justinfox955's video: Mercedes C111 II 1 18 by Best of Show

A 1/18 scale model of the rather special 1970 Mercedes C111/II by Best of Show in it's original orange/gold and black colour scheme. The Mercedes C111 project was intended to be experimental with the first two generations being only a year apart. The original C111 featured a 280bhp 2.4L Wankel rotary engine (a triple-rotor unit) with direct fuel injection. The second generation, the C111/II featured an updated version of the Wankel rotary engine with a quad-rotor unit that produced 350bhp. The high power-to-weight ratio of a rotary engine coupled with a super sleek body resulted in a 0-60mph time of 4.8 seconds and an estimated top speed of 186mph in 1970. This would have made it the fastest production car at the time if it had been produced in greater numbers as only 16 examples rolled off the production line. A third generation of the C111 underwent a number of changes, the most notable being a switch to a diesel straight-five cylinder engine producing 228bhp. Changes were made to the bodywork to make the car even sleeker than before with a drag-coefficient of 0.191. This led to the car breaking 9 speed records for diesel powered vehicles including a top speed of 200mph and an average of 14.7mpg at 195mph over a 12 hour cruise. The story does not end there as Mercedes later fitted the C111/III with a 500bhp twin turbo V8 which went on to break the average lap speed record at the Nardo Ring with an average speed of approximately 251mph, significantly faster than any other car at that time. As for the model itself, it is a limited edition with only 1000 examples produced. This one is number 636 and it is very nicely made with great attention to detail and a nice paint job which makes it look fantastic. However, it is a sealed body shell with only four moving parts - the wheels, which roll but do not turn. This is a slight disappointment if you (like me) wanted a closer look at the Wankel engine under the rear bonnet and the cockpit but on the plus side, there is less to go wrong. In fact there are only two negative aspects to this model in my opinion, the first of which is the lack of access to the interior parts, an inherent weakness of sealed body shell models. This, however, is not a problem if you intend to place the car on display in a cabinet. The second negative is the fact that the Mercedes badges are cheap stickers which, for a price of £189, is a bit of a let down. All in all, it is a fantastic looking model that will fit well in any car collection. It is also very special as it is the first and only car in my collection with a Wankel engine along with the car's amazing legacy. I would definitely recommend this model if you are a serious collector. Thanks for watching and happy new year/decade.