Worldwide Auto Club (2024)

16/05/2021

The German carmaker’s W124 series was born in 1984 and lasted up until 1997, coinciding with the 1980s/1990s return of Mercedes-Benz to the racetracks. Granted, the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 cars were the piece of resistance back then, but for all intents and purposes, this virtual exercise clearly needed something a bit larger.

27/04/2021

Back when Brabus was a far smaller brand than the tuner we know today — relentlessly redeveloping many of ‘Benz’s G-Class’ — it was a lot harder to come across one of the German company’s cars. This 500e (W124) seen above was modified by Brabus when new in Japan before it was imported to North America where it lives now.
The standard five-liter V8 engine was upgraded to six liters, and other Brabus modifications including a performance exhaust system, a lowered suspension, Alcon front brake calipers, and 18-inch three-spoke wheels were also fitted. Coupled with its black over black exterior and interior, this 500e is one imposing German saloon. As with most of Mercedes-Benz’s work, the car was well ahead of its time. It’s fitted with a four-speed automatic transmission, automatic climate control, cruise control, and front-seat position memory as standard — all of which are still in perfect working order. The inside is equally ’90s and imposing. Burl wood has been used as a finishing accent on the dashboard, door sills, and center stack, which contrasts the black leather Recaro front seats. Instrumentation is from the pre-digital era, and reads up to 300 km/h (186 MPH) on a Brabus-branded speedometer.

Full video on our YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788HIRs5fYw

26/04/2021

With Help From Porsche, Mercedes Built The 500E

This is a car that was engineered by Porsche to defeat the BMW M5 on the Autobahn but ended up becoming much more than just a sports saloon with a big engine: it became one of the finest sedans to ever come out of Germany. And that’s saying something. When the W124 debuted, it was a revolutionary design, from a time at Mercedes when – as Cammisa so eloquently puts it – the engineers outranked the accountants. It had a drag coefficient of just 0.26, a revolutionary wiper system, solid build quality, and multiple safety features. But Mercedes was facing competition from the East, with Lexus launching their LS400, wiping out nearly a quarter of Merc sales overnight. Added to that, they still needed an answer to the E34 540i and M5 from their Bavarian rivals. The solution was to put a stonking V8 in the W124. And not just any V8. The M119 was the same basic power plant (minus some turbos) that won the Le Mans 24 Hours under the hood of the Sauber C9. Not only did this eight-cylinder powerhouse prove to be fast and reliable, but it also did better on the dyno after the grueling race than before. But with the W124’s frame rails too narrow to accommodate a simple shoehorn effort, it was going to require some finessing to get the engine to fit. The problem was, Merc’s engineers were already tied up on figuring out how to defeat the Japanese competition. Solution: ring up fellow Germans Porsche, and unleash their customer engineering arm. It was the perfect solution, really, as Porsche themselves needed the cash thanks to a massive decline in US sales. With the frame rails widened, there was another, fatter, problem that reared its head. With an output of 322 hp and 354 lb-ft from the 5.0-liter V8, Mercedes needed to install suspension and brakes from the wider SL. This required those fender flairs that distinguish the 500E from other, lesser W124s. However, now the 500E was too wide to fit down the Mercedes production line. So Porsche was called up again and ended up building the super-sedan. It also wasn’t the most efficient means of production. The entire process took 18 days, eons even by the standards of the time. The 300E body would be sent to Porsche for modification, before going back to Mercedes for paint, and then to another different Porsche plant for final assembly, and then one final trip back to the three-pointed start for final inspection and delivery.
It’s one of the many factors why the 500E cost a staggering 35% more than the BMW M5, clocking in at $88,000. But it was a cost that resulted in one of the best sedans ever made. With a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time of just 5.5 seconds, the 500E was supercar fast, even with a four-speed slushbox. Plus, unlike the other big-engine Mercs that preceded it, the 500E handled and stopped like a proper sports sedan. It was a testament to engineering, spurred on by competition and the pursuit to deliver the best – a feat that no other sedan could come close to challenging.

20/08/2020

Jaguar XK120

Jaguar is an iconic automaker with British roots that’s known for the impeccable quality, luxury, and style of its vehicles. It was founded in 1922 by William Walmsly and William Lyons. Back then it was named the Swallow Sidecar Company. The company changed its name to Jaguar on March 23, 1945 to give it distinction and set the brand apart from its competition. Jaguar has maintained its distinction ever since, and it’s a brand loved by car enthusiasts the world over. The company has produced a number of amazing cars during its history, including those that are noted for being pop culture icons. The Jaguar XK120 was produced from 1948 to 1954 and was the first sports car the company produced since it stopped making the SS 100 in 1940. The XK120 features a wood frame body, panels made of handcrafted aluminum, and its profile is a classic. Lighter bodied aluminum models were created for racing, and those versions of the car had more powerful engines, removable windscreens, and aeroscreens. The car got its name from the fact that it reaches a top speed of 120 mph. At the time, this made the XK120 one of the fastest cars in the world. This car inspired US automakers to create their own two-seater roadsters, including the Corvette.

09/08/2020

• Dakar Yellow BMW E30 M3 With A Modern Touch

This M3 features a set of Ireland Engineering swaybars, Treehouse Racing eyeball arms, UUC Motorwerks Stage 2 Flywheel Clutch Kit, UUC Motorwerks Stainless steel brake lines and clutch line, UUC Motorwerks Shortshifter, a set of Jet Hot headers and a Fluidyne aluminum radiator.
- The M3 also comes with a Supersprint sport exhaust system, providing the proper sound stage for this vehicle. In addition to that. the interior was revamped as well.

02/08/2020

Acapulco Blue 1968 Shelby GT350 Fastback

• Original color, original engine, original four-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission.
- One of 1,053 Shelby GT350s produced in 1968, and one of only 48 to be using an Acapulco Blue exterior - Saddle livery interior combo.

Having been produced at the Metuchen plant in April 1968, the car features a modified version of Ford's 4.7-liter small-block V8 engine that develops 306 hp at 6,000 rpm. Engine is paired with the original four-speed gearbox. Under the shiny blue of the car lies the Saddle-colored interior with bucket seats. The GT350 sells complete with extra cooling package, visibility group, sports deck rear seats, power steering, power front disc brakes, tilt away steering column, AM radio, interior décor group, heavy duty battery, and front and rear bumper guards. This Shelby model is not one you get to see on the road all that often. It was born out of the mind of Carroll Shelby, a racer by trade and a tuner by heart, who found the segment-creator Mustang to be able to do more than what Ford had in mind for it. As soon as the Mustangs hit the streets, Shelby took it upon himself to modify the car starting with 1965. He became so good at it that soon enough Ford decided to officially sanction and sell Shelbys through selected Ford dealerships. The GT350 line is the first Mustang to have been tweaked by the world famous tuner.

#1968

02/08/2020

Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet

• The name, 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, is slightly confusing. Usually, you’d expect the numerical part of a Mercedes’ name to be based on engine size – and so it was with the 220 SE, 250 SE, and the earliest 280 SE, the latter of which was powered by a 2778cc, six-cylinder engine. But in the last two years of the great W111 model series, Mercedes produced 3.5-litre V8 versions of the Coupé and Cabriolet and dubbed them 280 SE 3.5 to distinguish them from their lowlier counterparts.
- In the 24 months that these final W111 models were produced, from August 1969 to July 1971, just 3,270 Coupé and 1,232 Cabriolet versions came into existence. No wonder that, today, these V8 versions are rare and much sought-after.
• If you were asked to close your eyes and picture a classic Mercedes convertible in the ‘grand tourer’ tradition, this is quite probably the car that would pop into your mind. Not the sleekest, not the sportiest open-topped Mercedes, perhaps – but surely one of the most impressive. The car’s big, bold grille and characteristic double headlights assure us that this is the quintessential grand tourer, sitting halfway between flashy and restrained. It was designed for people who had clearly made a success of their lives, but who were refined enough to avoid the brash statement of an overtly ostentatious automobile.

01/08/2020

MERCEDES BENZ 600 Pullman W100

Well before the first Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Pullman made its debut at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show, somebody already commissioned Mercedes to build a Maybach-enhanced Pullman. What you see here is a 1975 Mercedes 600 Pullman that was modified by Mercedes' official classic car department to match the specification of the Maybach sedans on sale at the time. It was commissioned by a customer in Germany and is currently listed for sale at Dutch dealership. The asking price is 2.15 million euros (approximately $2.35 million), or more than four times the price of a standard version, and according to the listing the modifications took seven years to complete, between the commission in 2007 and the completion in 2014. The modifications included new seats with heating and cooling functions, as well as modern climate control systems, satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, a fridge, and a DVD player to keep passengers entertained on long drives. The customer chose to keep the car's mechanicals unchanged so that the vehicle didn't lose its full vintage status. Considering the car features the M100 6.3-liter V-8, we fully understand. The engine delivers about 250 horsepower, or enough to send the limo from 0-60 mph in about ten seconds. Mercedes is almost ready to unveil a new generation of the S-Class. While we know that there will be a Mercedes-Maybach version, it isn't clear yet if there will be another Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Pullman. The 600's great size, weight, and numerous hydraulically driven amenities required more power than Mercedes' largest engine at that time, the M-189 3-litre 6-cylinder M189, could produce. A new V8 with more than twice the capacity was developed, the 6.3 L M100. It featured single overhead camshafts (SOHC) and Bosch mechanical fuel injection. It developed 250 hp (186 kW). The 600's complex 150-bar (2,176 psi) hydraulic pressure system powered the automobile's windows, seats, sun-roof, boot lid, and automatically closing doors. Adjustable air suspension delivered excellent ride quality and sure handling over any road surface. In 1968 the M-100 engine and pneumatic suspension were fitted to the much smaller but still substantial W109 300SEL 6.3, creating the world's fastest four-door saloon. In 1975 a larger 6.9 litre version of M-100 was installed in the W116 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 and air suspension was replaced with a hydraulic suspension.

- Technical data Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) (Manufacturer's figures except where stated)
• Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman
• Produced: 1963–1981
• Engine: 6.3 l V8, front-mounted
• Bore x Stroke: 103 mm x 95 mm
• Displacement: 6332 cc
• Max. Power rpm: 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp) 4000
• Max. Torque rpm: 500 N⋅m (369 lb⋅ft) 2800
• Compression Ratio: 9.00:1
• Fuel feed: Sequential fuel injection, Bosch injection pump
• Fuel tank capacity: 112 l (29.6 US gal; 24.6 imp gal)
• Valvetrain: SOHC, duplex chains
• Cooling: Water
• Gearbox: 4-speed automatic transmission K4B 050 · gear ratio · (1) 3.9789 · (2) 2.4589 · (3) 1.5789 · (4) 1.0000 · (R) - 4.1455
• Rear wheel drive · axle ratio 3.2307 (42:13)
• Electrical system: 12 volt
• Front suspension: Double wishbones, air suspension, rubber springs, stabilizing bar
• Rear suspension: Low-pivot swing axle, radius arms, self-leveling air suspension, rubber springs, stabilizing bar
• Brakes: Disc brakes (Ø 291 mm two-caliper front, 294.5 mm rear), power assisted
• Steering: Recirculating ball steering, power assisted
• Body structure: Sheet steel, unibody construction
• Dry weight: 2,600 kg (5,732 lb) 2,770 kg (6,107 lb)
• Loaded weight: 3,050 kg (6,724 lb) 3,340 kg (7,363 lb)
• Track front · rear: 1,587 mm (62.5 in) · 1,581 mm (62.2 in)
• Wheelbase: 3,200 mm (126.0 in) 3,900 mm (153.5 in)
• Length: 5,450 mm (214.6 in) 6,240 mm (245.7 in)
• Width: 1,950 mm (76.8 in) 1,950 mm (76.8 in)
• Height: 1,500 mm (59.1 in) 1,510 mm (59.4 in)
• Tyre/Tire sizes: 9.00H15 Supersport (6PR)
• Top speed: 204.8 km/h (127.3 mph) 200 km/h (124 mph)
• Fuel Consumption (estimates): 24.0 litres per 100 kilometres (11.8 mpg‑imp; 9.8 mpg‑US) 26.0 litres per 100 kilometres (10.9 mpg‑imp; 9.0 mpg‑US)

01/08/2020

The One-Off BMW E46 M3 Touring

- The 30th anniversary of the BMW M3 provides an ideal opportunity to look back at four highly intriguing model variants that, for various reasons, never made it past the prototype stage. One of them is a touring model based on the E46 M3.
The BMW M3 Touring prototype materialized because a production model was under consideration. The M3 Compact was made available to journalists for testing in order to both project an image and sound out customer interest. But the M3 Touring served entirely in-house purposes.
" This prototype allowed us to show that, from a purely technical standpoint at least, it was possible to integrate an M3 Touring into the ongoing production of the standard BMW 3 Series Touring with very little difficulty,” explains head of vehicle prototype building and workshops at BMW M Division and an employee at the company for more than 40 years. One important thing we needed to demonstrate was that the rear doors of the standard production model could be reworked to adapt them to the rear wheel arches without the need for new and expensive tools. Once it had passed through the assembly line, the M3 Touring required only minimal manual follow-up work to fit the M-specific add-on parts and interior details, for example.
- Power came courtesy of a naturally-aspirated six-cylinder in-line engine. The completely newly developed unit developed output of 252 kW/343 hp from its 3,246 cc and peak torque of 365 Newton meters (269 lb-ft).
- Unfortunately for customers, the E46 M3 never made into production, even though this would have been one of the hottest sports wagons ever built.

24/07/2020

Classics & luxury...

Miracle of evolution : 30 years of the " EVO II "

Mercedes 190E 2.5-16V EVO II

Mercedes-Benz went all out with their 201 model series at the Geneva Motor Show from 8 to 18 March 1990: the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II – soon referred to as the “EVO II” by fans – celebrated its premiere there some 30 years ago. The 173 kW (235 PS) saloon was the so-called homologation model for the identically badged DTM touring race cars of the famous brand with the star.

Worldwide Auto Club

16/05/2021

27/04/2021

26/04/2021

20/08/2020

09/08/2020

02/08/2020

02/08/2020

01/08/2020

01/08/2020

24/07/2020

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share