McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

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Mercedes-Benz news fromduPont REGISTRY News, updated daily, covering the S-Class, the Maybach range, the AMG models, the G-Class and the electric line-up. Our reporting takes in reveals, first drives, bespoke builds and the auction results that set collector values. Mercedes-Benz competes across more segments than almost any rival, so the news here runs unusually wide. Our marketplace supplies the part most publications leave out entirely. A great many of these cars are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, which puts a review and a real asking price side by side. For Mercedes-Benz news today, and the luxury car market news around it, start here.

By Tyler Rampersaud – September 09, 2022

Mercedes-Benz And Rivian Announce A New Partnership For E...

Mercedes-Benz enters an electrifying new partnership. When it comes to sustainable, electric-powered transportation, cars aren’t the only vehicle to be concerned about. Our automotive world, which has become integral to modern society, is full of SUVs, trucks, vans, and other vehicles that contribute every day to the world’s happenings, and while we are beginning to see the transition being made towards electric cars, other types of vehicles have understandably been a bit slower to adapt to the new change, because they have many different requirements as to what to move and how to move it. When it comes to pickup trucks and SUVs electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian was one of the earliest significant players, and it has made great strides as a brand, which makes it the perfect partner for Mercedes-Benz to help electrify its prolific line of vans. MUST READ: The Best Mercedes’ You Can Buy Today The strategic partnership was forged through signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the two brands, and it lays out that the partnership aims to “set the standard in sustainable and all-electric transportation.” Through the partnership, new vans for Mercedes-Benz and for Rivian will be made in a joint venture, with shared investments and costs, and the ability to produce more vans than either party could on its own. Two large vans will come from the venture, one based on VAN.EA, which is Mercedes-Benz’s electric van architecture, and one based on the Rivian Light Van platform. For Mercedes-Benz, success has already been achieved with its initial electric vans, with the second generation eSprinter coming in 2023, and Mercedes-Benz plans in 2025 to create mid-size and large vans with a new architecture that are only electric. With a new partnership, Mercedes-Benz and Rivian plan to shock the transportation world. View All Electric Cars For Sale Source: Mercedes-Benz

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By Jordan Aquistapace – September 06, 2022

Mercedes-Benz x Acte TM Announce Its Sustainable ACC-01 C...

Luxury automotive manufacturing meets high-end fashion with the announcement of Mercedes-Benz new clothing and accessories collaboration. Although Mercedes-Benz’s DNA is linked directly to the world of luxury automobiles, the world-renowned brand also prides itself of incorporating its efforts into other luxury avenues like fashion. No stranger to high-end streetwear, Mercedes-Benz continues to celebrate the role it shared collaborating with the late Virgil Abloh. Mercedes-Benz is proud to announce its newest collaboration with artist and creative director Acte TM, featuring a capsule collection that draws inspiration from the automaker’s historic archive. Although most automotive-inspired clothing lines rely solely on vehicle design, the new Mercedes-Benz x Acte TM ACC-01 Collection focuses on vision, information, fabrics, and shapes. MUST-READ: Watch Mercedes-Maybach x Virgil Behind The Scenes Of Project-MAYBACH The line up features modern and unique head-to-toe styles made using outsourced leftovers from Mercedes-Benz. Each piece goes through a sustainable recycling process that reimagines them as new wearable objects. The ACC01 Capsule Collection forms a wardrobe of 28 modular pieces, which are meant to be combined to build on each other functionally. A series of accessories and baggage reference the raw skeleton of a Mercedes-Benz car chassis. Although release info and pricing have yet to be released, the Mercedes-Benz x Acte TM ACC-01 Capsule Collection will debut at the “Mercedes-Benz Creators Night” event at Telegraphenamt in Berlin. View all of the current Mercedes-Benz inventory for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking on the link below. Check back into duPont REGISTRY for more upcoming luxury lifestyle news and release information on Mercedes-Benz x Acte TM ACC-01 Capsule Collection. VIEW ALL MERCEDES-BENZ FOR SALE Source: Acte TM

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 23, 2022

The New Mercedes-AMG GT3 Is A 1-of-5 Race Car That Celebr...

AMG’s 55th anniversary gives way to a special track-only creation. AMG’s foundation in 1967 was all about bringing Mercedes-Benz cars to the track to dominate the racing world and realize their full racing potential. The tuning house’s 55th anniversary remembers its racetrack roots and returns to them with an incredibly special new car that is bound to make founders Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher very proud. It’s the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 and it’s an incredibly limited, exclusive, and powerful EDITION 55 car that celebrates AMG’s history and shows off its racing prowess. MUST READ: Rise Of An Icon: AMG's Rise In Power The car isn’t FIA homologated, and that means it lacks restrictions when it comes to power. As a result, the optimized 6.3-liter V8 engine in the car comes up with 650 horsepower, which is an increase of 100 over the FIA-homologated version. With only 5 of these incredible EDITION 55 track cars being made, throughout the interior, commemorative embroidery, plaques, and other signage indicate that the car is “EDITION 55 - 1 OF 5.” With MANUFAKTUR Alpine Grey with red accents on the exterior along with AMG and EDITION 55 graphics, and matte Anthracite metallic finish and exposed carbon fiber throughout the interior, beauty isn’t lost in the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 even with its incredible performance. Along with the car will come an exclusive timepiece from Mercedes-AMG’s partner IWC Schaffhausen. Inside the limited EDITION 55 box that comes with each car is a Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “AMG.” This year is special for AMG, but it’s even more special for AMG fans, enthusiasts, and collectors. View All Mercedes-AMG GTs For Sale Source: Mercedes-Benz

By Gabriel Vega – August 20, 2022

Rise Of An Icon: AMG's Rise In Power

It all started in a basement. In the 1960s, engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher received some terrible news. Daimler-Benz had decided to end all motorsport activities — tough luck for a duo working in the engine development department, where they’d been wrenching on a new racing engine for the 300 SE. Rather than kill the project, the engineers took the power plant to Aufrecht’s basement in Großaspach, Germany, and continued development after hours. In 1965, the engine was ready to go racing. With racing driver Manfred Schiek behind the wheel, they entered that year’s German Touring Car Championship. And the engine didn’t just race — it won 10 times, proving to Aufrecht and Melcher that they were onto something big. Aufrecht decided he was ready to branch out and enlisted Melcher to continue their racing pursuits as an independent brand. In 1967, AMG was born. AMG, which stands for Aufrecht, Melcher, and Großaspach, charged out of the gates with an ambitious first project. The engineers purchased a used Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 and began to prepare it for entry in one of the toughest races of the time, the 24 Hours of Spa. The crown jewel was the car’s engine, punched out to 6.8 liters and delivering 428 horsepower. In 1971, sans the support of Mercedes-Benz, their team of 12 took to the track with the very first AMG. Onlookers mocked it, and rightfully so. The 300 SEL was a big, heavy luxury sedan, not a purebred racer. They dubbed it “Red Pig.” The Red Pig didn’t take long to transform mockery into amazement. Despite starting fourth on the grid, the land yacht turned speedboat led the race by the end of the first lap. It dominated all of its competitors, winning first in class and second overall. According to Aufrecht, they would’ve won overall if the regulators hadn’t limited its fuel tank to a measly 120 liters. Nonetheless, AMG had left a mark, and throughout the 1970s, business exploded. So much so that the tuning firm relocated to Affalterbach, where it lives today. Fast-forward to 1986 — AMG unveiled its most significant road car, dubbed the AMG Hammer on account of the 5.0-liter V8 that lived under its hood. This engine was unique because it featured new four-valve-per-cylinder technology, which had been developed by Melcher two years prior. It was the first time anyone had used this configuration in a Mercedes-Benz, and it boosted power tremendously. By 1993, Mercedes-Benz wanted a piece of the performance pie. The carmaker signed a contract with the tuning firm, allowing Mercedes-Benz to sell AMG- branded vehicles through its vast dealership network. The first was the Mercedes-Benz AMG C 36, released that year and marking the start of a fruitful partnership. Within four years, Mercedes-Benz commissioned AMG to build the marque’s first race car — from scratch; 128 days after AMG completed its initial sketch, the Mercedes- Benz CLK GTR entered to race in the FIA GT Championship series. At the turn of the century, Mercedes-Benz acquired a controlling stake in AMG, renaming it Mercedes-AMG GmbH. Following this move, Mercedes-AMG furthered its development of significant components for road vehicles. This included bespoke engines, transmissions, and entire cars from the ground up. In 2005, Aufrecht, then 67, sold his remaining shares, giving Mercedes-Benz complete control over its performance subdivision. Throughout the 2010s, Mercedes-AMG ramped up its engineering might while producing more in-house vehicles than ever before, starting with the SLS AMG. The performance carmaker now manufactures three in-house vehicles: the AMG GT, SL Roadster, and GT 4-Door Coupé. The company’s most ambitious project yet — the Mercedes-AMG One — is currently underway. See All Mercedes-Benz For Sale This article appeared in our August 2022 issue. Subscribe Now Buy Single Issue

By Jordan Aquistapace – August 17, 2022

Watch Mercedes-Maybach x Virgil Behind The Scenes Of Proj...

Last year Gorden Wagener and Virgil Abloh reinvented the meaning of sophisticated luxury for a new generation. Blending the world of luxury automobiles and high-end fashion design, Mercedes-Benz began its creative journey with American fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh in 2020. Although the long-term partnership was short-lived with the unexpected passing of Virgil, the German automotive manufacturer continues to celebrate the duo’s collaboration projects. Mercedes-Benz is proud to showcase behind-the-scenes footage of Project MAYBACH on its YouTube channel, highlighting the creative process with Mercedes-Benz Chief Designer Gorden Wagner and Vice President of Marketing Bettina Fetzer. The three creative minds bring different areas of enterprise to the team, which was first demonstrated through the rally-inspired Project Geländenwagen G-Wagon. MUST-READ: Drake Features Virgil Abloh’s Mercedes-Benz Project MAYBACH In His New ‘Sticky’ Music Video The short-length video documentary captures the inspiration behind Project MAYBACH, and its premise of imagining characteristics of luxury and utility working in unison. Tasked with introducing something completely new to Mercedes, Virgil and Gorden set out to tackle the challenge of designing a chassis that would differentiate itself from any past, present, or future project of the brand. The behind-the-scenes footage highlights the inner workings of Virgil’s creative abilities, explaining the process of incorporating specific colors to accentuate others. Along with two incredibly successful vehicle collaboration projects, Mercedes and Virgil also left their footprint with an exclusive apparel and accessories collection that sold out instantly upon its anticipated release. Project-MAYBACH by Virgil Abloh is set to be on seen at The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance during Monterey Car Week 2022. Watch Vigil Abloh and Mercedes-Maybach behind the scenes of Project-MAYBACH by clicking the video link above. View all current Mercedes-Maybach inventory for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking on the link below. Check back into duPont REGISTRY for more upcoming luxury lifestyle and celebrity car news. VIEW ALL MERCEDES-MAYBACH FOR SALE Source: Mercedes-Benz YouTube

By Edward Jones – August 16, 2022

First Look at the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV Interior

A quick look before the official unveiling. On October 16, 2022, the new Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV will be unveiled to the world as the automaker's latest electric model. Before that date, Mercedes has offered us all a look at the new electric SUV's interior. In the image, found above and below, we see an undoubtedly luxurious cabin shod in leather and filled with tech. In terms of technology, one of the standouts inside the new EQE SUV is the 12.8-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch instrument cluster. These two features dominate the dashboard and give the driver and passenger the ability to control the SUV's various functions. When it comes to the actual trimming of the interior, the EQE SUV will be offered with five coordinated color combinations that Mercedes says "underscore the generous sense of spaciousness" in a press release. An example of this would be the warm sable brown tone combined with the "techy" neva grey. Being an SUV, the EQE will also offer up plenty of space for the driver and passengers. Based on the Mercedes-EQ's large electric platform, the new EQE SUV will be one of the most spacious in its class when it comes to headroom, legroom and even elbowroom. Mercedes-Benz will be giving the EQE SUV its world premiere on October 16, so be sure to check back with us for all of the details when it's revealed. See All Mercedes' For Sale

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 10, 2022

The New 1,049-HP Mercedes-AMG ONE Hypercar Has Officially...

One of the world’s wildest automotive dreams is closer than ever to being real. Not since the CLK GTR more than 20 years ago has the 3-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz sat at the front of a roadgoing performance car that pushes the limits of said roadgoing designation, and now, the new Mercedes-AMG ONE has come to change that. This time, its performance is even more otherworldly, with its power coming from an F1 engine and a hybrid drive system coming together to produce as much as 1,049 horsepower. Mercedes-Benz has proudly announced that the extremely limited production of this incredible car has begun. Only 275 units will be made, and each will be built by hand. MUST READ: Master & Dynamic x Mercedes-Benz Announce Its New Luxury Audio Collection, Available Now 50 specialists work on each Mercedes-AMG ONE in a total of 16 stations, starting at mechanical parts and powertrain components, and going to the battery and electric connections, to the interior, and then to the body and wheels, and then to adjustment and final testing. After the vehicle is approved by a factory test driver at a proving ground, it’s shipped to AMG’s headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, which is where the handover of the vehicle to the customer takes place. A new era for Mercedes-AMG, and for automotive performance in general is finally here. View All Mercedes-Benz For Sale Source: Mercedes-Benz

By Gabriel Vega – August 05, 2022

Petersen Automotive Museum Display Andy Warhol "Cars" Exh...

For the first time in over 30 years, the series titled Cars: Works from the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection by Andy Warhol visits North America. It's available for viewing at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. It features the complete collection of rare artwork and many of the cars that inspired it. This exhibition houses some of the rarest and most valuable vehicles ever, from multiple rare cars brought over from the Mercedes-Benz museum in Germany to a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen. We recently took a trip down to the Petersen to check out the exhibition and witness some of this rare metal in person. The collection exists at the Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery on the museum's first floor. It's the first room directly to the right of the main entrance. Upon entering, you're greeted by the artwork collection on the walls alongside five vehicles. However, you'll want to go to the back, where the exhibit's description lives on a large black wall. Mercedes-Benz commissioned Warhol to create the "Cars" series in 1986 to celebrate its 100th anniversary. During that year, Warhol completed a silkscreen print of a 300 SL Coupe, which grabbed the automaker's attention and inspired the idea for a complete series. The original goal was to create 80 pieces inspired by 20 vehicles spanning the brand's 100-year history. However, Warhol's passing in 1987 cut the series short, so only 49 works, 36 screen prints, and 13 drawings exist. In total, these pieces cover eight of the original 20 intended vehicles. Of those eight, five are present in this new exhibition. 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen Image Copyright Petersen Automotive Museum Starting with what is largely considered the world's first self-propelled automobile, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen kicks off the exhibit. Designed by Carl Benz in 1886, it was unique as it wasn't based on a horse-drawn carriage. It features a tube-frame chassis specifically designed to be self-propelled. Thanks to Benz being an avid cyclist, the Patent-Motorwagen also features off-the-shelf bicycle components. Its single-cylinder four-stroke engine developed a whopping 0.9 horsepower. Aside from being considered the world's first automobile, the Patent-Motorwagen also embarked on the first road trip when in 1888, Bertha Benz made the 106-kilometer journey from Mannheim to Pforzheim with her two sons without Carl knowing. 1937 Mercedes-Benz W 125 Grand Prix Car Image Copyright Petersen Automotive Museum Sitting next to the Patent-Motorwagen is perhaps the most striking and impressive vehicle in the collection, the 1937 Mercedes-Benz W 125 Grand Prix Car. Its design was mainly dictated by regulations that stated that a competing car couldn't weigh over 850 kilograms (1,874 lb.) However, the regulators hadn't placed a displacement limit. To maximize this loophole, most of the car's weight comes from its supercharged inline-eight cylinder engine. One look at this race car reveals that it's essentially a large engine with a driver's seat and four wheels bolted to it. The W 125 developed nearly 600 horsepower in racing trim while weighing in at a feather-light 1,653 lb. It features a nickel-chrome molybdenum tube frame chassis and an aluminum body. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Formula 1 Grand Prix Car Image Copyright Petersen Automotive Museum In 1954, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W 196, set to compete in the 1954 and 1955 Formula One seasons. The German carmaker introduced two variants of the W 196, an open-wheel car and a streamlined variant. The latter pictured above featured a tubular space frame and a body shaped in a wind tunnel. Thanks to unique springless desmodromic valves, its straight-eight produced 257 hp, giving Mercedes-Benz a considerable advantage over its rivals. While the W 196 won nine of the 12 races it ran between 1954 and 1955, the streamlined variant took three of those wins. These victories remain the only three times a closed-wheel vehicle has won in Formula One history. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe Image Copyright Petersen Automotive Museum Stepping away from the race cars, the exhibition also features a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, one of the most instantly-recognizable cars ever produced. It's based on a race car from 1952 called the 300 "Sports Leicht" and is the first road-going sports car produced by Mercedes-Benz after the second world war. It's also the first production passenger car to feature mechanical direct fuel injection, which allowed its three-liter straight-six to deliver up to 240 hp. Weighing in at 3,300 lb, its boosted power output allowed it to reach 163 mph, making it the world's fastest car at the time. Its tubular space frame construction meant there wasn't enough space left for conventional doors, so it required doors that opened upwards, just like its racing predecessor. 1970 Mercedes-Benz Type C 111-II Experimental Vehicle Image Copyright Petersen Automotive Museum Following the 300 SL "Gullwing," Mercedes-Benz began work on a potential successor. It completed the first C 111 prototype in 1969, and its primary purpose was to break away from the traditional and experiment with new technologies. On the styling front, it featured a wedge shape, originally made popular by the Lamborghini Marzal concept in 1967. However, its fiberglass body tied back to the 300 SL with its vertical doors. A three-rotor Wankel engine originally powered it. However, the C 111-II pictured above originally featured a four-rotor Wankel engine. The specific vehicle on display houses a V8 engine intended to benchmark against the rotary power plant. While the C 111 eventually spawned a C112 successor in the early 1990s, no road-going versions made it to market. Surrounding these impressive vehicles is the complete collection of artwork by Warhol, along with original sketches and drawings. Although the remaining three cars aren't present, the works depicting them are. These include a 1886 Daimler Motor Carriage, 1902 Benz Mylord Coupe, and a 1925 Mercedes-Benz Type 400 Tourenwagen. As an additional display, the Petersen Museum also hosts Warhol's personal 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow just outside the main exhibition. To learn more about the exhibition, please visit the link below. Visit Petersen.org Image Copyright Petersen Automotive Museum

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 03, 2022

The New Mercedes-AMG ONE Hypercar Is Spotted Preparing Fo...

The highly anticipated hypercar from Mercedes-AMG is getting ready to take on one of the automotive world’s most important challenges. The Mercedes-AMG ONE is quite the piece of automotive excellence. It’s a racing-bred hypercar, and that’s meant quite literally as the engine it is powered by is derived from F1, and it produces a massive 1,049 horsepower. Along with its F1 powerplant, the ONE is a hybrid that makes the use of four electric motors for power and performance that never quits, and the racing heritage, success, and engineering expertise that are distilled in this amazing hypercar are already a once-in-a-lifetime moment in the automotive world. MUST READ: 2023 Mercedes-AMG ONE Officially Revealed: A 1,049 HP Hypercar Powered by an F1 Engine In case anyone thinks that the Mercedes-AMG ONE hasn’t secured its legacy, it’s getting ready to take on the Nurburgring to prove its racing mettle in a way that everyone in the car world can recognize, respect, and admire. In this video published by YouTube channel CarSpyMedia, the car has been spotted darting through the track and conquering its famed and feared corners for what can only be a lap record attempt that has the possibility of writing a chapter in automotive history. The car has been the result of decades of performance expertise from AMG, and now Affalterbach’s house of speed is ready to show the full extent of its capabilities. View All Mercedes-Benz For Sale Source: YouTube/CarSpyMedia

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 29, 2022

Mercedes-AMG Announces The New 2023 SL 55 And 2023 SL 63

The Mercedes-AMG SL models are ready to dominate open-top performance. Mercedes-Benz has already announced the entry-level SL 43, powered by a 4-cylinder engine with an electrified exhaust gas turbocharger that uses technology derived from Mercedes-AMG’s experience in F1, but now, Mercedes-AMG announces two new models for the SL, the SL 55 and SL 63. Along with this announcement, Mercedes-AMG announces that the SL, for the first time in the model’s 70-year history, will feature all-wheel drive, as AMG Performance 4MATIC+ will be standard on both models. Another first is rear-axle steering, improving turning radius at low speeds, and stability and control at high speeds. MUST READ: The Best Mercedes’ You Can Buy Today Mercedes-AMG continues the “One Man, One Engine” philosophy with these two models, which are both powered by the AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The SL 63 produces 577 horsepower and 590 lb/ft of torque, for a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 196 mph. The SL 55 produces 469 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque for a 0-60 sprint of 3.8 seconds and top speed of 183 mph. The new 2023 Mercedes-AMG SL 55 and 2023 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 are expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships this summer, and they plan to modernize the legend of the iconic 300 SL roadster. View All Mercedes-Benz SLs For Sale Source: Mercedes-Benz

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