The Best Mercedes-Benz Cars
Mercedes-Benz is, perhaps the single
most identifiable symbol of luxury and style in the automotive world.
Mercedes has been leading the field with a delicate balance between
style and technology since 1881, which makes it the oldest car
manufacturer in existence today. While it is often said that you can
tell what cars will look like in 20 years by looking at a Mercedes-Benz
today, this list is a look back at Stuttgart powerhouse’s best designs.
1979 Gelandewagen (G-Class)
The G-Wagon of 1979 was built for the
German army as a lightweight combat vehicle – you can think of it as the
more badass version of the Jeep. The model didn’t make it into combat
that year when the less expensive Volkswagen alternative was selected
instead; however, it did kick off a global phenomenon that is still
alive and well to this day. The instantly recognizable boxed-off body of
the G-Wagon is an automotive icon both in the world of luxury and in
off-roading. At the time it was built, it was one of only a tiny handful
of vehicles with three fully locking differentials. Now, the G-Wagon is
a favorite among celebrities and rappers, and with a starting price tag
of over $100,000, it is one of the most expensive SUVs on the road.
2004 CLS
The CLS was, and still is, a
revolutionary vehicle concept. It featured a sloped roof like a sports
car or coupe, but four doors and a backseat. However, that backseat only
had room for two people, not three. The CLS can be described as both a
four-door coupe or even a fastback sedan, but the smooth aesthetics of
the CLS not only got rave reviews, but also set the tone for the likes
of Maserati, Porsche and Aston Martin to release sports car-like
executive sedans, something that had previously not been attempted. The
CLS created an entirely new vehicle segment, one of the fastest growing
in the world today, and did it with style.
1983 190E Cosworth
Originally built to compete in off-road
rallies, the Cosworth 190E was put out of the running by Audi’s
innovative Quattro all-wheel drive system. That doesn’t mean the
300-plus horsepower special edition E series wouldn’t fly on the road.
In fact, the Cosworth set three world speed records in the following
years, and was the inspiration for the likes of the BMW M3, which later
upped the ante for performance sedans. Think of the 190E Cosworth as the
original AMG sedans.
2010 E63 AMG
A wolf in sheep’s clothing if there
ever was one, the E63 AMG is perhaps the most perfect “all-purpose”
sedan in the world. The car is every bit your typical E-Class Mercedes
to 90% of onlookers, but those that are automotively inclined will
notice the 20-inch AMG rims, flared body kit and a growl that will wake
the neighbors each morning. The E63 uses the AMG-tuned 6.2 liter,
517-horsepower engine you’ll find across the Mercedes lineup; however,
what makes the E so special is not the 4.0-second 0-60 time, the
riding-on-rails feel or even the three different suspensions or four
different transmission settings – it’s the fact that it’s the perfect
size. The C63 is too small to be really useful with four people, and the
S63 is too large be understated. If you want one car that can do it
all, the E63 AMG is the car for you.
2011 SLS AMG
The new 2011 SLS AMG “Gullwing” is a
retro grand tourer made from an all-aluminum frame. The car is the very
first to be completely designed in-house by AMG, Mercedes’ own
high-performance unit. The car features a highly tuned 6.2 liter V8
engine that puts out 575 hp, and the transmission is a 7-speed
dual-clutch semiautomatic. The most noticeable part of the SLS is the
Gullwing doors and purposeful nod to the original Gullwing of the
mid-1950s, a car that many consider the most beautiful ever made. This,
the SLS Gullwing, is a totally different animal with all the latest
technology, which does include a way to blow the doors right off the
frame if you should happen to flip the car. The 2011 Gullwing is without
a doubt the hottest car of the year, and will be remembered as a true
modern classic.
1963 600 Pullman
Can you name the one car owned by Coco
Chanel, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, Aristotle Onassis,
Jack Nicholson, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, and a whole bevy of Popes? Yup,
the Mercedes-Benz 600 Series Pullman. This car was the luxury sedan for
two decades, and yet less than 3,000 of them were ever built. The
Pullman featured a hydraulically operated moon roof, windows, trunk, and
doors (in 1963!). It also boasts the loudest horn ever installed on a
production vehicle. The Pullman was the predecessor to the Maybach
sedans we see now atop the Mercedes lineup, and it is still an icon to
this day.
1937 540 K Special
For a car to have 180 horsepower and a
supercharged engine in the 1930s, it needed to be something special. The
540 K (K is for Kompressor) Special was just that car, and set the
benchmark for the horsepower race of the first half of the 20th century.
At the time, the fastest, most powerful cars on the road were just
breaking 100 horsepower, so the 540 K was a leap ahead of the
competition. Its massive engine required an enormous nose and the
front-end weight made steering difficult. The car was best designed for
cruising on the autobahn at high speeds, not for taking sharp curves
through the Italian Alps. These cars can fetch up to $6 million at
auction today.
1970 C111
The C111 series was an experimental
line of cars used by Mercedes-Benz to test innovative technologies of
the day like diesel engines, mid-mounted engines and even luxuries like
air conditioning. The body of all the C111’s was made of fiberglass and
its sliver-like design gave it an unheard of drag coefficient of .191.
The C111 set numerous land speed records and many times broke 200 mph. A
later version of the C111, equipped with a 500-horsepower engine, once
set a record of highest average lap speed of 250.98 mph in 1979.
1954 300 SL Gullwing
The 300 SL
Gullwing is the car that changed it all for Mercedes-Benz in the U.S.
Prior to the introduction of this model, Americans believed Mercedes to
be the maker of classic, high-quality, but boring cars. The Gullwing
made people look at MB as the maker of luxury sports cars for the rich
and beautiful, despite only 1,400 Gullwings being produced. On top of
its trademark upward opening doors, the 300 SL was the first-ever
gasoline-powered car equipped with fuel injection directly into the
combustion chamber. The Gullwing was recently ranked the No.5 sports car
of all time, and it is nothing short of an icon.
1955 300 SLR Racer
It’s not
often that a racer takes inspiration from a streetcar, but that’s
exactly what happened here. The 300 SLR was based off the U.S. market
300 SL Gullwing, but was much lighter due to the use of a tubular
aluminum frame. The 300 SLR was the first race car to use air brakes and
was the car of choice for legendary racer Stirling Moss when he
competed in the 1955 Mille Miglia, which he won in record-setting
fashion. The 300 SLR is being celebrated this year with a limited
edition watch from TAG Heuer, and represents the pinnacle of classic
Mercedes-Benz design and engineering.
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