Blitzen Benz
Blitzen Benz | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Benz & Cie |
Production | 1909 |
Assembly | Mannheim, Germany |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Racecar |
Body style | Roadster |
Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive Dual-chain drive[1] |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 21,504 cm3 (1,312.3 in3) I4[1] |
Transmission | 4-Speed Manual Gate-type shift[1] |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,800 mm (110.2 in)[2] |
Length | 4,820 mm (189.8 in)[2] |
Width | 1,600 mm (63.0 in)[2] |
Height | 1,280 mm (50.4 in)[2] |
Curb weight | 1,450 kg (3,196.7 lb)[2] |
In 1909, the Blitzen Benz was a race car built by Benz & Cie in Mannheim, Germany, that broke the world land speed record in 1910. It was one of six cars built to improve its aerodynamics, with a 21,504 cm3 (1,312.3 in3), 200 hp (149.1 kW) inline four engine enlarged from the company's Grand Prix racer.
Of the six Blitzen-Benz ever made, two survive—Mercedes-Benz owns one, while the other belongs to a U.S. collector.[3]
At Brooklands on 9 November 1909, land speed racer Victor Hémery of France set a record with an average speed of 202.7 kilometres per hour (126.0 mph) over a kilometer. On 23 April 1911, Bob Burman recorded an average of 228.1 kilometres per hour (141.7 mph) over a full mile at Daytona Beach,[4] breaking Glenn Curtiss's unofficial absolute speed record, land, sea or air, set in 1907 on his V-8 motorcycle.[5] Burman's record stood until 1919.[4]
After 1914 the car was rebuilt for circuit racing, undergoing a number of revisions before it was broken up in 1923. Several other examples of the 200 hp have survived.[4]
References
- ^ a b c "1910 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz Specifications". conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ a b c d e "1909 Benz 200HP Blitzen-Benz Specs". carsession.com. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ "The Blitzen-Benz". AutoSpeed. No. 360. December 6, 2005.
- ^ a b c "The fastest car in the world: the 228.1-km/h "Blitzen-Benz"". Daimler AG. 17 March 2011.
- ^ Paul Garson (September 15, 2010). "Top 10 Weirdest Custom Motorcycles; Dimensionally challenged motorcycle mavericks". Motorcycle.com.