cawimmer430
Piston Pioneer
Two days ago I drove to Stuttgart to visit the new Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim. Originally, my parents had planned to check it out when we came back from Belgium, but both of them suddenly felt ill, so we drove back to Mühldorf and I drove up here the next day early in the morning speeding all the way to the home of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche: Stuttgart. The new Mercedes-Benz Museum opened its doors to the public on May 20: I went there on the 24th, 4 days later baby! 
To say it was an amazing experience is an understatement. The visit to this museum showed me really just what a great car company Mercedes-Benz is. Seriously. There was so much to see about what these guys have done, you couldn’t help but feel amazed - and if you’re a Benz fan like me, proud. All the cars, race cars, trucks, buses and ship and aircraft engines…it was amazing. I’d love to take a trip there again – and an entrance fee of Euros 4 was a pretty good deal. They even had a newly built parking garage under the museum that also housed some interesting cars, like the CLK500 “Giorgio Armani” I photographed (check the album).
The museum was pretty impressive on the outside. I’m not much of an architect, but the design looked fresh and modern and also interesting. It didn’t really look massive but rather sleek. But once you got inside, you really got to experience the size of the place. Next to the museum, there’s also a Mercedes dealership where I got my first close up glance at the R-Class. To be honest, it isn’t that bad looking in reality, but I still would never get one since it is massive and I’d prefer an E-Class or an M-Class anyway.
The cars are the reason I showed up and they had plenty of them there. The journey begins on the top floor (8th floor) where you get to see the Benz and Daimler cars from the late 19th century. At this point, Benz and Daimler hadn’t fused yet (in 1926 as a result of the Great Depression in Europe they do) so what you saw was either a Daimler or a Benz. One level down, you see the cars from the early 19th century. The condition of these original masterpieces was amazing. In some cases, you saw a 1/1 car – a car where there was only one ever made! I was looking at history here, history from the 19th century or early 20th century. What a feeling that was. The layout of the museum takes you through different time periods and the Mercedes’ from that period. In each time zone, they also played the appropriate music from the era. For example, in the area where you see this beautiful red 1934 Mercedes 500K Spezial Roadster, they played swing music. Where the W116 S-Class was, they played a Bee Gees song!
The people who visited were mostly foreigners. There were some local school kids that were there on a tour, probably sponsored by DCX. I saw a lot of Asians there, particularly Japanese, Chinese and Filipino’s. Don’t get me started on the Russians and Bulgarians, I lost track! [
] Lastly, there were also a few Germans, locals judging from the Swabian accent they had when they spoke (Which I had trouble understanding! Speak Hochdeutsch damn it! 
They had of course a Gullwing, a 300SL Roadster and a 300SLR “Uhlenhaut”, of which only 2 were made. As usual, I had a heart attack when I saw the 500 and 540K’s, such gorgeous cars. There was even a menacing black 770 "Großer Mercedes": anyone who has seen a decent World War II flick will remember that car as a favorite of the Nazis. Anyway, enjoy the pictures and see for yourself what this company has contributed and still is contributing. A visit to this place is a must! I hope you guys will have a newfound respect for the brand after seeing the pictures - even if you don’t like the brand.
Be sure to check out all the pictures on Imagestation! There are more pictures inside which might interest people. I also took rather “crappy” pictures of my beer and the menu when I tried the cafeteria (my salmon salad was pretty good actually!) and the Mercedes-Benz tag they give you for free when you get that audio machine. [
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Link: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2105999234
Let Wimmer's picture tour begin!
Oh, and feel free to post this on other forums!
The usual starting point. Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler's creations which ushered in the age of motorized travel and pleasure. Daimler’s car is the 4-wheeled one. It had a 469cc 1-cylinder engine with 1.5-horsepower at around 700 RPM’s. Top speed was 16 km/h (10 mph). Benz’s car was the 3-wheeled model with a 984cc 1-cylinder engine and 0.9-horsepower. Top speed was 15 km/h.
The 1902 Mercedes-Simplex 40-HP. One of the most famous older Mercedes' and for its tme, quite powerful. It first appeared at the 1902 Paris motor show and was built until 1906. 6785cc 4-cylinder engine with a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
1908 Mercedes 75-hp Doppelphaeton (double phaeton). It was powered by a massive 10-l 6-cylinder engine with 75-horsepower and a top speed of 95 km/h (60 mph). Back in those days, this car was the equivalent of a modern day Mercedes S65 AMG S-Class.
1907 “Milnes-Daimler” double-decker bus. The chassis was built by Daimler but the bodies were made in England. 400 of these saw service in the capital of England.
1928 Mercedes-Benz 27/170/225-PS Typ SSK Sport-Zweisitzer: This is one of Mercedes' best known sports cars of the era - and even today. SSK stood for “Super Sport Kurz” (kurz = short) and was specifically developed for hillclimb races. The short wheelbase apparently ensured greater maneuverability and aided the cars agility. Providing power was a massive 7065cc straight-6 with 225-horsepower. The car had an insane top speed (for the period) of 192 km/h (119 mph). 35 SSK’s were produced from 1928-1932.
1934-1939 Mercedes-Benz 500K “Spezial Roadster”: One of my pre-war favorites! This was Mercedes’ “CLS-Class” of the 1930s with an extra touch of sex appeal. There were 8 different body styles available for this model. Under the hood was a 5018cc straight-8 engine that N/A produced 100-horsepower. When the supercharger was engaged, the engine produced 160-horsepower and was able to bring the car to 160 km/h (100 mph). 342 total were produced. Back in the 1930s, you could buy one for 28,000 Reichsmarks which today would be just under Euros 100,000! [
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1928 Mercedes 26/120/180-PS Sportstourer: These babies actually appeared in 1927 and were powered by a 6.8-l engine. Horsepower output was 180-hp at only 3,000 RPM and the car was able to reach a then phenomenally top speed of 180 km/h (113 mph). It is no wonder that “gentleman drivers” were very interested in these sports cars in their day.
A 1937 Mercedes-Benz 770 "Großer Mercedes" (black) and a white 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet Typ B. Both incredibly gorgeous! The 770 was the “Pullman S-Class” of the period and was also favored by many Nazi officials. The 770 pictured here belonged to Otto Wolff, a German industrialist. 7655cc straight 8-cylinder with 150-hp (N/A), 200-hp (supercharger). Top speed was 160 km/h (100 mph). A total of 117 were built from 1930-1938. In 1938, a more powerful 230-horsepower Kompressor version was offered in small numbers.
The 1936-1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K was the more powerful successor to the 500K. It featured a bored out 5401cc straight-8 with 115-horsepower (N/A) or 180-hp (with the Kompressor engaged). Top speed was now 170 km/h (106 mph). A total of 419 were built. Still a beautiful car, despite the color scheme not stopping you dead in your tracks like the red 500K.
1936-1940 Mercedes-Benz 260D: The 260D was the worlds first diesel passenger sedan. It’s 45-hp 2545cc 4-cylinder engine consumed an average of 9.5 L / 100 km (24.7 mpg) making it very economical for its time period. Although primarily intended for taxi use, high private consumer demand for the 260D surprised even the Mercedes management.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300S Convertible Typ A (W188 I): The 300S was a very pricey and prestigeous car back in its day. The Shah of Iran was one of the customers as well as various Hollywood film stars. The 300S was produced for only four years beginning in 1951 with only 560 leaving the factory gates. It used the same engine of the Gullwing but produced less power and wasn’t slanted. 2996cc 6-cylinder inline, 150-hp, 175 km/h (108 mph). Today’s equivalent would the CL-Class.
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 “Adenauer” (W186): This was the 1950s equivalent of a 1930s “Großer Mercedes” (like the 770). It was especially popular with the West German government, especially the Chancellor, Dr. Konrad Adenauer. West Germans soon started calling these W186 Mercedes 300’s “Adenauer”. The car used the same engine as the 300SL Gullwing, but with an output of 115-horsepower. Power-steering, electric windows and automatic transmission were not available for it. It’s still a beauty though. I’ll take mine in black please.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 180 "Ponton" (W120 B I): The Ponton was a massive success for Mercedes-Benz as it provided affordable transportation to the masses. Half of them were sold with diesel engines, some of which are still around today. My father rode in one in Portugal with more than a million km on it according to the driver. This particular 180 has a simple 1767cc 4-cylinder which has its roots in the 1930s(!!!) and produces 52-horsepower (0-62 mph in 31 seconds). 126 km/h (78 mph) was the top speed. The diesel versions were especially popular as taxis. 51,907 180’s were built.
1960 Mercedes-Benz LK-388 “Kipper”: I love these 'Kurzhauber' (short nose) trucks as I grew up with them. The design was revolutionary as trucks had previously been designed with the wheels in front of the engine, the Kurzhauber broke this tradition. 10,809cc 6-cylinder diesel, 180-horsepower, 75 km/h top speed (47 mph). When my father worked for San Miguel, these were the trucks that delivered the products to the shops. The Kurzhaubers had an incredible 16 year production span from 1960-1976.
2003 Mercedes-Benz Actros 3341 A: This Actros 3341 was part of an aid relief convoy for Afghanistan that drove all the way from Germany, across Europe and throught Turkey and through the Middle East to arrive at its destination. It is powered by the smaller 11.9-l V6 turbodiesel engine with an output of 408-horsepower. Top speed is 85 km/h (53 mph).
1935-1940 Mercedes O-2600 Allwetter-Reiseomnibus (all weather travel bus). A typical 1930s bus design, the O-2600 was designed with comfort in mind. 4.9-l 4-cylinder diesel engine with 70-horsepower and a top speed of 72 km/h (45 mph).
1952 Mercedes-Benz O-3500 Allwetter-Reiseomnibus: This was the first Mercedes-Benz bus designed after World War II (first appeared in 1949 and was produced until 1955). It was very popular in Italy’s 1950s tourist industry and was loved by drivers because of its comfort. Under the hood was a diesel 6-cylinder engine displacing 4580cc and producing 90-hp.Notice the close resemblance to the above posted O-2600.
1979 Mercedes-Benz O-303 Reise-Omnibus: Appearing in 1974, the O-303 series set forth new trends in comfort and safety within the bus industry. It was powered by a V8 diesel engine with a 12,763cc displacement and 256-horsepower. Although it could reach a top speed of 123 km/h (77 mph), buses are by law required to be traveling at 80 km/h (50 mph) on all types of roads unless specified. In 1981, the O-303 became the first bus in the world to be equipped with ABS. The popularity of the vehicle can be seen in the 25,778 units produced from 1974-1992. If you ask me, it looks good too!
1980 Mercedes O-305 “City Bus”. The vehicle shown here was active from 1980-1995 in Stuttgart covering a total distance of 600,000 miles. The body style was built from 1967-1987. 11-l 6-cylinder diesel engine with 240-horsepower and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
The current "Travego" travel bus that is powered by a massive 11,967cc 6-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 428-horsepower. Top speed is 100 km/h. The Travego offers seating places for 44 passengers.
1956 Mercedes-Benz LF-3500 Feuerwehrfahrzeug: Your typical 1950s German fire truck with a then revolutionary DL-22 electronically operated ladder.
1939 Mercedes 320 “Stromlinien-Limousine” (streamlined sedan) in English. These cars had little to do with aerodynamic efficiency but were inspired by the newly created Autobahns. 3.4-l 6-cylinder with 78-horsepower and a top speed of 126 km/h (78 mph).
Any World War II aircraft fan will know of the Messerschmidt BF-109, the main fighter of the Luftwaffe until the end of World War II. This DB-601 was one of the engines that powered them. Being produced from 1937-1942, the DB-601 was definitely fitted to the BF-109E / E-4 / E-4Z and possibly some of the F-2 and F-4 successor models. It was the first mass-produced aircraft engine to feature fuel-injection instead of carburator. 33,929cc inverted V12 engine with 1,100-horsepower.
300SL Gullwing, 300SL Roadster and the Uhlenhaut SLR. Took me forever to get these shots since folks crowded around these cars like nobody's business!
1964 Mercedes-Benz 220S “Fintail” (W110): The 220S and 220SE were the worlds first sedans built with safety features patented by Béla Barényi, one of Mercedes’ brightest safety engineers. The 220S seen here has a 110-hp 2195c 6-cylinder inline engine.
1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 Messwagen: I can see that this car was based on the 300 “Adenauer Mercedes” of the 1950s. Mercedes used this car to record performance and technical data from their cars. In this case, the 300 Messwagen would be collecting data from the 220S Fintail it is “hooked up” to. This is the only version ever built: another 1/1 car.
1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL “Pagoda” (W113): I am quoting the sign here, “the 230SL was the world’s first sports car with a sturdy passenger cell and crumple zones”. All Pagoda’s came with 6-cylinder engines: the 230SL, 250SL and 280SL all had 6-cylinders and similar performances despite the different badges. The 250SL was the slowest of the bunch with a top speed of 195 km/h compared to the other two’s 200 km/h (125 mph). The name “Pagoda” comes from Asian temples – which many people see in the W113’s hardtop. The 230SL had 150-horsepower from a 2306cc 6-cylinder engine. A 4-speed manual transmission was available across the range, but remains an extremely rare sight as most customers choose the A/T.
1972 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 (W108): The 300SEL 6.3 first appeared in 1968 and immediately made headlines with its impressive performance. The M100 6.3 V8 engine produced 250-horsepower and the car was renowned for being able to trounce purist sports cars of the day. The 300SEL 6.3 was fitted with power-steering, RPM gauge, automatic transmission and many more extras – all these extras had to be ordered almost all other Mercedes-Benzes during the 1960s!
1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD (S123): The ‘123 series is by far my most treasured Mercedes car ever. I just love these with a passion be it a 200D or a 280E. The 300TD was the second most powerful diesel estate in the lineup (the 300TD Turbodiesel eclipsed it) and was meant for family leisure. Its modern day equivalent would be the new E280 CDI, while the 300TD Turbodiesel would find its modern sibling to be the E320 CDI.
1973 Mercedes-Benz “Experimentier-Sicherheits-Fahrzeug” ESF-22: ESF translates into “Experimental-Safety-Vehicle”. The car was based on the W116 S-Class (which appeared in 1972) and was used to study and improve safety in Mercedes passenger cars. The car you see is the only ESF-22 ever made (aka “the original”!). Interestingly enough, Mercedes stuffed a detuned 4520cc V8 with 195-horsepower into the thing! It also had an automatic transmission.
1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD Turbodiesel (W116): The W116 300SD Turbodiesel was only sold in North America because it helped bring down Mercedes’ overall fuel economy figures in this market in compliance with the CAFE laws. It was not particularly fast (0-62 mph took 17.1 seconds) but delivered good range and fuel economy. As the car was only sold in North America, it is no wonder that it has the by US law mandated sealed-beam headlights and 5-mph bumpers. The engine was 3005cc 5-cylinder motor taken from the W123 300D, but fitted with a Garret exhaust-turbocharger and produced 125-horsepower – instead of the N/A versions 88-hp. The 300SD Turbodiesel came with a 4-speed automatic transmission and topped out at an impressive (for a heavy diesel of the era) 170 km/h (106 mph). The diesel W116 S-Class was produced from 1977 to 1980. 28,634 were produced. The W116 continues to be my favorite S-Class – ever. I just love the styling of this car for some reason. I’d sell the 300SE (W126) I have in a heartbeat for a W116! [:sun:]
1984 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.0 (W201): The 190-series first appeared in 1982 and quickly earned the nickname “Baby Benz”. It was offered with both diesels and gasoline engines and was a smashing success for Mercedes. The current C-Class wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for the groundbreaking success of the 190. This 190E has the 2.0 (1997cc) engine with 122-horsepower.
1988 Mercedes-Benz 200D (W124): The W124 was available in Europe with many smaller engines. This is the absolute lowest engine choice available, a 72-horsepower 200D (1997cc 4-cylinder N/A diesel) which continued the Benz tradition of offering an economical, durable and comfortable car. This particular model has the hood of a facelifted W124 E-Class, but the body, including rear and interior, are all 1985-1993 W124 spec. This 200D also has over 1.9 million km (1.6 million miles) on the odometer accumulating these by working 14 years as a taxi in Portugal.
1995 Mercedes-Benz S600 (W140): You’re looking at the former S600 owned by film star and later governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Notice the polished AMG rims and the AMG body kit treatment with side gills inspired by the R129 SL-Class, which existed around the same time. 5987cc V12 with 394-horsepower. The W140 V12 S-Classes made history as the first Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with a V12 engine – partly forced by the arrival of a V12 engine in the BMW 7-Series.
1998 Mercedes-Benz 290GD Turbodiesel (W463): This 290GD was used by its owner all over the world on off road tours. I am a bit baffled why the sign said “1998” when the body style is clearly a 1980s G-Class and the term “290GD” is pre-1993. A mistake on the MB Museum part perhaps? 2874cc 5-cylinder turbodiesel with 120-horsepower and a top speed of 137 km/h (85 mph).
2001 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG T-Modell Medical Car (S203): This C32 AMG was used as the safety car for Formula One races from 2001 to 2003. It has space for a driver and three doctors and their equipment. 3.2-l supercharged V6, 354-hp and a 5-speed automatic transmission. This model had its limited removed and can top 280 km/h (174 mph).
1999 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 312-D: I found this very interesting. This particular model was used as a mobile dental surgery / dentist on the Japanese island of Kuroshima. It employs the services of a 2874cc 5-cylinder CDI turbodiesel engine with 122-horsepower.
1955 Mercedes-Benz W196R: This Formula One car marked the return of Mercedes-Benz to this sport after World War II. The version shown here was driven by legends, the Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio and the German Karl Kling in the cars first race on July 4, 1954. They finished 1-2 respectively. Fangio went on to win many more races with the W196R in 1955 and eventually a world championship title. The streamlined form helped the cars performance. 2497cc 8-cylinder, 290-horsepower and a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph).
1955 Mercedes-Benz Rennsportwagen 300SLR: Does the name Stirling Moss ring a bell? This is the original car he (and his navigator Denis Jenkinson) piloted to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia in record time – which remains unbeaten to this day. 2982cc 8-cylinder, 302-horsepower and a top speed of 300 km/h.
1952 Mercedes-Benz Rennsportwagen 300SL: This car is most famous for its spectacular victory in 1952 in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, where it finished in first place with Karl Kling at the controls and Hans Klatik serving as navigator. During the race, Kling’s 300SL windshield was smashed up by a scavenger bird wounding him lightly and causing the Mercedes engineers to put up those steel wires in front of the windshield to prevent this from happening again in this bird infested region. 170-hp from the 2996cc 6-cylinder engine. Top speed was 239 km/h (143 mph).
1938 Mercedes-Benz 3-L Rennwagen W154: This car was specifically designed for the 1938 3-L engine capacity races. The vehicle won 6/9 races, including a phenomenal 1-2-3 finish in one of them. Rudolf Caracciola was perhaps the most famous driver of the W154’s. 2962cc V12 engine with 453-horsepower and a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph).
1996 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR: What can I say? Friggin awesome! The CLK of that era was my dream car, so I was totally crazy when it came to the CLK-GTR.
1990 Sauber-Mercedes-Gruppe-C-Rennsportwagen C11: The C11 won 8/9 races in the 1990 world sports prototype championships, just like in 1989. The C11 had a 730-hp 4,973cc V8 – the one found in the R129 500SL / SL500 and W140 500S / S500. Top speed was 400 km/h (249 mph).
Formula One McLaren-Mercedes race car with a 730-horsepower 3.0 V10 engine.
1996 Mercedes-Benz Race Truck, powered by the 1,496-hp V6 twin-turbodiesel posted far ^above^.
2001 Mercedes-Benz Race-Truck-Motor OM 501 LAR: Mercedes classifies its diesel engines as OM (short in German for “Öl Motor”), and this engine is a piece of work. The engine was already used in 1996 in the 1834 S models. The performance is impressive. Displacing 11,946cc, the V6 engine produces 1,496-horsepower (God only knows how much torque!) using twin-turbocharging (with twin high-pressure compressors), high-pressure diesel injection and charge air cooling. The race truck is limited to a top speed of 100 mph.
1909 Benz 200-PS Rennwagen “Blitzen Benz”: In 1909, this was the fastest machine in earth – quicker than any aircraft or train. It was the first European car to break the magic 125 mph (200 km/h) speed barrier. A massive 21,504cc 4-cylinder motor with 200-horsepower gave the Blitzen Benz a top speed of 228 km/h – the speed which Bob Burman achieved in 1911 on Daytona Beach. Blitz in German means “lightning” so the cars name is literally “Lightning Benz”.
1939 Mercedes-Benz T-80 Weltrekordwagen: The T-80 was an attempt at breaking speed records and demonstrate German engineering supremacy. Officially backed by the Nazi regime, the car was never tested because of the outbreak of World War II in September of that same year. It was originally planned that the car would be driven on the straight Autobahn near Dessau in 1940 at projected speeds of 600 km/h (373 mph). To obtain such speeds, the T-80 utilized the largest Daimler-Benz aircraft engine in existence, the DB-603: a mammoth 44,522cc V12 that produced 3,000-horsepower. Ferdinand Porsche designed the T-80. It was sheer luck that the car survived World War II.
1980 Mercedes-Benz 500SLC Ralllycar (C107): The SLC remains one of the least appreciated of older Mercedes’. In my heart though, there’s a special place for this baby. Better-looking that the R107 SL, I just love the lazy low slung look of the car. It’s one of those cars you just want to get into and cruise around, with no particular destination in mind. The plaque said that “In December of 1980, Björn Waldegaard and Hans Thorszelius drove this 500SLC to 1st place in the 3,315-mile-long Bandama Rally (Ivory Coast). Their teammates in another 500SLC finished in 2nd place. The 1-2 victory signaled the withdrawal of Mercedes-Benz from this sport.” The 4973cc V8 was tuned to produce 305-horsepower (the standard 500SLC produced 240-hp).
2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI (W211): In order to demonstrate improved reliability for the E-Class, DCX allowed outside testers to randomly pick three W211 E-Classes from the production facility in Sindelfingen and test them on the high speed track Laredo, Texas. All three cars covered 100,000 miles in a 30-day record breaking attempt (with no breakdowns of any kind) at an average speed of 139.7 mph while also proving the efficiency of Mercedes’ new diesel particulate filters. This E320 CDI was number 2/3. All of them were fitted with the new 3.0 V6 CDI engine that produces 224-horsepower and 510 Nm of torque (376 lb/ft) mated to the 7Gtronic automatic transmission.
1969 Mercedes-Benz C111: This body style was used to test rotary engines Mercedes’ had been working on. The C111 Type II pictured here has a 4-chamber Wankel engine with 350-horsepower that could accelerate the car to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds – stunning results for a late 1960s prototype car, moreover one equipped with a rotary engine. Quite a few customers loved the cars styling (many hoping that this would be the next SL) and handed in blank checks, all in vain as the car remained a prototype. Mercedes design legend, Bruno Sacco once said: “I loved the C111, because it didn’t look like a Mercedes at all.” The C111 Type II also had Gullwing doors. It remains one of my favorite Mercedes’ cars as well.
1996 Mercedes F200 Imagination: I remember this car as if it had come out yesterday. I was in high school and this thing just blew me away. I wished Mercedes would make a coupe that would look like this, except have a steering wheel! The F200 Imagination was steered by a joystick on both doors – giving both drivers the opportunity to steer the car. The W140 S-Class and R129 SL-Class 394-hp V12 powered the concept car. The only visual aspect of the car that advanced were the headlights. W220 S-Class ring a bell?
2001 Mercedes-Benz F400 Carving: One hot concept, the F400’s primary purpose was to study handling. Many of the ideas and results found their way into the current R171 SLK-Class. The Carving was powered by a detuned (218-hp) 3.2-l V6, an engine found in cars like my family’s E320.
2003 Mercedes-Benz F500 Mind: The F500 Mind is powered by a slightly modified 4.0 V8 CDI turbodiesel engine found in the E, S and ML400 CDI’s – except here it is mated to a hybrid system with the intention of delivering performance and fuel economy. Handling controls and other aspects were also researched with the car.
7Gtronic transmission in set pieces
There are more Autobahn pictures at the end, but this one was pretty cool. A C219 CLS (probably a CLS350 since I could keep up with the guy in the E320) and a new S500 W221. The CLS was a "Werkswagen" (factory car). I read that on his license plate since the Autobahns from Stuttgart to Munich were slow going because of traffic. Max speed I travelled home at was a pathetic 160 km/h (100 mph). [
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To say it was an amazing experience is an understatement. The visit to this museum showed me really just what a great car company Mercedes-Benz is. Seriously. There was so much to see about what these guys have done, you couldn’t help but feel amazed - and if you’re a Benz fan like me, proud. All the cars, race cars, trucks, buses and ship and aircraft engines…it was amazing. I’d love to take a trip there again – and an entrance fee of Euros 4 was a pretty good deal. They even had a newly built parking garage under the museum that also housed some interesting cars, like the CLK500 “Giorgio Armani” I photographed (check the album).
The museum was pretty impressive on the outside. I’m not much of an architect, but the design looked fresh and modern and also interesting. It didn’t really look massive but rather sleek. But once you got inside, you really got to experience the size of the place. Next to the museum, there’s also a Mercedes dealership where I got my first close up glance at the R-Class. To be honest, it isn’t that bad looking in reality, but I still would never get one since it is massive and I’d prefer an E-Class or an M-Class anyway.
The cars are the reason I showed up and they had plenty of them there. The journey begins on the top floor (8th floor) where you get to see the Benz and Daimler cars from the late 19th century. At this point, Benz and Daimler hadn’t fused yet (in 1926 as a result of the Great Depression in Europe they do) so what you saw was either a Daimler or a Benz. One level down, you see the cars from the early 19th century. The condition of these original masterpieces was amazing. In some cases, you saw a 1/1 car – a car where there was only one ever made! I was looking at history here, history from the 19th century or early 20th century. What a feeling that was. The layout of the museum takes you through different time periods and the Mercedes’ from that period. In each time zone, they also played the appropriate music from the era. For example, in the area where you see this beautiful red 1934 Mercedes 500K Spezial Roadster, they played swing music. Where the W116 S-Class was, they played a Bee Gees song!
The people who visited were mostly foreigners. There were some local school kids that were there on a tour, probably sponsored by DCX. I saw a lot of Asians there, particularly Japanese, Chinese and Filipino’s. Don’t get me started on the Russians and Bulgarians, I lost track! [
] Lastly, there were also a few Germans, locals judging from the Swabian accent they had when they spoke (Which I had trouble understanding! Speak Hochdeutsch damn it! They had of course a Gullwing, a 300SL Roadster and a 300SLR “Uhlenhaut”, of which only 2 were made. As usual, I had a heart attack when I saw the 500 and 540K’s, such gorgeous cars. There was even a menacing black 770 "Großer Mercedes": anyone who has seen a decent World War II flick will remember that car as a favorite of the Nazis. Anyway, enjoy the pictures and see for yourself what this company has contributed and still is contributing. A visit to this place is a must! I hope you guys will have a newfound respect for the brand after seeing the pictures - even if you don’t like the brand.
Be sure to check out all the pictures on Imagestation! There are more pictures inside which might interest people. I also took rather “crappy” pictures of my beer and the menu when I tried the cafeteria (my salmon salad was pretty good actually!) and the Mercedes-Benz tag they give you for free when you get that audio machine. [
]Link: http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2105999234
Let Wimmer's picture tour begin!
Oh, and feel free to post this on other forums!The usual starting point. Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler's creations which ushered in the age of motorized travel and pleasure. Daimler’s car is the 4-wheeled one. It had a 469cc 1-cylinder engine with 1.5-horsepower at around 700 RPM’s. Top speed was 16 km/h (10 mph). Benz’s car was the 3-wheeled model with a 984cc 1-cylinder engine and 0.9-horsepower. Top speed was 15 km/h.
The 1902 Mercedes-Simplex 40-HP. One of the most famous older Mercedes' and for its tme, quite powerful. It first appeared at the 1902 Paris motor show and was built until 1906. 6785cc 4-cylinder engine with a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
1908 Mercedes 75-hp Doppelphaeton (double phaeton). It was powered by a massive 10-l 6-cylinder engine with 75-horsepower and a top speed of 95 km/h (60 mph). Back in those days, this car was the equivalent of a modern day Mercedes S65 AMG S-Class.
1907 “Milnes-Daimler” double-decker bus. The chassis was built by Daimler but the bodies were made in England. 400 of these saw service in the capital of England.
1928 Mercedes-Benz 27/170/225-PS Typ SSK Sport-Zweisitzer: This is one of Mercedes' best known sports cars of the era - and even today. SSK stood for “Super Sport Kurz” (kurz = short) and was specifically developed for hillclimb races. The short wheelbase apparently ensured greater maneuverability and aided the cars agility. Providing power was a massive 7065cc straight-6 with 225-horsepower. The car had an insane top speed (for the period) of 192 km/h (119 mph). 35 SSK’s were produced from 1928-1932.
1934-1939 Mercedes-Benz 500K “Spezial Roadster”: One of my pre-war favorites! This was Mercedes’ “CLS-Class” of the 1930s with an extra touch of sex appeal. There were 8 different body styles available for this model. Under the hood was a 5018cc straight-8 engine that N/A produced 100-horsepower. When the supercharger was engaged, the engine produced 160-horsepower and was able to bring the car to 160 km/h (100 mph). 342 total were produced. Back in the 1930s, you could buy one for 28,000 Reichsmarks which today would be just under Euros 100,000! [
]1928 Mercedes 26/120/180-PS Sportstourer: These babies actually appeared in 1927 and were powered by a 6.8-l engine. Horsepower output was 180-hp at only 3,000 RPM and the car was able to reach a then phenomenally top speed of 180 km/h (113 mph). It is no wonder that “gentleman drivers” were very interested in these sports cars in their day.
A 1937 Mercedes-Benz 770 "Großer Mercedes" (black) and a white 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet Typ B. Both incredibly gorgeous! The 770 was the “Pullman S-Class” of the period and was also favored by many Nazi officials. The 770 pictured here belonged to Otto Wolff, a German industrialist. 7655cc straight 8-cylinder with 150-hp (N/A), 200-hp (supercharger). Top speed was 160 km/h (100 mph). A total of 117 were built from 1930-1938. In 1938, a more powerful 230-horsepower Kompressor version was offered in small numbers.
The 1936-1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K was the more powerful successor to the 500K. It featured a bored out 5401cc straight-8 with 115-horsepower (N/A) or 180-hp (with the Kompressor engaged). Top speed was now 170 km/h (106 mph). A total of 419 were built. Still a beautiful car, despite the color scheme not stopping you dead in your tracks like the red 500K.
1936-1940 Mercedes-Benz 260D: The 260D was the worlds first diesel passenger sedan. It’s 45-hp 2545cc 4-cylinder engine consumed an average of 9.5 L / 100 km (24.7 mpg) making it very economical for its time period. Although primarily intended for taxi use, high private consumer demand for the 260D surprised even the Mercedes management.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300S Convertible Typ A (W188 I): The 300S was a very pricey and prestigeous car back in its day. The Shah of Iran was one of the customers as well as various Hollywood film stars. The 300S was produced for only four years beginning in 1951 with only 560 leaving the factory gates. It used the same engine of the Gullwing but produced less power and wasn’t slanted. 2996cc 6-cylinder inline, 150-hp, 175 km/h (108 mph). Today’s equivalent would the CL-Class.
1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 “Adenauer” (W186): This was the 1950s equivalent of a 1930s “Großer Mercedes” (like the 770). It was especially popular with the West German government, especially the Chancellor, Dr. Konrad Adenauer. West Germans soon started calling these W186 Mercedes 300’s “Adenauer”. The car used the same engine as the 300SL Gullwing, but with an output of 115-horsepower. Power-steering, electric windows and automatic transmission were not available for it. It’s still a beauty though. I’ll take mine in black please.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 180 "Ponton" (W120 B I): The Ponton was a massive success for Mercedes-Benz as it provided affordable transportation to the masses. Half of them were sold with diesel engines, some of which are still around today. My father rode in one in Portugal with more than a million km on it according to the driver. This particular 180 has a simple 1767cc 4-cylinder which has its roots in the 1930s(!!!) and produces 52-horsepower (0-62 mph in 31 seconds). 126 km/h (78 mph) was the top speed. The diesel versions were especially popular as taxis. 51,907 180’s were built.
1960 Mercedes-Benz LK-388 “Kipper”: I love these 'Kurzhauber' (short nose) trucks as I grew up with them. The design was revolutionary as trucks had previously been designed with the wheels in front of the engine, the Kurzhauber broke this tradition. 10,809cc 6-cylinder diesel, 180-horsepower, 75 km/h top speed (47 mph). When my father worked for San Miguel, these were the trucks that delivered the products to the shops. The Kurzhaubers had an incredible 16 year production span from 1960-1976.
2003 Mercedes-Benz Actros 3341 A: This Actros 3341 was part of an aid relief convoy for Afghanistan that drove all the way from Germany, across Europe and throught Turkey and through the Middle East to arrive at its destination. It is powered by the smaller 11.9-l V6 turbodiesel engine with an output of 408-horsepower. Top speed is 85 km/h (53 mph).
1935-1940 Mercedes O-2600 Allwetter-Reiseomnibus (all weather travel bus). A typical 1930s bus design, the O-2600 was designed with comfort in mind. 4.9-l 4-cylinder diesel engine with 70-horsepower and a top speed of 72 km/h (45 mph).
1952 Mercedes-Benz O-3500 Allwetter-Reiseomnibus: This was the first Mercedes-Benz bus designed after World War II (first appeared in 1949 and was produced until 1955). It was very popular in Italy’s 1950s tourist industry and was loved by drivers because of its comfort. Under the hood was a diesel 6-cylinder engine displacing 4580cc and producing 90-hp.Notice the close resemblance to the above posted O-2600.
1979 Mercedes-Benz O-303 Reise-Omnibus: Appearing in 1974, the O-303 series set forth new trends in comfort and safety within the bus industry. It was powered by a V8 diesel engine with a 12,763cc displacement and 256-horsepower. Although it could reach a top speed of 123 km/h (77 mph), buses are by law required to be traveling at 80 km/h (50 mph) on all types of roads unless specified. In 1981, the O-303 became the first bus in the world to be equipped with ABS. The popularity of the vehicle can be seen in the 25,778 units produced from 1974-1992. If you ask me, it looks good too!
1980 Mercedes O-305 “City Bus”. The vehicle shown here was active from 1980-1995 in Stuttgart covering a total distance of 600,000 miles. The body style was built from 1967-1987. 11-l 6-cylinder diesel engine with 240-horsepower and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph).
The current "Travego" travel bus that is powered by a massive 11,967cc 6-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 428-horsepower. Top speed is 100 km/h. The Travego offers seating places for 44 passengers.
1956 Mercedes-Benz LF-3500 Feuerwehrfahrzeug: Your typical 1950s German fire truck with a then revolutionary DL-22 electronically operated ladder.
1939 Mercedes 320 “Stromlinien-Limousine” (streamlined sedan) in English. These cars had little to do with aerodynamic efficiency but were inspired by the newly created Autobahns. 3.4-l 6-cylinder with 78-horsepower and a top speed of 126 km/h (78 mph).
Any World War II aircraft fan will know of the Messerschmidt BF-109, the main fighter of the Luftwaffe until the end of World War II. This DB-601 was one of the engines that powered them. Being produced from 1937-1942, the DB-601 was definitely fitted to the BF-109E / E-4 / E-4Z and possibly some of the F-2 and F-4 successor models. It was the first mass-produced aircraft engine to feature fuel-injection instead of carburator. 33,929cc inverted V12 engine with 1,100-horsepower.
300SL Gullwing, 300SL Roadster and the Uhlenhaut SLR. Took me forever to get these shots since folks crowded around these cars like nobody's business!
1964 Mercedes-Benz 220S “Fintail” (W110): The 220S and 220SE were the worlds first sedans built with safety features patented by Béla Barényi, one of Mercedes’ brightest safety engineers. The 220S seen here has a 110-hp 2195c 6-cylinder inline engine.
1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 Messwagen: I can see that this car was based on the 300 “Adenauer Mercedes” of the 1950s. Mercedes used this car to record performance and technical data from their cars. In this case, the 300 Messwagen would be collecting data from the 220S Fintail it is “hooked up” to. This is the only version ever built: another 1/1 car.
1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL “Pagoda” (W113): I am quoting the sign here, “the 230SL was the world’s first sports car with a sturdy passenger cell and crumple zones”. All Pagoda’s came with 6-cylinder engines: the 230SL, 250SL and 280SL all had 6-cylinders and similar performances despite the different badges. The 250SL was the slowest of the bunch with a top speed of 195 km/h compared to the other two’s 200 km/h (125 mph). The name “Pagoda” comes from Asian temples – which many people see in the W113’s hardtop. The 230SL had 150-horsepower from a 2306cc 6-cylinder engine. A 4-speed manual transmission was available across the range, but remains an extremely rare sight as most customers choose the A/T.
1972 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 (W108): The 300SEL 6.3 first appeared in 1968 and immediately made headlines with its impressive performance. The M100 6.3 V8 engine produced 250-horsepower and the car was renowned for being able to trounce purist sports cars of the day. The 300SEL 6.3 was fitted with power-steering, RPM gauge, automatic transmission and many more extras – all these extras had to be ordered almost all other Mercedes-Benzes during the 1960s!
1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD (S123): The ‘123 series is by far my most treasured Mercedes car ever. I just love these with a passion be it a 200D or a 280E. The 300TD was the second most powerful diesel estate in the lineup (the 300TD Turbodiesel eclipsed it) and was meant for family leisure. Its modern day equivalent would be the new E280 CDI, while the 300TD Turbodiesel would find its modern sibling to be the E320 CDI.
1973 Mercedes-Benz “Experimentier-Sicherheits-Fahrzeug” ESF-22: ESF translates into “Experimental-Safety-Vehicle”. The car was based on the W116 S-Class (which appeared in 1972) and was used to study and improve safety in Mercedes passenger cars. The car you see is the only ESF-22 ever made (aka “the original”!). Interestingly enough, Mercedes stuffed a detuned 4520cc V8 with 195-horsepower into the thing! It also had an automatic transmission.
1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD Turbodiesel (W116): The W116 300SD Turbodiesel was only sold in North America because it helped bring down Mercedes’ overall fuel economy figures in this market in compliance with the CAFE laws. It was not particularly fast (0-62 mph took 17.1 seconds) but delivered good range and fuel economy. As the car was only sold in North America, it is no wonder that it has the by US law mandated sealed-beam headlights and 5-mph bumpers. The engine was 3005cc 5-cylinder motor taken from the W123 300D, but fitted with a Garret exhaust-turbocharger and produced 125-horsepower – instead of the N/A versions 88-hp. The 300SD Turbodiesel came with a 4-speed automatic transmission and topped out at an impressive (for a heavy diesel of the era) 170 km/h (106 mph). The diesel W116 S-Class was produced from 1977 to 1980. 28,634 were produced. The W116 continues to be my favorite S-Class – ever. I just love the styling of this car for some reason. I’d sell the 300SE (W126) I have in a heartbeat for a W116! [:sun:]
1984 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.0 (W201): The 190-series first appeared in 1982 and quickly earned the nickname “Baby Benz”. It was offered with both diesels and gasoline engines and was a smashing success for Mercedes. The current C-Class wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for the groundbreaking success of the 190. This 190E has the 2.0 (1997cc) engine with 122-horsepower.
1988 Mercedes-Benz 200D (W124): The W124 was available in Europe with many smaller engines. This is the absolute lowest engine choice available, a 72-horsepower 200D (1997cc 4-cylinder N/A diesel) which continued the Benz tradition of offering an economical, durable and comfortable car. This particular model has the hood of a facelifted W124 E-Class, but the body, including rear and interior, are all 1985-1993 W124 spec. This 200D also has over 1.9 million km (1.6 million miles) on the odometer accumulating these by working 14 years as a taxi in Portugal.
1995 Mercedes-Benz S600 (W140): You’re looking at the former S600 owned by film star and later governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Notice the polished AMG rims and the AMG body kit treatment with side gills inspired by the R129 SL-Class, which existed around the same time. 5987cc V12 with 394-horsepower. The W140 V12 S-Classes made history as the first Mercedes-Benz passenger cars with a V12 engine – partly forced by the arrival of a V12 engine in the BMW 7-Series.
1998 Mercedes-Benz 290GD Turbodiesel (W463): This 290GD was used by its owner all over the world on off road tours. I am a bit baffled why the sign said “1998” when the body style is clearly a 1980s G-Class and the term “290GD” is pre-1993. A mistake on the MB Museum part perhaps? 2874cc 5-cylinder turbodiesel with 120-horsepower and a top speed of 137 km/h (85 mph).
2001 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG T-Modell Medical Car (S203): This C32 AMG was used as the safety car for Formula One races from 2001 to 2003. It has space for a driver and three doctors and their equipment. 3.2-l supercharged V6, 354-hp and a 5-speed automatic transmission. This model had its limited removed and can top 280 km/h (174 mph).
1999 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 312-D: I found this very interesting. This particular model was used as a mobile dental surgery / dentist on the Japanese island of Kuroshima. It employs the services of a 2874cc 5-cylinder CDI turbodiesel engine with 122-horsepower.
1955 Mercedes-Benz W196R: This Formula One car marked the return of Mercedes-Benz to this sport after World War II. The version shown here was driven by legends, the Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio and the German Karl Kling in the cars first race on July 4, 1954. They finished 1-2 respectively. Fangio went on to win many more races with the W196R in 1955 and eventually a world championship title. The streamlined form helped the cars performance. 2497cc 8-cylinder, 290-horsepower and a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph).
1955 Mercedes-Benz Rennsportwagen 300SLR: Does the name Stirling Moss ring a bell? This is the original car he (and his navigator Denis Jenkinson) piloted to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia in record time – which remains unbeaten to this day. 2982cc 8-cylinder, 302-horsepower and a top speed of 300 km/h.
1952 Mercedes-Benz Rennsportwagen 300SL: This car is most famous for its spectacular victory in 1952 in the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, where it finished in first place with Karl Kling at the controls and Hans Klatik serving as navigator. During the race, Kling’s 300SL windshield was smashed up by a scavenger bird wounding him lightly and causing the Mercedes engineers to put up those steel wires in front of the windshield to prevent this from happening again in this bird infested region. 170-hp from the 2996cc 6-cylinder engine. Top speed was 239 km/h (143 mph).
1938 Mercedes-Benz 3-L Rennwagen W154: This car was specifically designed for the 1938 3-L engine capacity races. The vehicle won 6/9 races, including a phenomenal 1-2-3 finish in one of them. Rudolf Caracciola was perhaps the most famous driver of the W154’s. 2962cc V12 engine with 453-horsepower and a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph).
1996 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR: What can I say? Friggin awesome! The CLK of that era was my dream car, so I was totally crazy when it came to the CLK-GTR.
1990 Sauber-Mercedes-Gruppe-C-Rennsportwagen C11: The C11 won 8/9 races in the 1990 world sports prototype championships, just like in 1989. The C11 had a 730-hp 4,973cc V8 – the one found in the R129 500SL / SL500 and W140 500S / S500. Top speed was 400 km/h (249 mph).
Formula One McLaren-Mercedes race car with a 730-horsepower 3.0 V10 engine.
1996 Mercedes-Benz Race Truck, powered by the 1,496-hp V6 twin-turbodiesel posted far ^above^.
2001 Mercedes-Benz Race-Truck-Motor OM 501 LAR: Mercedes classifies its diesel engines as OM (short in German for “Öl Motor”), and this engine is a piece of work. The engine was already used in 1996 in the 1834 S models. The performance is impressive. Displacing 11,946cc, the V6 engine produces 1,496-horsepower (God only knows how much torque!) using twin-turbocharging (with twin high-pressure compressors), high-pressure diesel injection and charge air cooling. The race truck is limited to a top speed of 100 mph.
1909 Benz 200-PS Rennwagen “Blitzen Benz”: In 1909, this was the fastest machine in earth – quicker than any aircraft or train. It was the first European car to break the magic 125 mph (200 km/h) speed barrier. A massive 21,504cc 4-cylinder motor with 200-horsepower gave the Blitzen Benz a top speed of 228 km/h – the speed which Bob Burman achieved in 1911 on Daytona Beach. Blitz in German means “lightning” so the cars name is literally “Lightning Benz”.
1939 Mercedes-Benz T-80 Weltrekordwagen: The T-80 was an attempt at breaking speed records and demonstrate German engineering supremacy. Officially backed by the Nazi regime, the car was never tested because of the outbreak of World War II in September of that same year. It was originally planned that the car would be driven on the straight Autobahn near Dessau in 1940 at projected speeds of 600 km/h (373 mph). To obtain such speeds, the T-80 utilized the largest Daimler-Benz aircraft engine in existence, the DB-603: a mammoth 44,522cc V12 that produced 3,000-horsepower. Ferdinand Porsche designed the T-80. It was sheer luck that the car survived World War II.
1980 Mercedes-Benz 500SLC Ralllycar (C107): The SLC remains one of the least appreciated of older Mercedes’. In my heart though, there’s a special place for this baby. Better-looking that the R107 SL, I just love the lazy low slung look of the car. It’s one of those cars you just want to get into and cruise around, with no particular destination in mind. The plaque said that “In December of 1980, Björn Waldegaard and Hans Thorszelius drove this 500SLC to 1st place in the 3,315-mile-long Bandama Rally (Ivory Coast). Their teammates in another 500SLC finished in 2nd place. The 1-2 victory signaled the withdrawal of Mercedes-Benz from this sport.” The 4973cc V8 was tuned to produce 305-horsepower (the standard 500SLC produced 240-hp).
2005 Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI (W211): In order to demonstrate improved reliability for the E-Class, DCX allowed outside testers to randomly pick three W211 E-Classes from the production facility in Sindelfingen and test them on the high speed track Laredo, Texas. All three cars covered 100,000 miles in a 30-day record breaking attempt (with no breakdowns of any kind) at an average speed of 139.7 mph while also proving the efficiency of Mercedes’ new diesel particulate filters. This E320 CDI was number 2/3. All of them were fitted with the new 3.0 V6 CDI engine that produces 224-horsepower and 510 Nm of torque (376 lb/ft) mated to the 7Gtronic automatic transmission.
1969 Mercedes-Benz C111: This body style was used to test rotary engines Mercedes’ had been working on. The C111 Type II pictured here has a 4-chamber Wankel engine with 350-horsepower that could accelerate the car to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds – stunning results for a late 1960s prototype car, moreover one equipped with a rotary engine. Quite a few customers loved the cars styling (many hoping that this would be the next SL) and handed in blank checks, all in vain as the car remained a prototype. Mercedes design legend, Bruno Sacco once said: “I loved the C111, because it didn’t look like a Mercedes at all.” The C111 Type II also had Gullwing doors. It remains one of my favorite Mercedes’ cars as well.
1996 Mercedes F200 Imagination: I remember this car as if it had come out yesterday. I was in high school and this thing just blew me away. I wished Mercedes would make a coupe that would look like this, except have a steering wheel! The F200 Imagination was steered by a joystick on both doors – giving both drivers the opportunity to steer the car. The W140 S-Class and R129 SL-Class 394-hp V12 powered the concept car. The only visual aspect of the car that advanced were the headlights. W220 S-Class ring a bell?
2001 Mercedes-Benz F400 Carving: One hot concept, the F400’s primary purpose was to study handling. Many of the ideas and results found their way into the current R171 SLK-Class. The Carving was powered by a detuned (218-hp) 3.2-l V6, an engine found in cars like my family’s E320.
2003 Mercedes-Benz F500 Mind: The F500 Mind is powered by a slightly modified 4.0 V8 CDI turbodiesel engine found in the E, S and ML400 CDI’s – except here it is mated to a hybrid system with the intention of delivering performance and fuel economy. Handling controls and other aspects were also researched with the car.
7Gtronic transmission in set pieces
There are more Autobahn pictures at the end, but this one was pretty cool. A C219 CLS (probably a CLS350 since I could keep up with the guy in the E320) and a new S500 W221. The CLS was a "Werkswagen" (factory car). I read that on his license plate since the Autobahns from Stuttgart to Munich were slow going because of traffic. Max speed I travelled home at was a pathetic 160 km/h (100 mph). [
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