Thoroughly modern mercedes
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m e c h a t r o n i k m e r c e d e s - b e n z 2 8 0 S L & 2 8 0 SE
thoroughly
modern mercedes
Whatever your feelings about ‘improved’ classics, you’d be hard-pushed
not to enjoy Mechatronik’s brilliantly modified 1960s machines
Words Robert Coucher // Photography Ian McLaren
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m ech at ron i k m ercede s -be nz 280SL & 280 se
T
he sky is that the switchback road. Derivative machines last around the last kopie [rocky outcrop] in
high-intensity cobalt drone along and the occasional heavily loaded tight formation.
blue only ever seen truck groans up the steep incline. Then, You don’t have much time to clock that they
in Africa. The fierce from way down at the bottom of the valley are two classic Benzes of 1960s vintage as they
afternoon sunshine is we hear a very different sound. It is guttural flash past the lens at modern sports car speed.
cooled by a sharp and deep. The sound rises and falls, it The exuberant sound is unfettered. It assaults
breeze coming in off syncopates and seems to punch at our your ears and you feel the power through the
the Indian Ocean, eardrums. It’s alive and exciting. soles of your feet. Then they disappear, leaving
which lies a day’s canter to the east beyond the Then we see them: two flashes of speed in us alone with the chirruping crickets in the
mountains, valleys and gorges that make this the sun, like gamefish leaping at the end of a shimmering heat haze. This roadside glimpse
perfect vineyard country. long line. Then they are gone again under the of two fast Benzes in action is special, but the
Modern cars slip imperceptibly past us as canopy of green. But that lovely sound view from behind the wheel is even better…
we wait at the top of the famous Franschhoek continues to build, that hard-edged thunder of Mercedes-Benz has not always been the
Pass, cameras at the ready. The view is big engines exploring their upper reaches. most radical or daring of manufacturers, but
astonishing: from high on the escarpment we Photographer Ian McLaren switches his the marque has always aspired to the highest
look down the vertiginous mountain face over long-lensed Nikon to autodrive. By now the standards of engineering and finish. From the
the tourist enclave of Franschhoek village and two ice-blue motor cars are about three corners 1950s until the early-1990s, the average Benz
across the Cape Peninsula all the way to Table below us. The noise is a ferocious blend of really was a fantastic bit of machinery, but
Mountain in the distance. Having grown up in multiple cylinders, the amphitheatre of rock quality began to suffer as the company was
this part of the world, I am always moved by faces amplifying the dramatic symphony. forced to ‘build down’ to satisfy the bean
the magnificence of the Cape of Good Hope. The curious Baboons that had been watching counters, and the C-class cars assembled
From under the shade of some hardy pine us scamper off into the fynbos in alarm as in South Africa were the most frequently
trees we watch the sparse traffic ambling up the two Mercedes-Benzes charge around the criticised. But Benz is back, and the two
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m ech at ron i k m ercede s -be nz 280SL & 280 se
examples you see here are representative of larger 2778cc fuel-injected six was secreted famous for. Walking around them you stroke
the 1960s heyday it is beginning to recapture. under the bonnet, the 280SL offering even the steel flanks and they are unbelievably
Or are they? more grunt (along, it must be said, with softer solid. The paintwork looks like it is double
The two-door, W113 280SL ‘Pagoda’ is suspension and more weight at 1360kg). gloss and the chrome appears twice as thick as
ostensibly a 1969 model but it appears brand The £3850 Pagoda would now do 120mph and on any other motor car. Shut lines are
new. The W111 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is of a crack 60 miles per hour in nine seconds. millimetre-perfect and the heavily wrought
similar age but it looks like it is just out of the Good, original Pagodas are now very doors close with the most satisfying thunk.
box. Immaculate looks aside, both cars sit desirable and collectable as they were so well Watch your digits – they’ll be sliced clean off
every so squarely and flat on their Mexican built, are practical, with great M-B spares back- if misplaced!
Hat alloy wheels shod with purposeful, up, and are fun to drive. The drop-dead looks The leather trim is clearly new but it looks
more modern 205/65 tyres. Hmm. These are also help. Interestingly, the larger four-seater totally correct, as do the carpets and the
properly set-up motors. W111 Cabriolet eclipses the SL in value because gleaming woodwork. And each has a clever
The Pagoda was initially launched in 1963 as just 1232 were ever constructed in 3.5-litre Becker radio that appears period but is in fact a
a 1295kg, 230SL (Sports Leicht) with a sweet spec, against some 23,800 280SLs. new, state-of-the-art sat-nav system. Ah, then
2306cc straight-six engine. It was pretty and First seen in 1961 as the 220SEb, the W111’s you notice the automatic gearshift gates are
appealed to the well-heeled female audience it final and most desirable incarnation was slightly more modern. And on the rear of each
was aimed at, mostly in America. Its reputation released in 1969, priced at a strong £5158. The car is a neat little badge: an ‘M’ with stylised
as a tough sports car was earned when Eugen 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet weighed a hefty 1570kg Gullwing doors sitting above the word
Böhringer entered a (slightly overbored) 230SL but had the lovely 3499cc V8 to propel it along ‘Mechatronik’. Bingo.
on the extremely tough 1963 Spa-Sophia-Liège to a claimed 127mph, with a 0-60mph time of These beauties are not what they seem.
Rally and won outright. Not just a Rodeo nine seconds. Not too shabby. Each one looks almost entirely original, with
Drive boulevardier, then. Both the Benzes before us today exude the only the tyres and purposeful stance indicating
The 230SL became the 250SL and in 1967 the sort of quality that German engineers are otherwise. Open the bonnets and the source
Mechatronik Mercedes-Benz 280SL
ENGINE 4266cc V8, all-alloy SOHC, three valves per cylinder, fuel-injection
POWER 279bhp @ 5750 TORQUE 295lb/ft @ 3000rpm
TRANSMISSION NAG five-speed automatic STEERING Recirculating ball, power-assisted
SUSPENSION Front: independent double wishbones, coil springs anti-roll bar. Rear: single
joint swing axle, radius arms, compensating spring, coil springs, telescopic dampers
BRAKES Discs all round, ABS WEIGHT 1360kg (approx)
PERFORMANCE 0-60mph 6sec. Top speed 145mph
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m ech at ron i k m ercede s -be nz 280SL & 280 se
‘These beauties are not
what they seem. Open the
bonnets and the source of
the Flight of the Valkyries
soundtrack is revealed…’
The nimble 280SL was no slouch in period, but
with re-engineered suspension and a modern,
lightweight 4.3-litre V8 engine, it fairly screams
up the Franschhoek Pass. The 280SE retains a
degree of civility, but is also alarmingly quick.
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m ech at ron i k m ercede s -be nz 280SL & 280 se
Above and below of the Flight of the Valkyries soundtrack is extra special. These are classic Benzes that collection of concours classics (including
Specially designed ‘Stratos’ badge revealed. In place of the normally perfunctory are subtly re-engineered in line with concours Benzes), but they both enjoy driving
cleverly emulates the Lancia shield;
mid-mounted Ferrari V8 sits on view straight-six lumps, each engine bay houses a the demands of modern-day motoring. and wanted suitable classics to meet the
beneath the glazed engine cover. modern Benz V8. In the case of the Pagoda, Mechatronik strips the cars down to the last rigours of everyday use. When asked why
it has a 4.3-litre M113 series V8 fitted, nut and bolt and then completely rebuilds they didn’t just buy new Mercs, they both
whacking out 279bhp, while the bigger them to its customers’ requirements, which agree that they prefer the look and feel of
Cabrio has a 5.0-litre M113 Series V8 stonking can include modern M-B engines, gearboxes, hand-built classics and, although expensive,
out 300bhp. brakes, uprated suspension and creature these Mechatronik Benzes will hold their
Performance? The Mechatronik Pagoda comforts like air-conditioning, heated seats, values and not depreciate like stones. Savvy.
will storm to 60mph in 6.5 seconds and is sound systems and so on. Each Mechatronik Both owners insist I have a go at the
electronically limited to 145mph. The Cabrio M-car meets the tough German TUV Franschhoek Pass, so let’s start with the
will do the sprint in about 7.5 seconds with engineering standards. Pagoda. The interior is jewel-like and the big
the same electronically limited top speed. At this point it is worth touching on the stuffed chair well sprung. The car starts with
Impressive, considering both cars look like philosophy of these sorts of ‘improved’ a muted V8 rumble, the 4.3-litre lightweight
concours-worthy originals. classic cars. Some might argue that a alloy engine is quiet and low-key at town
Mechatronik is based in a high-tech perfectly original example is preferable, speeds. The NAG five-speed auto ’box snicks
workshop in Pleidelsheim, just outside and Mechatronik will certainly build you into gear and the SL moves of with alacrity.
Stuttgart. Set up in 1997, the company has a 100-point concours winner. But some Driving through the village it is tight and
50 experts who offer full restoration services individuals, such as the owners of these instantly responsive. The 65-series tyres, allied
on all Mercedes-Benz motor cars. But it is M-cars, want something different. Each of to the proper seat, impart a very comfortable
the M-SL and M-Cabriolet here that are the fellows in question has an enviable and jitter-free ride, unlike modern sports cars.
Mechatronik 280SE Cabriolet 3.5
ENGINE 4966cc, V8, all-alloy SOHC, three valves per cylinder, fuel-injection
POWER 306bhp @ 5600rpm TORQUE 340lb/ft @ 2700rpm
TRANSMISSION NAG five-speed automatic STEERING Recirculating ball, power-
assisted SUSPENSION Front: Independent double wishbone, telescopic dampers,
anti-roll bar Rear: single joint swing axle, compensator spring, radius arms, telescopic
dampers BRAKES discs all round, ABS WEIGHT 1570kg (approx) PERFORMANCE
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m ech at ron i k m ercede s -be nz 280SL & 280 se
I have driven a number of SLs and the
original straight-six is lusty and torquey and ‘The SE monsters with aplomb. It is seriously incongruous that a
full-sized cabriolet should handle and react
responds like the quality ’60s engine that it is.
But on the first application of serious throttle the mountain like this. You can cruise quietly four-up, or nail
the throttle to summon 300bhp of grunt and
in this M-SL, I am taken aback by the engine’s
willingness to rev. It spins up so quickly I think in the most blast past most traffic… uphill!
What phenomenal motor cars. What
there is a gearbox-slipping problem. No, it’s
just that the modern V8 is so reactive it catches aggressive manner’ exquisite Mercedes-Benzes. What a way to
enliven daily driving. What a blast!
me by surprise. After an afternoon of exciting motoring on
Up the steep pass, any gear will do thanks to one of the best roads in Africa we sit in quiet
the seamless torque. The ride remains pliant repose and admire the cooling Benzes over a
and the cleverly reworked suspension, with glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the Huguenot
its Eibach springs and KW dampers, is well up incredibly impressive and this is a properly quarter. Both cars are absolutely the best
to the job. The brakes are modern ABS so you fast car. And, as you’d expect, the SL features a examples of the marque, restored to the highest
have the luxury of storming the straights at full wind deflector behind the rear seats to keep possible standard, and re-engineered by one
chat before standing on the anchors and letting my hair in place. How civilised. All I now need of the leading Benz specialists.
the car lean on the outside tyres before is a defibrillator. They are automotive works of art, but,
powering through as the auto ’box sorts out The bigger Cabrio is next and I expect it to before any further poncification sets in, I
the best ratio in an instant. feel a bit lumpen after the sharp SL. But it has rewind to the sensation of raw power as I
It takes a few miles for your brain to calibrate the bigger 5-litre V8, with a chunk more torque, seared up the mountain pass at indecent
the sort of modern sports car speed being combined with shorter gearing, so it monsters speed and laugh out loud. These cars are equal
spooled out by what feels like an über-sorted the mountain in the most aggressive manner. parts beauty and beast, but my lasting
’60s classic. But the car’s dynamics are more If anything, it has more feelsome power impression will be of their fabulously
than capable and soon you are exploring your steering that the Pagoda, which in comparison monstrous performance. End
personal envelope of bravery. seems just a tad light and imprecise. Maybe
Thanks to the Mercedes-Benz owners; Mechatronik,
The soundtrack is big and melodious but that’s because I was going much faster in the
(www.mechatronik.de); Johan Arndt, our riding mechanic;
not outright loud, as that would not suit a lighter Pagoda, but I don’t think so. The Cabrio and Franschhoek Council for the superb roads.
Benz of this quality. But the road speed is is certainly heavier but it handles its weight
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