Three-quarter front view of a Green, 1958, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, on display at the 2019 London Classic Car Show
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (chassis code W 198) is a two-seat sports car that was produced by Mercedes-Benz as a gullwinged coupe (1954-1957) and roadster (1957-1963).[2] It was based on the company's 1952 racer, the W194, with mechanical direct fuel-injection which boosted power almost 50% on its 3-litre overhead camshaft straight-6 of reaching a top speed of up to 263 km/h (163 mph), it was both a sports car racing champion and the fastest production car of its time. The 300 SL was inspired by Max Hoffman, Mercedes-Benz's authorized United States importer at the time, who correctly perceived a large American market for such a car. The company introduced the 300 SL in February 1954 at the International Motor Sports Show in New York instead of in Europe in order to get it into buyers' hands sooner. SL is the short form for "super-light" in German, Mercedes' first use of the designation, referring to the car's racing-bred light tubular frame construction. The 300 SL was voted the "sports car of the century" in 1999. The Mercedes-Benz M198 engine is a water cooled L; cu in (2,996 cc) overhead cam straight-six. Like the racing Mercedes-Benz M194, the 300 SL borrowed the basic 2 valve per cylinder M186 engine from the regular four-door 300 (W186 "Adenauer") luxury tourer introduced in 1951. As such, it featured the M186's innovative aluminium head, which had a 30-degree diagonal base that allowed for larger intake and exhaust valves than a standard horizontal joint with the engine block. To improve performance, the M198 replaced the W194's triple two-barrel Solex carburetors with a Bosch mechanical direct fuel injection system. Derived from the DB 601 V12 used on the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter of World War II, it boosted power almost 25% over the Gran Prix car's, raising output from 175 hp (130 kW; 177 PS) SAE gross to 240 hp (179 kW; 243 PS) SAE gross at 6100 rpm (215 hp (160 kW; 218 PS) DIN at 5800 rpm), e
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: ExCel, London
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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