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Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9

Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9
450SELI 0411.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Daimler-Benz
Production 1975–1981
Body and chassis
Class Full-size luxury car (F)
Platform Mercedes-Benz W116
Powertrain
Engine 6.834 L M100 V8
Transmission 3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,960 mm (116.5 in)
Length 5,060–5,335 mm (199.2–210.0 in)
Width 1,870 mm (73.6 in)
Height 1,430 mm (56.3 in)
Curb weight 1,985 kg (4,380 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3
Successor Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL (direct)
Mercedes-Benz S 600 (ideological)
Mercedes Benz S 63 AMG (spiritual)

The Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 is the high-performance top-of-the-line version of the W116 model S-Class luxury saloon. It was built by Daimler-Benz in Stuttgart, Germany and based on the long-wheelbase version of the W116 chassis introduced in 1972. The model was generally referred to in the company's literature as the "6.9", to separate it from the regular 450SEL. It featured the largest engine of any non-American production car post WWII.

The 6.9 was first shown to the motoring press at the Geneva Auto Show in 1974, and produced between 1975 and 1981 in extremely limited numbers. It was billed as the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz car line, and the successor to Mercedes-Benz's original high-performance sedan, the 300SEL 6.3. The 6.9 also has the distinction of being among the first vehicles ever produced with optional electronically controlled anti-lock brakes, first introduced by Mercedes-Benz and Bosch in 1978. The 6.9's successor — the top of range 560 SEL — continued the 6.9's self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension as an extra-cost option.

The 6.9 was the first Mercedes-Benz to be fitted with the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system introduced by Citroën in 1954, unlike the 600 and 6.3 which employed air suspensions. Using a combination of fluid-filled struts and nitrogen-filled pressure vessels or "accumulators" in lieu of conventional shock absorbers and springs, the system was pressurized by a hydraulic pump driven by the engine's timing chain. Compared to the new Mercedes-Benz system, Citroën's was belt-driven, exactly like a conventional power steering pump; failure of the Citroën system thus might result in loss of suspension. Conversely, every unit of the 6.9 was shipped with hard rubber emergency dampers that served as temporary springs and allowed the car to be driven in the event of a hydraulic failure. The special hydraulic fluid required by the system was stored in a tank inside the engine compartment. Not only was the system totally self-adjusting, ride height could be altered by a dash-mounted push-pull knob under the speedometer that raised the car an additional two inches (50 mm) for increased ground clearance.


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Wikipedia

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