| Blitzen Benz | |
|---|---|
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| 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-speedmanual 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] |
TheBlitzen Benz is a race car built byBenz & Cie inMannheim,Germany, in 1909. In 1910 an enhanced model broke the world land speed record. It was one of six cars based on the Grand Prix car, but it had an enlarged engine, 21,504 cm3 (1,312.3 in3), capacity 185 mm × 200 mm (7.28 in × 7.87 in) with 200 hp (149.1 kW),inline-four and improvedaerodynamics.
Of the six Blitzen Benzes ever made, only two survive—Mercedes-Benz owns one, while the other belongs to an American collector.[3]
AtBrooklands on 9 November 1909,land speed racerVictor Hémery of France set a record with an average speed of 202.7 kilometres per hour (126.0 mph) over a kilometre.
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On 23 April 1911,Bob Burman recorded an average of 228.1 kilometres per hour (141.7 mph) over a full mile atDaytona Beach,[4] breakingGlenn Curtiss's unofficial absolute speed record, land, sea or air, set in 1907 on hisV-8 motorcycle.[5] Burman's record stood until 1919.[4]
AtBrooklands on 24 June 1914,land speed racer British driverLydston Hornsted, in Blitzen Benz No 3, set a record with an average speed of 200.7 kilometres per hour (124.7 mph) with 2 runs over a 1-mile course, under the new regulations of theAssociation International des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR).[6]
After 1914 the car was rebuilt for circuit racing, undergoing a number of revisions before it was broken up in 1923.[4]
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| Benz | Racing car engine |
|---|---|
| Working process | Four-stroke Otto |
| Cylinders | 4 / in-line |
| Displacement | 21,504 cm³ |
| Bore × stroke | 185 × 200 mm |
| Power | 200 hp at 1600 rpm |
| Torque | over 875 Nm |
| Compression ratio | 1:5.8 |
| Maximum speed | 1650 rpm |
| Valves | hanging, 2 per cylinder, side camshaft, drive via gears |
| Mixture preparation | 1 horizontal round slide carburetor |
| Fuel supply | Pneumatic hand pump, operated by the passenger |
| Lubrication | Initially splash lubrication, later pressure circulation lubrication via gear pump and fresh oil addition |
| Starter | Starting crank, starter buzzer ignition |
| Ignition | High-voltage magneto ignition, 2 Bosch D4 magnetos |
| Ignition adjustment | by hand using a lever on the steering wheel |
| Fuel tank | 73 l |
| 1886–1926 | |
|---|---|
| Racing | |
