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| We now start getting to the exciting heritage of Mercedes Benz motorsports. The 300 SLR featured one of the biggests leaps in vehicle dynamics with its light, yet extremely strong” space frame design. The SLR's name is a little misleading though, as its origin is closely rooted to the mid 50's Formula-1 W196 and not to the 300SL road car. The marketing department made the decision to call it the 300 SLR rather than its given name W196S. No matter its name, the 300 SLR was a true racing machine. 1,984 pounds and a naturally aspirated inline eight cylinder engine that produced 310 horsepower at 7,400 rpm!!! |
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| The space frame weighed in at a mere 110 pounds, but was amazingly strong. The bars were made of thin steel and their careful arrangement required them to only have to withstand compression or tension loads. In order to create a solid structure the entire frame needed to be boxed in, notice that there is no area for conventional doors. |
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| The iconic gull wing doors of the SL (Super Light) were not designed for the “show & shine” crowd. These were the ultimate example of function over form at the time. |
Now that you've sat through the short history lesson, you will be rewarded with some seriously awesome car-porn! Sit back and enjoy the sights of the bottom floor of the museum.
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| This is the engine from a 2001 Mercedes Benz race truck engine. The 0M 501 LAR was a twin turbo diesel V6 that produced 1,496 horsepower! |
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| Yes, you read right…race truck! Believe it or not, the truck race at the Nurburgring is one of the most popular and heavily attended events of the race season. |
