2023 06 26 CCC Blog Post – Some of our Favourite Mercedes
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2023 06 26 CCC Blog Post – Some of our Favourite Mercedes
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Mercedes-Benz is an industry leader in the automotive world. For over a century Mercedes-Benz has been producing top end vehicles. The first car ever produced was the Benz Patent Motorwagen, in 1886. Since then, Mercedes has evolved into the luxury giant it is today. Over the past 100 years Mercedes-Benz has produced some very special cars. Here are a few that we particularly love.
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The AMG SLS Black Series is one of the most iconic cars the brand has produced in recent times. When designing the brand’s next halo car, Mercedes wanted to tap into its history and incorporate the gull-wing doors from the SL W198 into a sleek timeless design. Then, in 2010, the AMG SLS was created. The SLS was a very unique car but the engineers at Mercedes wanted to make the car more track capable and exclusive. So in 2013, the AMG SLS Black Series was produced. Limited to only 350 units this car is extremely sought after and collectable. The AMG SLS Black Series boasts a top speed of 196MPH and a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds. These times were achieved by the 6.2L V8 which produces 622 horsepower and provides 422 lb.-ft. of torque. The SLS Black Series stands out from the conventional AMG SLS by having a lightweight carbon fibre hood, front splitter, and rear diffuser. These carbon fibre parts reduce the SLS’ Black’s weight by 154 pounds. The Black Series also features a wider body, a rear spoiler, larger air intakes, along with numerous suspension tweaks to make the AMG SLS more capable on a track. Upon release, the SLS Black Series had an MSRP of just under $300,000 Canadian and is now valued within shouting distance of a million dollars.
From 1954 to 1957 the Mercedes produced the SL 300 coupe. This luxurious sports-car was based off the W194 race car and was offered as a coupe or a roadster. This version of the SL stands out in Mercedes history because it was the first Mercedes with the iconic gull wing doors. This design was unlike any other sports car at the time. Mercedes later paid homage to this design with the AMG SLS in 2010. The W198 SL was also one of the first Mercedes products to employ a fuel injected engine. This translated to more efficiency and more power than previous engines. Since the gull wing coupe was only produced for a short number of years, only 1200 coupes are know to exist today. All of these factors contribute to a very high price tag when these exclusive cars come up for sale.
Now available by online auction is this European Spec 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC Coupe. This pillarless look adds to the presence and class of this S Class coupe. This was the first time the S-Class had a separate chassis code for the long wheel base and the coupe. This particular 560 SEC is a Japanese market model., meaning it is built to European market specifications. The most noticeable difference is the streamlined bumpers, and sleeker head lights compared to the North American market cars. Invisible to the naked eye is thr 296 factory horsepower rating, quite a prodigious offering relative to the 238 HP on this side of the ocean. Adding to the rarity are the velour seat upholstery and absence of a third brake light. This S-Class was imported to Canada in 2003 and currently has under 100,000km. Click here to see the auction listing.
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The Mercedes AMG ONE is the latest and greatest Mercedes-Benz has to offer. The AMG ONE is as close to a road legal Formula One car as one can get. The AMG ONE is the current record holder for the fastest production car lap time around the Nurburgring track in Germany, bettering the previous record holder (Porsche GT2 RS Manthey Racing) by a whopping 8 seconds. The AMG ONE concept was unveiled in 2017 and then finally produced in 2022. Mercedes built a mere 275 units, each priced at $2.72 million USD. The 2.72 million dollar price tag fetches a 1.6L turbocharged V6 from a Formula One car as well as 4 electric motors. The Formula One pedigree engine redlines all the way at 11,000 RPM. Even though it’s a hybrid the AMG ONE may be the last hurrah for Mercedes-Benz internal combustion engines. The AMG ONE proves that Mercedes Benz is still an industry leader even over a century later.
In 1989, Mercedes redesigned its trademark SL. This new generation would be wider and more aerodynamic than the previous iteration. This was the first SL Mercedes to feature a fully automatic retractable hard top. This generation lasted through 2001. In those 12 model years, the SL was offered with a variety of engines, the smallest being a V6 and the largest being a V12 shared with the S class, as well as the Pagani Zonda. This was the first time in the brand’s history that the SL was offered with a V12. Unfortunately the V12 option was heavier than its counterparts, making it no faster than the 5L V8 option, but it’s sound is intoxicating.
What do you think? Got a favourite of your own? Let us know with a comment below.
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PHOTO CREDITS:
Mercedes-AMG One at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed By Andrew Basterfield, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-AMG_One_at_the_2022_Goodwood_Festival_of_Speed.jpg