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Car Profile

Stahlwagen

Stable RWD wagon · 2001 Mercedes C-Class Estate (W203)

RWDClass B

A long-wheelbase rear-drive estate — the stable, predictable one, with a slightly rearward balance that aids traction and controllable oversteer.

Setup

The Hybrid tab is an all-round setup that does OK on any surface, in the game's real sliders and units; each surface tab shows what to change from it. The filled marker is the setting, the tick is the hybrid value, and the coloured number is the change (green higher, blue lower). Gamepad players: Steering Ratio one notch slower than shown.

Braking Force
Balance56 %
RearFront

Near centre, a touch forward

Pressure96 %
LowHigh

Less on loose, more on grip

Front Balancer
EnabledOn
OffOn

Undocumented — test both ways in one braking zone

Differential — Rear
Power64 %
OpenLocked

Rear weight aids traction — moderate lock

Coast52 %
OpenLocked

A little more on loose for braking stability

Preload19 Nm
OpenLocked

More base lock on loose, less on grip

Final Drive
Final3.50
Top speedAcceleration

Torque-rich midrange — gear for the track

Forward Gears
1st2.90
Top speedAcceleration

Stock ratios — reference

2nd2.00
Top speedAcceleration
3rd1.40
Top speedAcceleration
4th1.10
Top speedAcceleration
5th0.90
Top speedAcceleration
6th0.75
Top speedAcceleration
Springs
Front59.5 N/mm
SoftStiff

Compliance over the bumps

Rear34.0 N/mm
SoftStiff

A touch softer than the front for exit traction

Ride Height
Front25.1 cm
LowHigh

Up for kerbs and ruts, down for grip

Rear27.0 cm
LowHigh
Anti-roll Bars
Front54.5 N/mm
SoftStiff

A touch stiffer than the rear — calms the car

Rear50.5 N/mm
SoftStiff

Balanced front-to-rear — a stable wagon

Camber
Front-2.62°
NegPos

Less negative on loose, more on grip

Rear-2.00°
NegPos
Toe
Front0.03°
OutIn

A touch of toe-out sharpens turn-in

Rear0.20°
OutIn

A little toe-in for stability

Ackermann
Ackermann74 %
NoneFull
Wedge
Oversteer Bias0 %
LeftRight
Steering
Lock to Lock750.00°
LowHigh
Steering Ratio12.00
LowHigh

Gamepad: set one notch slower than shown

Why these numbers

The Stahlwagen is the stable one. A long wheelbase and wagon mass carried slightly rearward give it calm, controllable balance and good rear traction, so nothing here is fighting a nervous car — which means the fine controls matter more. Brake balance and the Differential do most of the work: sitting near centre with a touch forward keeps it honest on entry, and moderate power lock lets the rear weight put the torque down without snapping.

Everything else follows the surface: locked diff and soft/high on loose, opener diff and stiff/low on grip. The anti-roll bars run close front-to-rear — this is a balanced wagon, not a car you tune to rotate. The Final Drive gears for the torque-rich midrange. Brake Pressure’s scale runs 50–150%, so 100% is mid-travel, not the maximum.

Braking Force
Balance60 %+4 %
RearFront
Pressure116 %+20 %
LowHigh
Front Balancer
EnabledOn±0
OffOn
Differential — Rear
Power52 %−12 %
OpenLocked
Coast44 %−8 %
OpenLocked
Preload12 Nm−7 Nm
OpenLocked
Final Drive
Final3.20−0.30
Top speedAcceleration
Forward Gears
1st2.90±0
Top speedAcceleration
2nd2.00±0
Top speedAcceleration
3rd1.40±0
Top speedAcceleration
4th1.10±0
Top speedAcceleration
5th0.90±0
Top speedAcceleration
6th0.75±0
Top speedAcceleration
Springs
Front76.0 N/mm+16.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Rear44.0 N/mm+10.0 N/mm
SoftStiff
Ride Height
Front22.0 cm−3.1 cm
LowHigh
Rear24.5 cm−2.5 cm
LowHigh
Anti-roll Bars
Front68.0 N/mm+13.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Rear64.0 N/mm+13.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Camber
Front-3.50°−0.88°
NegPos
Rear-2.50°−0.50°
NegPos
Toe
Front0.03°±0
OutIn
Rear0.20°±0
OutIn
Ackermann
Ackermann74 %±0
NoneFull
Wedge
Oversteer Bias0 %±0
LeftRight
Steering
Lock to Lock750.00°±0
LowHigh
Steering Ratio12.00±0
LowHigh

Why these changes

On asphalt the Stahlwagen has real grip and its long wheelbase makes it planted and predictable. The springs and bars stiffen, brake pressure climbs, and the car drops closer to the road — and the diff opens up: on high grip a locked diff breaks both rear wheels loose together, so a looser diff keeps the exit progressive.

Here the brake bias earns its keep: a touch forward stops the long tail from stepping out under hard, late braking. Brake in a straight line and let the stability work for you.

Braking Force
Balance56 %±0
RearFront
Pressure94 %−2 %
LowHigh
Front Balancer
EnabledOn±0
OffOn
Differential — Rear
Power64 %±0
OpenLocked
Coast52 %±0
OpenLocked
Preload18 Nm−1 Nm
OpenLocked
Final Drive
Final3.50±0
Top speedAcceleration
Forward Gears
1st2.90±0
Top speedAcceleration
2nd2.00±0
Top speedAcceleration
3rd1.40±0
Top speedAcceleration
4th1.10±0
Top speedAcceleration
5th0.90±0
Top speedAcceleration
6th0.75±0
Top speedAcceleration
Springs
Front58.0 N/mm−1.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Rear33.0 N/mm−1.0 N/mm
SoftStiff
Ride Height
Front25.5 cm+0.4 cm
LowHigh
Rear27.5 cm+0.5 cm
LowHigh
Anti-roll Bars
Front54.0 N/mm−0.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Rear50.0 N/mm−0.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Camber
Front-2.50°+0.12°
NegPos
Rear-2.00°±0
NegPos
Toe
Front0.03°±0
OutIn
Rear0.20°±0
OutIn
Ackermann
Ackermann74 %±0
NoneFull
Wedge
Oversteer Bias0 %±0
LeftRight
Steering
Lock to Lock750.00°±0
LowHigh
Steering Ratio12.00±0
LowHigh

Why these changes

Gravel is the middle ground and sits closest to the hybrid setup — the changes are small. The Stahlwagen slides predictably and holds its line, so you can commit earlier than in a twitchier car; keep corrections small, which matters on a pad where a big stick input overshoots.

Trust the balance and drive it clean. This is a car you place accurately rather than wrestle.

Braking Force
Balance53 %−3 %
RearFront
Pressure80 %−16 %
LowHigh
Front Balancer
EnabledOn±0
OffOn
Differential — Rear
Power74 %+10 %
OpenLocked
Coast58 %+6 %
OpenLocked
Preload26 Nm+7 Nm
OpenLocked
Final Drive
Final3.80+0.30
Top speedAcceleration
Forward Gears
1st2.90±0
Top speedAcceleration
2nd2.00±0
Top speedAcceleration
3rd1.40±0
Top speedAcceleration
4th1.10±0
Top speedAcceleration
5th0.90±0
Top speedAcceleration
6th0.75±0
Top speedAcceleration
Springs
Front46.0 N/mm−13.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Rear26.0 N/mm−8.0 N/mm
SoftStiff
Ride Height
Front27.5 cm+2.4 cm
LowHigh
Rear28.5 cm+1.5 cm
LowHigh
Anti-roll Bars
Front42.0 N/mm−12.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Rear38.0 N/mm−12.5 N/mm
SoftStiff
Camber
Front-2.00°+0.62°
NegPos
Rear-1.50°+0.50°
NegPos
Toe
Front0.03°±0
OutIn
Rear0.20°±0
OutIn
Ackermann
Ackermann74 %±0
NoneFull
Wedge
Oversteer Bias0 %±0
LeftRight
Steering
Lock to Lock750.00°±0
LowHigh
Steering Ratio12.00±0
LowHigh

Why these changes

Mud is the lowest-grip surface, but the Stahlwagen’s rearward weight helps it dig in and drive. Soften the springs and bars, raise the ride height to clear the ruts, and lock the diff up: on low grip a tight diff drives both rear wheels instead of spinning the inside one away, and the loose surface still lets you steer with the throttle.

Lean on the wagon’s stability — it stays composed where a nose-heavy car would flounder. Feed the throttle smoothly and let its traction carry you out.

Hybrid = a do-everything setup; each surface tab shows what to change from it. All recommendations to test against your own feel — the game stock tune (identical for every car) sits mid-range of these.

Want the full theory behind every slider? See thegeneric RWD guide. New to Wreckfest racing? Read the racing lessons.

Overview

The Stahlwagen is a rear-drive estate modelled on a 2001 Mercedes C-Class Estate (W203), and it is the stable, predictable member of the balanced-RWD group. Its long wheelbase and wagon mass, which sits slightly rearward at around 53/47, help the rear axle put power down, and a torque-rich midrange means it drives cleanly out of corners. Where the lighter sports cars snap, this one flows — its oversteer is controllable rather than a threat.

How it drives

On tarmac the Stahlwagen turns in with confidence and settles into corners without the nervous edge of a short-wheelbase car. The slightly rearward balance and long wheelbase give it good traction and a stable platform, so exit oversteer, when it comes, arrives progressively and is easy to catch rather than snapping away from you. It rewards a tidy, committed line more than constant correction.

On loose surfaces the same stability holds up: it slides in a controllable, predictable way that you can steer with the throttle, and the torque-rich midrange means there is real drive to lean on out of the corner. Because the car is so predictable, brake-bias and differential tuning make more of a difference here than the raw fight-the-balance changes a nose-heavy car needs.

In a pack the wagon mass and long wheelbase make it stable through contact and hard to unsettle. It is not a fragile momentum toy — it holds its line and can lean on its size when the racing gets rough.