Compared to a rival Monza, 300S or DB3S,
the Mercedes feels big from the driver's seat – a sensation underlined by the
view down the expansive bonnet with the wing peaks making it difficult to judge
the extremities. Its instruments are basic, with central rev counter marked to
11,00rpm flanked by smaller gauges for oil pressure and water temperature.
There are short rows of switches under the binnacle, including lamps, fuel pump
and choke, while two red warning lights signal low oil and indicators. And, as if
the SLR with its raucous exhaust bark needs one, there's horn button in the
middle of the broad wheel. Straddling the offset driveline must have been
familiar to Moss and Fangio after a season with the W196, but it's weird for me
and leaves little room for a passenger. Jenks, with his box roller notes, must
have been shoehorned in.
SLR
blasts up the ultra-fast Kesselchen, where Fangio would have been flat-out
It's cold today, so it takes a while for
the engine to raise the oil-temperature gauge, but it's switched off while O
clamber in. Starting any great machine gives you such a buzz, so I'm nervously
jubilant about firing it up again. You push the key to activate the pumps and
turn for the magneto, then it's time to thumb the starter. Even after listening
to the warm-up, the dramatic rousing of the SLR still produces major elation.
Tease the throttle and the response is fabulously progressive, the exhaust
snarl blasting out far over to the right sill.
The six-slot gear gate, with slender steel
lever, takes some acclimatization with its right-hand change. The back-to-front
pattern – with dogleg first inside and forward – feels awkward, yet it doesn't
take long to master the shift thanks to the strong spring bias for second and
third. To select first you have to press a button in the centre of the alloy
knob, and I'm warned that it's easy to slot it into fifth rather than third
when down-changing. Despite the long deliberate throw, the action is light and
slick yet it's the heavy clutch that takes the most concentration to avoid
slipping when moving off. Torque peaks at 5620rpm, so the response isn't as
instant as a D-type or a 300S, but let the revs stretch beyond 4000rpm and the
performance really starts to punch.
If you were to race one today, the developed
engines and suspension of its more numerous rivals would have the edge – so
perhaps it's best that SLR's revered standing is protected, with only
headline-grabbing demonstrations. Weighing less than 2000lb, it feels quicker
than the figures clocked by journalist Gordon Wilkins in the 300SLR Coupé –
0-60mph in 6.8 secs and 0-100mph in 13.6 secs – but the open version is lighter
and swifter. The power is turbine smooth, with the unburstable character that
you'd expect from this Teutonic masterpiece, and it certainly sounds quick with
that outrageous roar.
The
sensational straight-eight was canted over to lower the bonnet line – note the
huge plenum chamber
Having done about 20 laps of the
Nordschleife (plus endless sessions on a PlayStation), I am now respectfully
familiar with intimidating challenge, which gives me enough confidence to start
stretching the precious 300SLR. Its seemingly vice less character – even with
swing-axles at the back (fortunately the low-pivot type) – helps to wipe away
those initial nerves. The handling feels remarkably forgiving with a touch of
under steer into tighter corners, but that's easily neutralized when
accelerating out thanks to the impressive traction and linear delivery. You
never see past heroes in lurid drifts in period photos of the Mercedes, which
rewards with measured, line-perfect control. Its steering, too, is marvelous,
and even feels light at low speeds. The faster you go, the more that direct and
precise action communicates with you.
If you combine that relentless performance
and responsive character with a reasonable ride, then Moss and Jenks'
spectacular thrash from Brescia to Rome and back in 10 hrs 7 mins 48 secs
becomes all the more comprehensible. Even over the Nordschleife's worst bumps,
the relatively compliant torsion-bar spring and telescopic dampers protect the
driver. You feel every pulverizing concrete rib at the Karussell and the back
end skips about through the roughest bends, but, like the finest endurance
racers such as a GT40, the tough SLR always feels on your side. My limit is
6000rpm, which still gives around 130mph in top on the straights, and the 2km
run back to the start gives a safe opportunity to push this priceless machine.
The driver is well cosseted by the thick aeroscreen at high speeds, and the
Benz feels superbly planted with no hint of nose lift. Although the 300SLR
appears to be the fastest car from the '55 season going by the outright
results, it was out qualified at Le Mans by Eugenio Castellotti in a Ferrari
121LM.
Huge
intake for plenum
Like the clutch, the brakes require strong
muscle and don't provide much feedback at first. The huge drums were moved
outboard at the front in the last SLR built, so at least it saved the driver a
blackened face from the dust that filtered into the cabin with the inboard
set-up. Mercedes went to great lengths to keep the anchors cool – with massive
fins on the widest drums, and a dash-operated system that squirted lubricant on
to the mechanism if it was beginning to grab was tried for certain races. They
deliver more feel as you adjust to the heavy pedal, and even one rapid stop
doesn't induce a lock-up. The inherent limitations of drums prompted Rudolf
Uhlenhaut to develop the hydraulically activated air brake for Le Mans to
upstage Jaguar's advance but problematic discs. Moss recently told me that the
air brake had significant down force effects when approaching corners from high
speeds. Both D-types suffered problems at the Eifelrennen and went off at the
same corner after the pedal had gone to the floor under heavy braking.
