Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Mercedes-Benz C111 Prototype

When I was little, I had a 1/24 scale green Mercedes C111 with gullwing doors and a bonnet that opened. Oftentimes, I asked myself, why haven't I seen this car on the street?

The C111 was a series of experimental cars produced by Mercedes in the late 1960s and 1970s. The various versions tested Wankel rotary, diesel, and turbocharged engines. They produced incredible results for their time. A diesel version with a coefficient of drag of 0.191 averaged 200mph for 12 hours and got 14.7 mpg. A 500hp version with a 4.8 liter V8 with twin turbochargers reached 250mph.

The C111 will always be remembered for their gullwing doors and bright orange bodywork. It truly represented the innovation, research, and vision of Mercedes-Benz at its height-- and everything Mercedes-Benz is not today.


CKY

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