Monday, September 22, 2008

Mercedes W116 Rally Car

I have always had a fondness for the W116 Mercedes. It is, after all, the car I learned to drive in. The 450SEL I drove was lumbering, heavy, powerful, but not particularly quick. That is why I was surprised to come across this 350SE prepped for rallying.
This car was raced in West Germany in 1985 and 1986. All excess weight was shed, including the bumpers, half the windshield wipers, and even the rear door handles. It ended up with a power-to-weight ratio comparable to the much more powerful 6.9. It looks like Mercedes' rallying heritage is more expansive than I had first thought.

CKY

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