Mercedes has presented the Vision One Eleven concept, which pays homage to the C111 of half a century ago. In fact, even the name is the same: One eleven, that is, 111 expressed in words.
Between the two cars there are not only more than fifty years, but many conceptual differences and the change of thermal engines for electric ones. But they have one point in common: both have managed to raise passions.
Today, the design of the C111 is not flashy, but then it was shocking, especially compared to the cars that the brand of the star produced. And it became an object of desire. The company’s top managers received numerous calls, including blank checks, from VIP customers wanting a C111.
Despite the fact that the brand had made it clear that the C-111 was a “laboratory” car through which they wanted to show, test and publicize new technologies, there were customers who wanted it regardless of the price.
The C111 was not a concept, but a real car, despite the fact that it was not intended to be commercialized. In different stages, 16 units were manufactured, seven of which are kept in the Mercedes Museum.
Rarely do engineers have a free hand to experiment without ties or technology or budget or the corset that a production car supposes. With them, Mercedes showed various engines and broke numerous records.
The bodywork, for example, was made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. The doors had a gull-wing opening. The headlights were retractable. The interior was luxurious for the time and was even equipped with air conditioning. Perhaps for this reason, when the C111 with its ‘brave orange’ color was shown in 1969, it aroused so much enthusiasm that many wanted to own it.
But much of the detail needed in a production car had been left out. In addition, the quality was not up to Mercedes and the behavior had to be improved. On the other hand, the first oil crisis arrived. And all this stopped any possible attempt at commercialization.
The first C111 shown had an original engine, the rotary designed by engineer Fritz Wankel initially for NSU. In this case, it was a block of three rotors, which was followed -for the C111 II- one of four and direct injection, with 350 CV.
Between the C111-I and the C111-II there were more changes than the powerplant. The former seemed to have the ‘raw’ concept lines, while the latter was more elegant. What today we would call ‘restyling’.
Both cars are surprising today for the absence of aerodynamic elements, only smooth and polished surfaces, although with the corresponding cooling air intakes. At Mercedes they were convinced that an intelligent design would allow them to dispense with the aerodynamic elements already in vogue in competition.
When the oil crisis arrived, in 1973, Mercedes had decided to park the Wankel engine -due to high consumption, sealing problems, etc.- but not the C111 project. The C111-II was converted, with a 3.0 turbodiesel block with 5 cylinders in line with direct injection. This engine was marketed the following year and was, de facto, the first fast diesel in the passenger car segment and it expanded rapidly because it consumed less than gasoline.
To attest to its performance, Mercedes took the car to the Nardo Test Center, where there was a high-speed track -circular, incredibly banked- 12.5 kilometers and 16 meters wide. It is still in use and speeds in excess of 400 km/h can be achieved. There, the C-111 II broke 13 world speed and distance records for diesel engines. He completed the 500 kilometers at an average pace of about 254 km/h and set other historical records.
He completed the 10 km with a standing start at 220.6 km/h. It should be said that the greater the distance, the faster he was going because the time necessary to accelerate was a drag. Thus, he covered 10,000 miles (16,000 km) at an average of 251,788 km / h and the 12-hour record was established, for diesel engines, at 253,616 km / h.
The resonance of these records led the Mercedes technicians to want to ‘pulverise’ them and develop two new generations, the Type III and the Type IV, with very careful aerodynamics. They were noticeably longer to promote less air resistance and the Type III achieved a coefficient of drag (Cx) of 0.183, which at the time seemed miraculous.
With a five-cylinder turbodiesel engine, but even more powerful -although less useful life- the Type III reached 321,860 km/h in the 500 km and did 12 hours of ‘top’ running at 314 km/h, among others records.
For the C111-IV, Mercedes decided that the time had come to demonstrate the virtues of its gasoline technology. Thus, it mounted a 4.8-liter V8 turbo engine, which offered 500 CV with which the 400 km/h was finally exceeded. With it he achieved a momentary top of 403.938 km/h, with which he put an end to the story.