly be put to work around the street circuit.

With an increase in power output to 435 kW compared to its predecessor, optimised gear shift times and the new AMG Ride Control Performance suspension, the GT evolution of the SLS AMG gull-wing model is geared to cope with its role in the pinnacle class of the world of motorsport. The new GT version of the F1 Safety Car is sure to make an appearance at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with Race Control having had to deploy the Safety Car in every Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix since it joined the calendar in 2008.

The new SLS AMG GT is driven by Bernd Mayländer. The Official F1 Safety Car driver has fulfilled this role since 2000 and he is a key member of the FIA’s safety team across the race weekend. “The new SLS AMG GT is the best Safety Car I have driven”, commented Mayländer after meeting his new ‘company car’.

In keeping with the philosophy of Mercedes-AMG, the Safety Car does without technical modifications or retrofitted lightweight design measures as far as possible. The one exception is the specially developed rear silencer, that generates an even more sensational V8 soundtrack to thrill Formula 1 fans watching at the circuit and at home. The SLS AMG GT races from 0 – 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and reaches the 200 km/h mark after just 11.2 seconds.

The job of the Official F1 Safety Car is, as always, to help ensure maximum safety for the F1 field is maintained in extreme situations. The Safety Car is also on call throughout the race weekend for the majority of the accompanying race series, such as the GP2 and GP3 Series and the Porsche Supercup.