The C111 was a series of experimental automobiles produced by Mercedes-Benz in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The company was experimenting with new engine technologies, including Wankel rotary engines, turbo diesels, and turbocharged gasoline engines. The basic C111 platform was used as a testbed for all of the Mercedes-Benz researches. The first sketches and prototype versions were made in 1968.
The C111-I was finished in 1969 and displayed by Mercedes-Benz in September, that year, at Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA). It featured classic gullwing doors and a fiberglass body which allowed the designers to create long flowing lines, opening up new possibilities in the aerodynamic design of sport cars. The drag coefficient was Cd = 0.35. The C111-I was made, primarily, to serve as an experimental car so it was not a further development of the Sport Light models from the 1950’s, as many had believed at that time.
As many other car manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz was interested in Felix Wankel’s unconventional propulsion system (also called the rotary engine) and they choose to fit the first C111 with a three-rotor engine.
The Wankel engine developed 206 kW/ 280 PS / 276 HP at 7.000 RPM from 600 cc of chamber volume per rotary piston (1800 cc engine).
The official base curb weight: 1100 kg / 2425 lbs. It featured a 5-speed ZF manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
In these conditions the car accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5 seconds and had a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph). The engine was a direct injection unit and the main problem was the dual ignition which was difficult to adjust.
The suspension featured anti-squat and anti-dive control; its front axle components were incorporated in large-scale production at a later stage and the rear axle was a precursor of today’s multi-link independent rear suspension. On the basis of the experience gained in testing this car, another five experimental cars were built.
The C 111 reviewed by the press
In November 1969, Ron Wakefield, writing for “Road & Track”, directly compared the C 111 with Italian sports cars: “During my first ride I was immediately struck by the quietness of the power unit inside the car. It was far quieter than, say, a 12-cyl. (Lamborghini) Miura though not so hushed as the Ford V8 of the De Tomaso Mangusta. As the engine wound up I once again noticed the motorcycle sound and it was a smooth, steady pull all the way up to what seemed like much too early a shift at 7000 rpm.”
In late 1969, “Auto Motor & Sport” wrote: “The quiet running of the Wankel engine and the virtually complete absence of wind noise will initially deceive you into wrongly assessing the actual speed. When you think you’re doing 150 or 160 km/h, a glance at the speedometer will quickly tell you that you are in fact doing 240 km/h. Incidentally, 7000 rpm in fourth gear correspond to 226 km/h.”
8. The C111 design study was originally baptized , the C101 project. However, the “0 (zero)” in the middle had to disappear , since this number combination has long been protected by....
Nov 11 2013
1969 Mercedes-Benz C111-I
The legend begins:
The C111 was a series of experimental automobiles produced by Mercedes-Benz in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The company was experimenting with new engine technologies, including Wankel rotary engines, turbo diesels, and turbocharged gasoline engines. The basic C111 platform was used as a testbed for all of the Mercedes-Benz researches. The first sketches and prototype versions were made in 1968.
The C111-I was finished in 1969 and displayed by Mercedes-Benz in September, that year, at Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA). It featured classic gullwing doors and a fiberglass body which allowed the designers to create long flowing lines, opening up new possibilities in the aerodynamic design of sport cars. The drag coefficient was Cd = 0.35. The C111-I was made, primarily, to serve as an experimental car so it was not a further development of the Sport Light models from the 1950’s, as many had believed at that time.
As many other car manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz was interested in Felix Wankel’s unconventional propulsion system (also called the rotary engine) and they choose to fit the first C111 with a three-rotor engine.
The Wankel engine developed 206 kW/ 280 PS / 276 HP at 7.000 RPM from 600 cc of chamber volume per rotary piston (1800 cc engine).
The official base curb weight: 1100 kg / 2425 lbs. It featured a 5-speed ZF manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
In these conditions the car accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5 seconds and had a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph). The engine was a direct injection unit and the main problem was the dual ignition which was difficult to adjust.
The suspension featured anti-squat and anti-dive control; its front axle components were incorporated in large-scale production at a later stage and the rear axle was a precursor of today’s multi-link independent rear suspension. On the basis of the experience gained in testing this car, another five experimental cars were built.
The C 111 reviewed by the press
In November 1969, Ron Wakefield, writing for “Road & Track”, directly compared the C 111 with Italian sports cars: “During my first ride I was immediately struck by the quietness of the power unit inside the car. It was far quieter than, say, a 12-cyl. (Lamborghini) Miura though not so hushed as the Ford V8 of the De Tomaso Mangusta. As the engine wound up I once again noticed the motorcycle sound and it was a smooth, steady pull all the way up to what seemed like much too early a shift at 7000 rpm.”
In late 1969, “Auto Motor & Sport” wrote: “The quiet running of the Wankel engine and the virtually complete absence of wind noise will initially deceive you into wrongly assessing the actual speed. When you think you’re doing 150 or 160 km/h, a glance at the speedometer will quickly tell you that you are in fact doing 240 km/h. Incidentally, 7000 rpm in fourth gear correspond to 226 km/h.”
Mercedes-Benz C111-II was presented short after….
By Catalin Varvara • Uncategorized 0 • Tags: c111, c111-1, c111-I, Mercedes C111