In the 1952 Mille Miglia, Mercedes-Benz took second and fourth places with the 300 SL in the very first race. Other technical components in the 300 SL were also derived from the Mercedes-Benz 300, the legendary “Adenauer” saloon, and the sporty-luxurious 300 S touring car (W 188). By tilting the engine through 50 degrees to the left and employing dry sump lubrication, it was possible to lower the installation position. For use in the racing sports car, the engineers increased its output to around 170 hp. The M 194 engine was derived from the M 186 production engine used in the Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186) representation car presented in 1951. It was this frame design that made it technically necessary to hinge the gullwing doors to the roof. What was completely new was the structure hidden under the body and made of thin aluminum-magnesium sheet: this was the roll cage, developed by Rudolf Uhlenhaut especially for this racing sports car and weighing 110 lbs, made of thin tubing that was subjected only to compression and tension. Later, Mercedes-Benz enlarged the cut-outs downwards, making it easier to get inside. Its gullwing doors ended at the waistline of the body. The press photo sent out with the invitation showed a dynamically drawn sports car depicting the archetypal SL lines. This was a clear statement that the brand was returning to motorsport, as the press release noted: three 300 SLs had already been registered for “that famous Italian road race, the ‘Mille Miglia’, to be held on 3 and ”.
It was not simply a question of the “new Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (super-light) sports car undertaking test drives in public for the first time”. Two days before that, the Stuttgart brand’s press office had caused a sensation when it issued invitations to selected journalists. From 1954 onwards, that very successful competition car shaped the tradition of the Mercedes-Benz SL sports cars.Ī stretch of motorway near Stuttgart became the stage for the presentation of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194) on March 12, 1952. A tuned version of this is used as the Formula One safety car.On March 12, 1952, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the spectacular 300 SL racing sports car to the media on a motorway.
+ SLK 350 - new 3.5 L (3498 cc) 200 kW (272 hp DIN) double overhead cam V6 engine, 0-100 km/h (62 mph) 5.4 seconds, top speed 155 mph (electronically limited). + SLK 200 Kompressor - 1.8 L 120 kW (163 hp DIN) I4 supercharged engine, 0-100 km/h (62 mph) 7.9 seconds, top speed of 143 mph. There are rumours that Mercedes-Benz is going to produce a SLK 63 AMG model with their new 6.2L naturally aspirated automobile engine designed from scratch by AMG division. The current SLK is also built in Bremen, Germany.
Highlighting its potential appeal to women, New Zealand's Lucire magazine announced it as its 'Car to Be Seen in' for 2005. The new R171-platform SLK was again on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2005, and it won the Canadian Car of the Year Best New Convertible award. The SLK was updated in 2005 with a new Formula One-inspired appearance and serious performance.