Take the engine from one of these...
Chat show host and certified car nut Jay Leno is in the midst of transplanting the heart of the new Mercedes SLS AMG into a 1969 300 SEL 6.3 saloon.
The original 1968-1972 SEL 6.3 was no slouch - the big V8 from the Type 600 limousine brought 250bhp to the party.
That was enough to propel the big Merc to 60mph in 7.4secs on the way to a 136mph top speed.
Leno's version is likely to be a tad faster than that, however. As Chris-R found out when he drove the SLS AMG at Laguna Seca, with 563bhp and 641lb ft the 6208cc motor can whisk Merc's latest supercar to 62mph in 3.8secs.
...and put it into this to make a very fast car
And that's in a modern, safety-heavy 1620kg car. The SEL 300 should be a fair bit lighter. Presumably Leno will have the underpinnings fiddled with to cope with the extra poke, although the original car, with disc brakes and pneumatic suspension, was already quite a sophisticated beast.
Mercedes engineers are even reportedly helping Leno out with the intensive surgery. Oh, to be a super-wealthy world-famous car enthusiast...
 Nice horse |
 Subtle badging on the 60s original |
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