Mercedes C 111

Not very often it happens that a car manufacturer flutters orders with blank checks attached into the house, then on the may be in principle registered any amount. There are at least two situations in which this Daimler-Benz happened. First, this Uhlenhaut Coupe, for at least dizzying sums are offered (20 million?). Even such a car is pictured above in the more developed, relatively close-to-production form from 1970, the C 111. Unfortunately, here the potential buyer also did not get a chance, because the development in 1973 is abandoned.

It is the former Mercedes employee Felix Wankel, who with his rotary engine alarms many car manufacturers and so drives to the purchase of patent rights. Even Daimler-Benz access and uses the possibility of arranging almost any number of discs in a row, first 3 (see above), then 4 (see below). A once more smoothed body made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic ensures peak performance in acceleration and top speed. With its engine position just before the rear axle the car reaches an attention, as they probably last was given the 300 SL.

The C 111 has its place in the history of DB as excellent advertising medium, but nothing more. Its engine is proving itself as too thirsty and at the same time a little weak torque in the least 4.8-liter piston engine category. There ultimately do not help much the rebirth of the folding doors. One is probably also dissatisfied with the possibilities of the plastic body and its crash behavior. Another disadvantage is that with more than two discs no inlet side is possible, and even on the horizon appear the stricter emissions laws. Also retired in 1971 with Rudolf Uhlenhaut (Head of Passenger Car Development) the most dedicated supervisor of the project project.

Speaking of advertising medium, this feature of the C 111 is still in use until about 1979. Than one tries to emphasize the at this time not especially sporty characteristics of the diesel engine, it is again dug out with even more aerodynamic form (Figs. 4 and 5) and gets with a supercharged 3-liter five-cylinder engine and 140 kW (190 hp) a world record after another. Here come out average speeds of over 320 km/h - no doubt also with an acceptable fuel consumption (about 16 litres/100km) for this speed. The last performance brings with V8 Diesel, two turbochargers, 368 kW (500 hp) at 6200 rpm and the excellent c_W-value of 0.183, again an increase of about 50 km/h. 10/11