The mere mention of Mercedes-Benz in motorsport conjures images of the legendary Silver Arrows, a dynasty of racing machines synonymous with speed, luxury, and unparalleled engineering. Among these titans, the Mercedes-Benz W125 stands as a monumental icon.
Designed by the brilliant Rudolf Uhlenhaut for the 1937 Grand Prix season, the W125 was a beast of a machine. Its supercharged 5.6-liter inline-eight engine unleashed a staggering 595 horsepower, with a colossal 200 hp readily available from a mere 2,000 rpm. During that era, the W125 redefined speed, hitting race speeds exceeding 190 mph. A specially engineered ‘W125 Rekordwagen,’ boasting a 726hp V12 engine, reportedly achieved a breathtaking 268.9 mph over a mile and a kilometer, though this record wasn’t set during an official race.
The 1937 season became a showcase of W125 dominance. It clinched victory in six out of twelve races and locked out the top four positions in the championship standings, with Rudolf Caracciola securing the overall title. Even after Grand Prix engine capacity was capped at 3,000cc the following year, the W125 reigned supreme as the most powerful racing car for three decades. Its power benchmark remained unchallenged in Formula 1 until the surge of turbocharged engines in the 1980s.
The Silver Arrows Reborn: Mercedes-Benz W196 (1954)
Seventeen years later, the motorsport landscape had dramatically shifted. The pre-war powerhouses of Auto Union and Alfa Romeo had faded from the forefront. However, Maserati and Ferrari remained formidable competitors. Mercedes-Benz chose this pivotal year, 1954, to make a triumphant return to racing. They did so with the W196, another Silver Arrow, but this time, a marvel of post-war technological advancement. Under the renewed leadership of Rudolf Uhlenhaut and with a dream team of drivers including the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, Mercedes was poised for victory once again.
The W196, equipped with a naturally aspirated straight-eight engine featuring desmodromic valves and cutting-edge fuel injection, lived up to expectations. It dominated, winning nine out of its twelve races and securing two championship titles within a mere 18 months.
Beyond its racing prowess, the W196 holds another distinction: it’s among the world’s most valuable cars. A W196 fetched an astonishing £17.5 million at a Bonhams auction during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2013. For nearly three years, it held the title of the most expensive car ever sold, until a 1957 Ferrari 335 S surpassed it in February 2016, selling for over $35 million.
The 300 SLR: Stirling Moss and Mille Miglia Legend (1955)
The tale of Stirling Moss’s victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia is as captivating as the racing legend himself. Over the weekend of April 30th to May 1st, 1955, with journalist Denis Jenkinson navigating, Moss navigated the grueling 1,000-mile Italian course in an astounding 10 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds. His average speed was an incredible 97.96 mph, crossing the finish line a staggering thirty-two minutes ahead of his teammate and runner-up, Juan Manuel Fangio.
Both Moss and Fangio were driving Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRs. These machines were essentially two-seater iterations of the previous year’s W196 Formula 1 car, sharing much of its advanced engineering, including the drivetrain, chassis, spaceframe design, and straight-eight engine.
While the 300 SLR’s straight-eight engine was crafted from silumin, a silicon and aluminum alloy, rather than cast iron like the W196, it was still a powerhouse. It was also cleverly inclined to achieve a lower bonnet line. Displacement was increased from 2.5 to 3.0-litres compared to the W196, boosting power output to 310hp.
The chassis also featured differences. The 300 SLR incorporated torsion bar springs at both front and rear, along with double wishbones at the front and swing axles at the rear. However, the designers retained the W196’s inboard-mounted drum brakes to minimize unsprung weight. The body was crafted from a lightweight magnesium alloy in an open two-seater sports car configuration. A hydraulically operated rear deck served as an air brake and boosted rear downforce in corners. Headlights and other road-legal elements were added, transforming it into a formidable endurance racer.
Tragically, Moss’s Mille Miglia triumph was overshadowed by the catastrophic Le Mans disaster later in 1955. Pierre Levegh’s 300 SLR was involved in an accident that launched it into the crowd, resulting in the death of Levegh and 83 spectators. This tragedy led to the cancellation of several Grands Prix and Mercedes withdrawing from racing, shelving the promising SLR project.
Group C Glory: Sauber-Mercedes C9 (1987)
The Sauber-Mercedes C9 emerged from a collaboration between Sauber and Mercedes-Benz, a Group C prototype engineered for dominance in the World Sportscar Championship. It followed the less successful C8, built for the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans. While the C8 struggled at Le Mans, a Sauber C8 did achieve victory at the 1986 Nürburgring 1,000kms, driven by Mike Thackwell and Henri Pescarolo.
Building upon the C8, the designers significantly evolved the C9. They reinforced the light alloy monocoque chassis and repositioned the rear suspension from vertical to horizontal spring/damper units. The radiator was moved to the car’s nose, the rear deck was redesigned, and the wing was mounted on a single central support, all aimed at optimizing aerodynamics.
The C9 retained the Mercedes M117 5.0-liter V8 engine from the C8, again expertly prepared by Swiss engine specialist Heini Mader. This engine was lightened, equipped with more efficient KKK turbochargers, and produced around 800 horsepower, almost matching its featherweight 905kg mass.
The C9 raced from 1987 to 1989 in the World Sportscar Championship and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its final year, 1989, marked the pinnacle of its success. The C9 secured both the drivers’ and teams’ WSC titles. It also triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, becoming only the second Mercedes ever to achieve this feat since the W194 in 1952.
Touring Car Icon: Mercedes-Benz 190E DTM Evolution II (1990)
While perhaps not as aerodynamically elegant as some of its predecessors, the striking AMG-Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II DTM touring car has cemented its place in Mercedes racing history.
By 1990, Mercedes had officially competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) for two years. Despite numerous race wins and Roland Asch’s second-place finish in the 1988 standings with his 190 E 2.3-16 Group A car, a championship title remained elusive.
The arrival of the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II DTM changed everything. Its 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine generated a potent 373 horsepower and reached a top speed of 185 mph. To meet homologation requirements, Mercedes built 500 road-going models before optimizing the racing versions.
The Evolution II model, a second-generation evolution after the first debuted the previous year, was specifically engineered for the DTM series. It retained the lightweight construction of its predecessor, stripping out interior trim and utilizing Kevlar for body components like the bonnet, boot lid, and spoiler.
Entering the series in 1990, the Evo II achieved its first major success in 1991 when Klaus Ludwig finished second, and Mercedes-Benz secured its inaugural DTM constructors’ title. In 1992, Ludwig clinched the championship, with Mercedes drivers Kurt Thiim and Bernd Schneider taking second and third place respectively. Mercedes again secured the constructors’ title. In its final season in 1993, Roland Asch drove the Evo II to a runner-up finish in Class 1, and Mercedes claimed its third DTM constructors’ title. In just three years, the 190E Evo II amassed an impressive 52 victories.
GT1 Dominance: Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997)
The aggressively styled Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR undeniably earns its place on any list of great Mercedes Race Cars, and not just for its striking aesthetics.
The inaugural FIA GT Championship for production-based sports cars launched in 1997, sparking intense competition among manufacturers. While competitors often adapted existing road cars, Mercedes-Benz took a radical approach, developing a state-of-the-art carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. It featured double wishbone suspension and pull-rod actuated coil-springs over dampers at both ends, a six-speed sequential gearbox, and an AMG-tuned version of Mercedes’ 6.0-liter quad-cam V12 engine. Even with mandatory intake restrictors, it produced a formidable 600 horsepower.
The carbon-fiber body panels bore only a faint resemblance to the CLK road car it was supposedly based on (of which only 25 were built for homologation). Only the grill and dashboard were interchangeable.
Mercedes reportedly built the first two cars in a mere 128 days. These still un-homologated machines debuted at the Hockenheimring for the FIA GT Championship’s opening round. Initial development challenges were evident as both CLKs retired and struggled to match the pace of the McLaren F1 GTRs in subsequent races. Mercedes strategically skipped the 24 Hours of Le Mans to focus on car development. This strategy paid off. Mercedes returned with renewed force, with Bernd Schneider and Klaus Ludwig securing a one-two victory at the Nürburgring. This was followed by half a dozen more wins, including Sebring and Laguna Seca. These victories were enough to secure Bernd Schneider the 1997 drivers’ title and AMG Mercedes the constructors’ championship.
Privateer Powerhouse: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (2010)
Launched in 2010 alongside its road-going counterpart, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is a GT3-class race car primarily campaigned by privateer teams. 49 examples were sold, showcasing its popularity and accessibility for customer racing.
It shared a 6.2-liter aluminum V8 engine with the road car. Air intake restrictors limited power to 500 horsepower and torque to 600Nm. Power was delivered to the track through a six-speed sequential gearbox, a carbon-fiber driveshaft, and a multi-disc locking differential. The wide, low, aerodynamically optimized body featured a front splitter, rear wing, and a long diffuser under the tail. Suspension utilized double wishbones, with anti-dive geometry at the front and anti-squat geometry at the rear. Ventilated carbon-ceramic disc brakes provided exceptional stopping power.
In initial tests, the SLS AMG GT3 impressed with a third-place finish at the Dubai 24 Hour. The initial run of 25 cars achieved an impressive 26 wins in its debut 2011 season.
The following year at the Dubai 24 Hour, the SLS AMG GT3 dominated, locking out the entire podium with a 1-2-3 victory. The model went on to achieve 32 more victories, with the Münnich Motorsport team ultimately clinching the FIA GT1 Championship team standings.
The Dawn of Modern F1 Dominance: Mercedes-Benz F1 W04 (2013)
Following Michael Schumacher’s retirement, McLaren’s rising star Lewis Hamilton made a significant move to Mercedes for the 2013 season. He joined veteran racer Nico Rosberg in the new F1 W04. After a challenging 2012 season, 2013 also saw a restructuring of the engineering team, bringing in Aldo Costa from Ferrari, Geoff Willis from HRT F1 Team, and Mike Elliott from Lotus F1. Toto Wolff also joined Mercedes as Vice President of Motorsport, leaving Williams.
With minimal changes to technical regulations that year, the F1 W04 was an evolution of the previous year’s F1 W03. It featured an aerodynamically refined front wing, eliminating the ‘stepped nose,’ and a repackaged rear end with a second-generation Coanda exhaust. The car retained its 2.4-liter V8 engine, molded carbon-fiber and honeycomb composite monocoque, pushrod front suspension, and pullrod rear suspension. The suspension design was optimized for tire management and performance.
Driven by Rosberg and Hamilton, the F1 W04 secured three race wins, nine podium finishes, and eight pole positions. Mercedes F1 finished second in the Constructors’ Championship. Considering the struggles of 2012, the 2013 season marked a significant step forward, foreshadowing future dominance.
Hybrid Era Begins: Mercedes-Benz F1 W05 Hybrid (2014)
2014 marked another year of seismic change in Formula 1 with the introduction of a new engine formula. The 2.4-liter V8 engines, used since 2006, were replaced by advanced 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 hybrid power units.
Teams were aware of this shift since mid-2011. Mercedes F1’s response was the groundbreaking W05 Hybrid, designed and developed under the leadership of Aldo Costa, Paddy Lowe, Geoff Willis, and Mike Elliott. Featuring an entirely new 1.6-liter V6 turbocharged engine, the PU106A Hybrid, Mercedes hailed it as the ‘first ground-up, all-new Silver Arrow since the double World Championship winning W 196 R in 1954’.
2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, in his second Mercedes season, and Nico Rosberg, in his fifth year with the team, piloted the W05 Hybrid. It made its debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix season opener.
This marked the beginning of an intense season-long battle between Hamilton and Rosberg. Their consistent success resulted in a record-breaking year for Mercedes. In a dramatic season finale in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton clinched the title, with Rosberg finishing second, 67 points behind. Mercedes secured the Constructors’ Championship with a massive 296-point lead over Red Bull-Renault. The W05 Hybrid achieved victory in 16 of the 19 races – 11 of those wins by Hamilton alone.
The Mercedes-Benz F1 W05 Hybrid, the most recent car on this list, rightfully earns its place alongside its illustrious predecessors. It ushered in an era of unparalleled Mercedes dominance in Formula 1, even though the subsequent W06 and W07 models of 2015 and 2016 proved to be even more dominant.
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.
