With its eight-cylinder, 2982-cc engine developing up to 310 horsepower, this Silver Arrow was capable of a maximum speed in excess of 300 km/h – enough to power it to glory in all the top road races of 1955. The Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Tourist Trophy, Eifelrennen and the Swedish Grand Prix – the 300 SLR won them all.
The spirited lines of the body, with its elongated bonnet, were complemented by the striking proportions of the side-mounted exhaust pipes, the air vents and the wire-spoke wheels. The cockpit, with its curved wraparound windscreen, was elegantly sculptured. Rudolf Uhlenhaut referred to his latest automotive work of art as a ‘hot-heeled touring car’, and the 300 SLR Coupé lived up to its billing. Weighing only 1117 kilograms yet developing 310 horsepower, the Uhlenhaut Coupé accelerated to a maximum speed approaching 290 km/h in testing (the manufacturer’s data showed a top speed of 284 km/h). This made the two-seater the fastest car of its time to be registered for use on public roads, as well as ‘one of the most exciting cars that Mercedes-Benz has ever built,’ as motorsport guru Karl Ludvigsen later observed.
However, the lightning-fast SLR Coupé never made it into series production. The Stuttgart-based car maker felt that the mid-1950s was not the right time to bring out a powerful sports tourer of this kind, leaving the road version of the SLR to fall into oblivion. As Mercedes pulled out of motorsport in 1955, the SLR Coupé project was put on ice. Only two prototypes of this masterpiece of power and elegance were ever built and yet this wonderful car had still become a legend in its own right.
Specs & Performance
| tags | gullwing, 300sl, w198 |
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| engine | Type M 196 S, Twin Spark Inline-8 w/Dry Sump Lubrication |
| position | Front Longitudinal, 53 Degree Inclination To The Right |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | DOHC, 2 Valves per Cyl w/Desmodromic Valve Gear |
| fuel feed | Mechanically Controlled Petrol Direct Injection |
| displacement | 2982 cc / 182.0 in³ |
| bore | 78 mm / 3.07 in |
| stroke | 78 mm / 3.07 in |
| compression | 9.0:1 |
| power | 231.2 kw / 310.0 bhp @ 7400 rpm |
| specific output | 103.96 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 277.53 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 317 nm / 233.8 ft lbs @ 5950 rpm |
| redline | 7800 |
| body / frame | Elektron Body over Steel Tubular Space Frame |
| driven wheels | RWD |
| front tires | 6.00×16 |
| rear tires | 7.00×16 |
| front brakes | Inboard Duplex Drum Brakes w/Power Assist |
| rear brakes | Inboard Duplex Drum Brakes w/Power Assist |
| front wheels | F 40.6 x 15.2 cm / 16.0 x 6.0 in |
| rear wheels | R 40.6 x 17.8 cm / 16.0 x 7.0 in |
| steering | Worm & Sector |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones w/Torsion Bar Springs, Telescopic Shock Absrobers, |
| r suspension | Swing Axles w/Longitudinal Torsion Bar Springs, Telescopic Shock Absrobers |
| curb weight | 1117 kg / 2463 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2370 mm / 93.3 in |
| front track | 1330 mm / 52.4 in |
| rear track | 1380 mm / 54.3 in |
| length | 4350 mm / 171.3 in |
| width | 1750 mm / 68.9 in |
| height | 1210 mm / 47.6 in |
| transmission | Rear Mounted 5-Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 2.67:1, 1.75:1, 1.43:1, 1.07:1, 0.83:1 |
| final drive | 2.222:1 |
| top speed | ~284 kph / 176.5 mph |
Pictures & Galleries
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