At the ADAC Eifel Race at the Nürburgring, Mercedes-Benz was presented for its outstanding sports car history. From June 18 to 20, 2010, six super sports cars were in the Nurburgring paddock behind the Rundbogenzelten for all to admire. On Saturday and Sunday the cars put their fascination potential at the test at three demonstration runs on the Grand Prix circuit.
Since 1922 the ADAC holds a race in the Eifel-Region near Aachen and Koblenz. The legendary Nuerburgring is the place where the first Eifelrennen took place on a race track in 1927. It was the premier opening race of the news race track. Until 1927 the Eifelrennen was held on public roads as a Targa-Florio – like race since 1922.
Four years ago the Eifelrennen returned to the Nuerburgring as a historic revival. Main part of the racing days for classic cars are the Grand-Prix-Track and the legendary Nordschleife with 21 km length for one lap. A lot of the history of the Nuerburgring is based on the famous races on the Nordschleife – a competitive track for ambitious drivers.
Mercedes Supercars define the automotive superlative, they set the standard in terms of performance and innovation. Super Sports Cars are not primarily intended for racing, but are sold as exclusive vehicles for road use. Mercedes-Benz has continued to set new standards with such a high-performance vehicles for customers. They arouse the passion of a particular form of car culture.
The super sports car family includes some of the Mercedes-Benz SSK Models (1928 to 1932, W 06) and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1954-1957, W 198). Examples from the recent past are the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR (C 297) in 1997 and 2004 appeared Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG. Also in 2004, is the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C 199) in the super sports car segment on the market.
These cars feature all – the mirror of its time – by impressive levels of performance and technical proximity to the racing off. Super Sports Cars are a way to give incentive for the developers in the current competition of motor sport vehicles and also help to obtain the latest results from laboratory and research in their work. Such exclusive and fascinating automobiles in small quantities occur with an extremely high level of sporting aspiration. These exceptional originals are also characterized by the fact that they are manufactured with a large proportion of manual work.
The balancing act between competition use on the racetrack and the sporty driving is on the road to the classical virtues of this class of vehicle. Because super sports car from Mercedes-Benz recorded a number of racing successes.
In particular, the Mercedes 35 hp and its direct successor, and the Mercedes-Benz SSK in their time even offered both as powerful models for top sporting private drivers as well as a successful competitive vehicles used.
The appendix to the supercar shows in the history of Mercedes-Benz but also in series studies and experimental vehicles that are not in production. This applies, for example of the legendary family of type C 111 rotary engine in the years 1969 and 1970 and for the C 112 of 1991.
Record vehicles and racing prototypes have enriched the genes of the super sports car from Mercedes-Benz as well. These include the 1953-built prototype of the W 194 racing coupe and the so-called “Uhlenhaut coupe” of the racing car 300 SLR (W 196 S).
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG continues this unique tradition. It celebrates the international press today as a contender for the title of “Sports Car of the 21 Century “.
