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The Mercedes-Benz W194 (also 300SL) was the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix entry for the 1952 racing season, its first after World War II. Powered by a 3.0 litre SOHC straight-6, it ran off an impressive string of victories that included 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bern-Bremgarten, the Eifelrennen at Nürburgring, and Mexico's Carrera Panamericana.〔(the original 300SL ) (model W194)〕 The W194 was succeeded by the Mercedes-Benz W196 on the track, and gave birth to the iconic Mercedes 300SL W198 Gullwing road car in 1954.〔http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/12q3_1952_mercedes_benz_300sl_w194_00002/〕 ==Design== The racing W194 300SL was built around a welded aluminum tube spaceframe chassis to offset its relatively underpowered carbureted engine. Designed by Daimler-Benz's chief developing engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the metal skeleton saved weight while still providing a high level of strength. Since it enveloped the passenger compartment traditional doors were impossible, giving birth to the model's distinctive gull-wing arrangement. Like the 300SL it birthed, the W194 borrowed its overhead cam straight 6 engine from the regular four-door 300 (W189 "Adenauer") luxury tourer introduced in 1951, with triple two-barrel Solex carburators from the exclusive 300S (W188). Designed with an innovative diagonal aluminum head (that allowed for larger intake and exhaust valves) and canted at a fifty-degree angle〔 to the right to fit under the W194's considerably lower hoodline, it produced in racing trim, considerably up from the 300s' . Maximum torque was . Top speed was 290 km/h (180 mph).〔 Aerodynamics played an important role in the 2497 pound〔 car's speed. Unlike many cars of the 1950s, steering was relatively precise and the four-wheel independent suspension allowed for a reasonably comfortable ride and markedly better overall handling. However, the rear swing axle, jointed only at the differential, not at the wheels themselves, could be treacherous at high speeds or on imperfect roads due to extreme changes in camber. The enormous fuel tank capacity also caused a considerable difference in handling depending on the quantity of fuel on board. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mercedes-Benz W194」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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