All Entries Tagged With: "450SLC"
Englisch Bitte! Mercedes-Benz C107 SLC Fascination Video
- Mercedes-Benz C107 Generation: 350SLC, 450SLC, 500SLC
- SLCs were the S-Class coupe based on the R107 SL
- Fascination Videos now dubbed in English
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG via YouTube
PERSONALLY, I can’t stand the Mercedes-Benz “Fascination” videos.
They’re a long series of shorts which dryly recycle company archive footage and cover it all with dry narrative flakes that served up in a piece so passionless, you’d get more sauce from a DMV training video.
Originally, the series was dubbed in German. Now they’ve been re-posted in English.
Danke!
But back to why they’re crap.
Probably more irksome than watching brown cars through a brown lens is the modern synching of royalty-free “period music”. What we’re left with in artistic and entertainment terms is a true snooze fest.
That said, like an encyclopaedia, a thesaurus, or the AP, they’re there for good reason.
Where else could we watch to our heart’s content recent classic Benzes on parade, in development, in crash testing, or in their – ahem- period settings?
Type “450SLC video” into a YouTube search and the first five postings are likely to be some jackals lighting up a tired, pimped out example in a parking lot somewhere in South Dakota or Hungary.
These are grand cars! Modern classics which need tender love and care. The C107 SLC, for instance, was a rally car champ in its day as well as being a svelte 2+2 luxury coupe of the first order.
I guess if we had to make a choice between senseless hoonage and corporate chalk, we’ll take the corporate chalk for its reverence, any day.
All the better now that it’s in English.
Re: Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing
By Gunnar Heinrich
MERCEDES’ new “super sports car” may, in fact, serve up 571 bhp. And it may have a handy rear biased weight ratio of 48/52 thanks to a newfangled transmission. And, yes, it may be sprung on an all aluminum double wishbone suspension and feature ceramic stoppers.
But all that doesn’t really interest me at the moment. What I want to know is: why is the 2010 SLS AMG no longer called “SLC”?
There was some buzz last year that Benz was bringing back not only the Gullwing concept but also the old moniker from the famed rally (S-Class) coupe from the 70s – the R107 450SLC.
The odds in Vegas are that Daimler didn’t want to confuse people with too many historical cross references and decided to stick more with just the 300SL Gullwing lore. Or something to that effect.
Since the AMG sports car that’s meant to replace the SLR McLaren couldn’t be strictly an “SL”, “SLS” was what they came up with. They should’ve stuck with SLC anyway…unless there’s something else coming down the pike…
Hearts & Minds: Mr. Behpour’s Automotive Art
Fleeing the Revolution? No, just shot while having fun.
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG by Alireza Behpour
THE comment that fellow photographer – username “Delneshin” left on Alireza Behpour’s Flickr account neatly captures any Westerner’s incredulity.
“A Ferrari in Iran?!!!”
Israel isn’t the only desert where flowers bloom…
Benz’s Best > Top Ten Postwar Models
10) Geländewagen a.k.a. “G-Wagen” W460/461/463 (1979 – )
The ultimate survivor. Built to military spec., there’s solid reason why the UN and NGO peace organizations use the G-Wagen to get the job done. Utilitarian looks as timeless as the Range Rover County and Hummer H1.
9) S-Class W116 (1972-1979)
This solid, stolid generation of flagships included the legendary might-makes-right 450SEL 6.9. The classic three box German saloon, the 70’s S-Class rolls on as a great vestige of the marque’s grand heritage.
S-Class W140 (Sedan) (1991-1999)
Despite being chastised for running out of step with the times, the W140 saloons set the standard for the 90s. Big and beautiful, these chariots were commodious, luxurious, and represented the last generation of Mercedes sedans to embody the vaunted “vault-like” feel.
7) E Class W210 (1995-2002)
Not as solid as its W124 predecessor, but miles ahead in style. No other model in contemporary Mercedes history generated as much excitement or so revolutionized the marque as this generation E. Hugely popular, the line included the torque rich E55 AMG.
6) SL Class R230 (2002- )
Elegant yet sporty, the current generation SL embodies a classic blend of pure style. The SL is the most comfortable and luxurious roadster Mercedes-Benz has yet built and is also the most powerful. The SL55 and 65 AMG models lifted the bar on performance.
5) 300S W188 (1951-1958)
The start of the greatest flagship series the world has known. Subtle design belies solid quality and luxurious craftsmanship. The first of postwar Benz’s opened topped tourers stands as one of the 20th Century’s grandest.
4) SL Class R107 (1971-1989)
An icon for two generations. Greater than the previous W113 “Pagoda”, this roadster rolls with class, style, and substance. The 500SL and 560SL V8s produced performance times that rivaled Ferrari and Porsche. Among the ultimate boulevardiers of all time.
3) 250/280/300SE cabriolet W111/W112 (1961-1967)
Perhaps the best 2+2 convertible ever built. Precious few cars can rival the SE cabriolet’s classic panache. Instantly collectible and reliably solid, this generation will be remembered as among the finest cars Stuttgart ever built.
2) 300SL Gullwing and Roadster W198 (1954-1963)
Sex on wheels. The roadster may rank as the most beautiful car ever built. The Gullwing may rank as the most iconic Benz ever. The symbol of revival to postwar Germany’s auto industry. The straight-six’s performance set the bar for supercar performance for more than 30 years. It’s easy to justify six to seven figure price tags.
1) S Class W126 (Sedan and Coupe) (1979-1991)
The greatest generation. The longest lived S-Class and among the most commercially successful model lines in Mercedes history. Part of Benz’s golden era of over-engineering, the 80s S-Class rank among the most solid cars ever built. The 300SD, 500/560SEC, 500/560SEL are icons. Bruno Sacco’s grand sedan and coupe – penned in the 70s – influenced industry design through the 90s.