“Close-up” – the name of this series from the Mercedes-Benz Museum says it all. Each instalment tells a surprising, exciting or behind-the-scenes story, shining a spotlight on details of a vehicle, an exhibit or an architectural or design feature. In the spotlight this time: the “Blitzen-Benz” in Legend Room 7.
No. 13/2023: Benz 200 hp – The “Blitzen-Benz”

Arrow-shaped: Powerful and fast – that’s how the Benz 200 PS “Blitzen-Benz” in the Museum’s racing curve looks. The designers made the bodywork as aerodynamic as possible nearly 115 years ago without the benefit of a wind tunnel. Its basic shape resembles a cigar. The rounded radiator grille divides the airstream at the front, and it flows smoothly over the elongated rear end. The driver crouches low down in the cockpit. Slim is the seat for the riding mechanic, slim are the tyres on the wooden spoked wheels with aerodynamic cladding. Other features are also suitably streamlined.

Powerhouse: Four large-diameter exhaust pipes protrude from the bonnet. They suggest an ample power output. Exhaust silencer? No chance – the fast “Blitzen-Benz” is thunderously loud. Large gear wheels and strong chains transmit the power to the rear wheels. The engine is started using a crank handle at the front of the vehicle.

Progress: Pushing boundaries – that was the task of the Benz 200 hp “Blitzen-Benz” in 1909. It was the first combustion engine car in the world to break the magical 200 km/h barrier and set the world speed record for road vehicles. This and subsequent achievements made it world-famous. Only six examples of the “Blitzen-Benz” were built. Four still exist. The Mercedes-Benz Museum has one on display in Legend Room 7: Silver Arrows – Races and Records.

Success factor: At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, Benz & Cie. was the largest car manufacturer in the world. The vehicles from Mannheim enjoyed an excellent reputation. They were considered suitable for everyday use, reliable and affordable – requirements personally laid down by Carl Benz himself. He thought they did not necessarily have to be the fastest and most powerful. However, the competition, and not least Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, saw things differently. DMG skilfully exploited the racing success of its vehicles for advertising purposes. Benz was in danger of losing market share.

Major rethink: The company decided to make a U-turn. With a clear objective: the fastest car in the world was to come from Mannheim. Faster than any other means of transport at the time – including the railway and the aeroplane. Expressed in figures, this meant that the vehicle should be easily capable of exceeding 200 km/h; after all, record-breaking trains were already travelling at 210 km/h in 1903. And, in 1906, a steam car managed 205.44 km/h. The Blitzen-Benz was to first surpass these figures and then completely eclipse them.

Powerpack: Work on the new car commenced in early 1909. It was to be based on the engine of the Benz 150 hp Grand Prix racing car, but that was not enough for this ambitious project. The displacement of the four-cylinder engine was therefore increased to 21.5 litres. It ultimately delivered 147 kW (200 hp) at 1,600 rpm – the gigantic power unit weighed 407 kilograms. Following the company’s convention at the time, indicating the power rating in horsepower, the racing car was named the Benz 200 PS.

Setting records: The feverish effort was rewarded. 205.666 km/h over half a mile and 202.648 km/h over one kilometre, both with a flying start – these average speeds were achieved by works driver Victor Hémery on 8 November 1909 on the racetrack in Brooklands. The magic 200 km/h barrier was broken for the first time in Europe, and for the first time ever with an internal combustion engine. Brooklands had been opened in 1907 as the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, with banked curves.

All change: The Benz 200 PS used at Brooklands still had the bodywork of the 1908 Grand Prix car. But the car is already pushing the known boundaries. It soon became clear that the racetracks in Europe were not suitable for the speeds that the overpowered car with its new streamlined body was aiming for. The “Blitzen-Benz” needed very long straights to show its potential. So Benz & Cie. went to the USA.

Attraction: In 1910, the record-breaking car was shipped to America. Its owner Ernest “Ernie” Moross called it the “Lightning-Benz”. Translated into German, the name “Blitzen-Benz” established itself soon afterwards. On 16 March 1910, Barney Oldfield reached 211.97 km/h over the mile with a flying start on the dead straight Daytona Beach track. Afterwards, Oldfield used the Blitzen-Benz at show events and demonstrated it to thousands of spectators in America.

More to come: The Benz 200 PS could do even more. On 23 April 1911, also in Daytona Beach, Robert R. “Bob” Burman achieved 228.1 km/h over the flying mile with the further improved racing car. Another world record. It was twice as fast as an aeroplane back then and faster than any car or rail vehicle of the time. The “Blitzen-Benz” remained the fastest car in the world for another eight years. The record established by the famous vehicle from Mannheim was not broken until 1919.

On December 16, Mercedes-Benz became one of the first automakers to receive approval for the conditionally automated driving (Level 3)[1] highway road test license in Beijing. Mercedes-Benz will begin conditionally automated driving system testing on designated highways in Beijing while always adhering to its ‘safety first’ principle. The company actively cooperates with relevant authorities in developing its Level 3 systems for China and aims to provide Chinese customers with a safe and reliable automated driving experience.

Mercedes-Benz has consistently been a pioneer in automated driving. It started in 1986 with adaptive cruise control testing. Today, it is the only car manufacturer in the world with the world's first internationally valid system approval for conditionally automated driving and a SAE Level 4 driverless parking system in place. In China, Mercedes-Benz has been conducting proving ground tests of Level 3 systems for years.

"Mercedes-Benz as the leader in automated driving technology is dedicated to providing the best customer experience - worldwide. After bringing our DRIVE PILOT to Germany and the U.S., the testing license in Beijing is the next important milestone to get conditionally automated driving ready for Chinese roads. We will incorporate all our global expertise to support the local R&D team for a safe and reliable system design.”
Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG,
Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement
Mercedes-Benz Level 3 automated driving system: Redundancy for safety and reliability

The level 3 system DRIVE PILOT builds on the sensor technology of the Driving Assistance Package and includes additional sensors that Mercedes-Benz considers essential for safe conditionally automated driving. These include a LiDAR sensor, an advanced stereo camera in the front window, a multi-purpose camera in the rear window and microphones, especially for detecting blue lights and other special signals from emergency vehicles, as well as a moisture sensor in the front wheelhouse. In addition, the S-Class and EQS with DRIVE PILOT option has redundant steering and braking systems as well as a redundant on-board electrical system to remain manoeuvrable even if one of these systems fails and to ensure a safe handover to the driver.

The advantages for the customer are clear: during conditionally automated driving, the activated DRIVE PILOT allows the driver to take their mind off the traffic and focus on certain secondary activities, be it communicating with others via In-Car Office, browsing the web or relaxing while watching a movie. Mercedes‑Benz introduced DRIVE PILOT in Germany as an optional conditionally automated driving system in the S-Class and the all-electric EQS sedan in 2022. In the U.S., the production-ready version of DRIVE PILOT has already made its on-road debut in California and Nevada with a limited fleet of Level 3 equipped EQS Sedans. Customer deliveries of DRIVE PILOT equipped MY2024 EQS Sedan and S-Class models will be available in early 2024 through participating authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers in California and Nevada.

As far as system design is concerned, Mercedes-Benz is taking a step-by-step approach focused on safety. By the end of this decade, the manufacturer wants to expand the availability on the freeway to up to 130 km/h. In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz wants to offer intermediate steps. For Germany, the next move will be a system which can do 90 km/h when following a vehicle upfront on the German highway.
Tailoring the vehicles to the Chinese market through China R&D capabilities

In China, Mercedes-Benz integrates its global R&D experience with a local R&D team with strong capabilities, and through cooperating with local partners and adapting to local regulations to deliver tailored products for Chinese customers. For the development and approval of the conditionally automated driving system, engineers, lawyers, compliance managers, data protection experts and ethics experts worked together as an interdisciplinary team. To make the Level 3 automated driving system more adaptable to China's infrastructure and traffic conditions, the local R&D team has been deeply involved from the early stages of relevant global development. Since 2021, Mercedes-Benz has undertaken proving ground testing and validation in China to continuously enhance Level 3 system performance. The focus of local R&D efforts includes adapting the system to China's unique road signs, markings, construction zones, special lanes such as bus lanes and tidal lanes, and continually optimising logic, algorithms and parameters for scenarios like vehicle cutting-in.

Starting in 2005 with the first locally-produced E-Class model, Mercedes-Benz has continuously expanded its R&D capabilities in China to meet customer needs. Over the past 18 years, China's R&D network has developed into the most comprehensive R&D network outside of Germany. In recent years, Mercedes-Benz established new R&D centres in Beijing and Shanghai in 2021 and 2022 respectively while expanding its extensive collaboration with local partners. This includes over a decade of longstanding joint research with Tsinghua University in sustainable mobility.

Mercedes-Benz also continues to attract local talent and expand its local R&D team. By the end of 2023, its China R&D team is expected to grow to 2,000 people. Through collaborative innovation in cutting-edge technology, Mercedes-Benz consistently brings more exclusive products and services to Chinese customers while sharing inspirations to the global R&D network.

In the field of automated driving, Mercedes-Benz will continue to cooperate with local authorities in the future, bringing innovative technologies to Chinese customers and contributing to the development of the intelligent connected vehicles in China.

Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Milan – The bus companies Autostradale and Stie have received a total of 30 Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M/2 touring coaches of the latest generation as part of their campaign to revive tourism in northern Italy. Twenty-five of the Tourismo vehicles will go to Autostradale and five to Stie. These new high-deck touring coaches will be used in Gran Tourismo long-distance services. The two bus operators intend to improve connections between major cities, such as Milan, and the airports of northern Italy.

Matteo Ferrari, head of Retail Sales at Daimler Buses Italia, says, "This is one of the most significant orders of our bestseller, the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, at either a national or European level. We are delighted and proud to have been commissioned by Autostradale and Stie, two of the most important companies working in Italy in the Lombardy and national passenger transport sectors."

Optimised equipment and services

The equipment and paintwork are identical on all 30 of the new Tourismo M/2 vehicles. Each of the approximately 13-metre-long coaches has 61 seats in 16 rows, 59 of which are reserved for passengers and two for the driver and co-driver. Autostradale and Stie have also equipped the high-deck coaches with a wheelchair lift to enable passengers with reduced mobility to use the buses and so offer an efficient and comfortable means of transport to all passengers. All vehicles have numerous safety features, such as the emergency braking assistant Active Brake Assist 4 (ABA 4).

Both companies have concluded a six-year Omniplus full-service contract with the after-sales organisation of Daimler Buses Italia to keep the new Tourismo coaches in their long-distance bus fleets in optimal condition at all times.

Tourismo coaches ensure sustainable mobility

By investing in these new Mercedes-Benz touring coaches, Autostradale and Stie have opted for premium quality and cutting-edge technology to ensure sustainable and efficient mobility. “The decision to purchase 30 latest-generation coaches with optimum emissions, performance and comfort is concrete proof of just how important the airport transfer sector is to us. We are already leaders in this field and want to consolidate and expand our business”, says Pierluigi Zoncada, president of Autostradale.

For Zoncada, the primary importance of the 30 Tourismo coaches, newly integrated into the fleet and used to serve connecting lines and feeder routes to the airports of northern Italy, lies in meeting the high demands and quality awareness of national and international travel customers: “Our Gran Tourismo buses give customers – international customers in particular – their first impression of public transport in Italy when they arrive at the airport. We feel responsible for this and are proud that these high-quality coaches will boost the good reputation of our country at home and abroad.”

About Autostradale and Stie

Founded in 1924, Autostradale was one of the first passenger transport companies in Italy. Today, the company employs over 200 people through its organisation and subsidiaries and transports over three million passengers every year in various segments of the transport and travel sector. Autostradale focuses on connections between airports and city centres. The company also still operates the historic Gran Tourismo lines, which connect Milan and Lombardy with the most important holiday destinations on the Tuscan coast.

Stie currently has 198 employees. The company’s buses cover around four million kilometres a year in the provinces of Varese, Milan and Monza Brianza. This includes 488,000 kilometres of urban transport in Legnano. In total, Stie operates 46 regular services. One of these lines connects Milan Central Station with Malpensa Airport. Two other lines are Gran Tourismo connections running from and to the Ligurian and Romagnola Rivieras.

George Russell

Ahead of the weekend, we would have taken P4 in qualifying. Having said that, after the performance in FP3 where we were quickest every single lap, we only improved six tenths from that session to qualifying. Considering that track temperatures dropped and we had less fuel in the car, we didn’t extract as much as we should have. That was a little disappointing. I want to end the season on a high so ultimately my goal is to be on the podium and get the most out of the points for the team in the Constructors’ Championship so let’s see what tomorrow holds for us – we will aim for the best result possible. I’m excited for the final race of the season and although Lewis had a tricky session today, I am sure he will move forward tomorrow. 
Lewis Hamilton

It was a challenging session for me today, I’ve been struggling with the set-up of the car here in Abu Dhabi this weekend, although our cars are set up the same, so we need to understand what it is on my side of the garage that’s causing the lack of performance. George managed to get the most out of the car today finishing in P4. It takes some good going for me to not make it into Q3 so we need to do a deep dive and try our best to move up tomorrow. The team here and back in the factory deserves a good result for the final race of the season so we will work hard as always and hopefully it will pay off and we can find improvements ahead of tomorrow.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO

FP3 felt strong so we’re disappointed that we didn’t manage to put it together in Qualifying. Both Lewis and George struggled with grip and overall performance of the car. Our expectations obviously were higher but P4 was the maximum we could achieve today with George and I think we can be content with that; Lewis had a more difficult time, and was knocked out in Q2 by just a few milliseconds. We need to understand why we struggled in qualifying after such a promising FP3 and how we can maximize our performance tomorrow. It was a challenging session for all teams and the field is so close together, so we need to work hard overnight and give it our all tomorrow to end the season on a positive note and secure our position in the Constructor’s Championship. 
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

George had a really solid run over the three practice sessions and it felt like we might have done a bit better than fourth today but it was a decent lap, just seemed that in the cooler conditions we were lacking the strengths that we'd had on a hotter track. Lewis has had a difficult session, he sat out FP1 and only got three laps in due to the red flags in FP2 so was trying to fit low and high fuel work into the session this morning. That wasn't the best preparation for qualifying but hopefully it will help him tomorrow. We've done decent long run work this weekend, plenty of laps and hopefully we have a good handle on how the tyres are going to work. Hopefully we can have a strong race.

McLaren Racing and Mercedes-Benz today announced that the McLaren F1 team will continue to enjoy Mercedes-AMG power from 2026 to 2030, thereby becoming the brand’s first customer for the new 2026 power unit regulations alongside the works team.

McLaren has been powered by Mercedes-AMG since 2021, and in a previous era from 1995 to 2014 continuously. 2026 will therefore mark the 26th year of collaboration between the two prestigious brands, both of which have committed to and invested in the sport over many decades and are now cornerstones of the sport.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with McLaren Racing to at least the end of this decade. The long-term nature of this agreement reflects our shared trust and commitment to our future power unit strategy. Together, we look forward to building momentum towards 2026 and the beginning of another new era of an electrified innovative power unit design in Formula One.”
Markus Schaefer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer

Mercedes powered the first ever hybrid race win in F1 at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix with the KERS system and has led the way in innovation and performance since the introduction of the current power unit regulations in 2014. Mercedes-AMG has powered 114 victories in 203 Grands Prix, including two for customer teams. Throughout, strong customer teams have played a key role in development and learning, alongside the works team.

“It has been a cornerstone of our motorsport strategy to work with strong customer teams. This has many advantages: it gives a clear competitive benchmark, accelerates our technical learning, and strengthens the overall F1 business case for Mercedes-Benz. McLaren have been fierce and fair competitors since 2021, especially in the second half of this season. McLaren’s strong performances underline the importance of transparent and equal supply to all customer teams in the sport, if we wish to achieve the goal of ten teams capable of fighting for podium finishes.”
Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

For 2026, Formula One will welcome two new power unit manufacturers to the current four incumbents, as it tackles another paradigm shift in technical regulations. The new power units will enjoy 50% internal combustion and 50% electrical power. This has been achieved by increasing electrical performance and rebalancing the performance of the internal combustion engine, to deliver a maximum output of over 1000 horsepower.

The new power units will run on 100% sustainable fuel – which will conform to strict sustainability criteria in both its production and formulation – and overall fuel consumption will be reduced. The electrical systems on the power unit have been taken to the next performance level, and it will feature a single 350 kW electric motor – which is nearly three times more powerful than the current MGU-K, and will require the development of a suitable high-performance battery system.

Furthermore, development of the new generation of power units will take place under cost cap regulations, designed to limit maximum technical spend on the project and consolidate the investment case for power unit supply in the sport.

“The team at HPP enjoys a long and successful history with McLaren, and we’re delighted to confirm the extension of the relationship into the new regulation cycle. Securing this agreement now, with two full seasons until we race the 2026 power unit, gives us a great opportunity to optimise our combined efforts for lap time. We are looking forward to renewing our relationship and working together towards that goal.”
Hywel Thomas, Managing Director, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains

Looking ahead to 2026, development of the new power unit has been underway since mid-2022 at Mercedes‑AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, UK. This high-performance R&D centre has produced every Mercedes-AMG F1 powertrain but is also a cutting-edge development facility for the wider group when it comes to high-performance electric propulsion technology. Preparation for 2026 is a long-term game, in which clarity and continuity will be extremely important; and a healthy portfolio of the best possible customer teams will deliver faster learning when the cars hit the track in 2026.

“Mercedes-Benz have been a brilliant and reliable partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. The extension signifies the confidence that our shareholders and the wider team have in their powertrains and the direction we’re taking with them into the new era of regulations ahead. We have been successful together, both in the last three seasons and when they previously powered the team, so we look forward to the success to come as we continue our journey to fight consistently at the front of the grid.”
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

McLaren returned to Mercedes-AMG power in 2021. Since then, the team has won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, – which is the most recent victory for any customer team in Formula One. McLaren has scored 15 grands prix podium finishes in the past three seasons, as well as pole at the F1 Sprint in Brazil, and pole and victory in the F1 Sprint in Qatar this season.

“We are pleased to confirm a long-term renewal of our power unit deal with Mercedes-Benz into the new era of regulations. We have great confidence in Mercedes and our relationship with them. They’ve supported our journey back to the front of the grid so far, and the security and stability this partnership brings is vital in ensuring we remain on this upward trajectory. I would like to thank them for their collaboration so far and we look forward to the years to come.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team
About McLaren Racing

McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver Bruce McLaren 60 years ago in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966. McLaren has since won 20 Formula 1 world championships, 183 Formula 1 grands prix, the Indianapolis 500 three times, and the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt.

McLaren Racing competes across five racing series. The team competes in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and David Malukas, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers Jake Hughes and Sam Bird, and the Extreme E Championship with NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team drivers Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust. The team also competes in the F1 Esports Pro Championship as McLaren Shadow, having won the 2022 Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.

McLaren is a champion for sustainability in the sport and a signatory to the UN Sports for Climate Action Commitment. It is committed to achieving net zero by 2040 and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture in the motorsport industry.