Test drive BMW M1 and Mercedes-Benz C 111: Duel of giants

Two German dreams from an era of take-off and optimism

Today, we can make up for the missed opportunity with historical measurements and compare the M1 and C111. German supercars from the 70s are fighting for the crown of engineering masterpieces.

It was a breathtaking exhibition from a wonderful new world, a symbol of the almost limitless possibilities of technology. The still simple designation C 111 electrified not only Mercedes lovers. Such was the spirit of the times, this momentous boundary between two decades and two symbolic years, 1969 and 1970, which seemed to illuminate everything with their promising brilliance. Faith in the future was at its zenith, the construction of the Biblis nuclear power plant began, the passenger Concorde flew from Paris to New York twice as fast as sound, Apollo 11 landed with people on the moon, and Munch-4-TTS with a power of 88 hp it was just the coolest bike ever. At the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Mercedes C 111 was introduced, whose 1800 cc Wankel engine had three rotors and reached 280 hp. at 7000 rpm definitely broke down with a harmless NSU Ro 80 ejection.

The ultra-modern supercar with a plastic body and a center-mounted engine has been hailed as the successor to the 300 SL. But as if that weren't enough, six months later, in the spring of 1970, enthusiasm reached a new peak. The C 0,32-II, even more racially styled by designer Bruno Saco and aerodynamically optimized with a Cx = 111, raised the bar even higher. Even its unheard-of fiery orange color will become a symbol of the next decade. This time the engine had four rotors because, due to its design, the Wankel engine temptingly added more modules.

Thus, the volume of the chambers increased to 2400 cm3, the power - to a crazy 350 hp. at 7200 rpm, and thrust up to a damn 400 Nm at 5500 rpm. These are exactly the same values ​​as the 12-cylinder Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 produced at the same time called Daytona, but thanks to better aerodynamics, the C 111 eventually reached the “sound barrier” of 300 km / h. But the beautiful dream of a winged the super-Mercedes, which will blow up all the cars in the world, was smashed in an effort to maintain the brand's impeccable reputation with the star. The inhabitants of Stuttgart did not have the courage to offer buyers imperfect cars, such as racial, emotional and purebred sports models. The C 111-II consumed an average of 25 liters per 100 km, which was 600 without much effort, the engine life was limited to 80 km, which then belonged to the usual 000 SE with its faulty segments. Even aging and safety when colliding with fiberglass was a major concern. While Lotus, Alpine-Renault and Corvette knew no other material.

The C 111 hit the road, but with a V8.

C 111-II remained an unfulfilled love, an incurable wound, a melodrama without a happy ending. Only today, 45 years later, it seems like the trauma of losing a car dream has been overcome. The car that has brought happiness to generations is back on the road. But instead of a powerful turbine-like four-rotor unit, it is powered by a production V8 engine with a modest 205 hp.

However, those who at that time fell in love with the C 111, and this was not at all difficult for all its charms, were consoled only by another uncompromising driving machine, which appeared only after eight sad years. Since 1978, it has been available for 100 marks. BMW M000. This car was real and could be bought, but at the same time it had a lot in common with the utopian C 1-II, which could not go unnoticed: a sports model with a centrally located powerful engine, breathtakingly shaped plastic body, wide low body with aerodynamic optimized shape and Cx = 111, made mostly by hand. After the icons 0,34 and 328 in the 507s, the people of BMW were in desperate need of an image model with strong motorsport ambitions, a road network certified racing car. The first standalone M project, the BMW 70 CSL, looked too normal, not enough to stand out as the flagship that lit up the entire model range. But in the 3.0 Group 2 racing version, she already owned the future M1974 engine, 1-liter overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder and 3,5 hp. at 440 rpm, the CSL became the engine donor, and the Turbo atelier from 8500 already had a whole block diagram with a central engine, chassis and bodywork. This development was a response to the Wankel supercar. Paul Braque, former chief stylist at Daimler-Benz, designed the prototype, internally named the E1972, as he had before the Bruno Sako C 25, with the typical "dream car" look of the time, the inevitable liftgates, slender headlights and tall, truncated rear end.

But before the BMW M1 debuted at the 1978 Paris Motor Show, there were a few more hurdles to overcome. Giugiaro gave the Braque's rounded body a much more embossed contour that would have been broadly reflected in 80s fashion. Lamborghini was entrusted with the production of a thoroughbred sportsman with a plastic body, but the collaboration with the Italians turned out to be a failure.

Working group M1

After all, the M1 was produced, like Airbus aircraft, by a broad workforce. BMW supplied the engine and chassis, ZF transmission, with the same five-speed sports gearbox used in the C 111-II. The tubular lattice frame was welded by Marchesi in Modena, another Italian company called TIR, who laminated the fiberglass body. Italdesign delivered the finished bodies to Stuttgart, where Baur installed all the interior equipment, transmission and axles. And here we can find parallels with the C 111, whose fiberglass hull was made by Waggonfabrik Rastatt. However, they retained the expensive grille found in the 300 SL and M1 - the C 111 was based on a strong 2,5 mm extruded bottom frame with two rollover steel arches.

Today we really want to make up for the missed chance of a duel between two exclusive cars, albeit in less extreme conditions. Now the high-powered inline-six will struggle with the trite overhead camshaft V8 as the gear ratio is 205 to 277 hp. in favor of M1. Only the working volume of 3,5 liters is the same. At the time, in 1978, the duel between the C 111-II and the BMW M1 was a matter of prestige for the eternal rivals Mercedes and BMW. This is the crown of German engineering! Two engine concepts battle it out in two uncompromising sports cars. A revolutionary, technically simple Wankel engine that does not require valves and valve timing, compared to the most advanced piston engine, the main advantage of which is a complex head with four valves per cylinder.

At the first real meeting C 111-II causes awe. This alien car from the land of Utopia still seems like a dream come true. Its orange color exudes a dramatic, body-lined look that a plain white M1 can't quite match. The wing-shaped door rises as if in a funny frame, and the author, who has been addicted to C111 from a young age, climbs into the cockpit as if in a trance. He glides, not very elegantly, over the wide sill under which the left tank is located, and sits down on the peppery seat, which greets him with a strong hug. The steering wheel looks reassuringly familiar, a few switches and a side-turning Becker Grand Prix radio with a banal pine pin trim panel familiar from the W 114/115. Once launched, the small 3,5-liter V8 also sounds familiar - at home, the same engine drives the SLC, but with an automatic rather than a slightly complicated but just working five-speed manual transmission.

Staccato instead of cheese

And with manual shifting, the eight-cylinder is far from seething with rage. It whistles enough at times to add importance, but at the high revs that nudge you towards the five-speed sports transmission, it sounds pretty typical of a V8 staccato. At 5000 rpm, the four-rotor Wankel engine will likely sound like the voice of the underworld, a raucous, bewitching siren song that jumps to much higher levels. The deep seat in the C 111 has a surreal effect: with the five-point seat belt, you feel almost motionless. No trace of luxury despite the power steering and air conditioning; everything is designed in a Spartan style, the character of the prototype can be traced everywhere.

Despite the soft transmission, driving feels like an adventure because the bold sporty atmosphere makes you think of a rhythm that is out of sync with the real thing. The power is decent, but it doesn't live up to the promises of enticing shapes. However, this does not reduce the euphoria of the C 111. Here you indulge mainly in visual perception, but otherwise the car is a real charm. A brilliant chassis with two transverse wheel bearings, endowed on the rear axle with the first version of the spatial multi-link suspension, seems to have inexhaustible reserves in the border mode. In addition, it provides pleasant travel comfort. From the outside, the C 111 is still as charmingly beautiful as it was in May 1970. When you drive, you experience the soothing feeling of the R 107 - confidence, security, but without strong passions.

In the BMW M1, everything is in perfect harmony, except for the articulations and poorly improvised cheap-looking dashboard. Despite all the dynamics of the road, the car retains the promised impressive shape. It is a highly efficient, superior driving machine that excites all the senses. Equipped with a magnificent six-cylinder engine, it reaches the stars of Italian V12 models, and this is by no means an exaggeration. The non-power steering system guarantees direct and immediate contact with the road. Bold and powerful driving was not enough to cause the sudden oversteer of the chassis – entirely in the tradition of the classic racing school and strikingly reminiscent of the C 111 axles – typical of the mid-engined models. M1 is noticeably harder than C 111; Comfort has always been a priority for Mercedes, even in a supercar. It’s a pity that nothing is visible under the narrow hood of a six-cylinder unit with double overhead camshafts, characteristic exhaust manifolds, individual throttle valves and a rather shy handwritten “Motorsport” lettering.

The more vividly you participate in the vital manifestations of the engine - a great pleasure, this time the amazingly easy shifting of a precise five-speed gearbox. Above 5000 RPM there is a dramatic jump in tractive effort - nothing beats a naturally aspirated engine with a deliciously linear speed to the highest pitches that is so well balanced and ignores first and second order inertial forces. Here, even the four-rotor Wankel engine will have to be strained. The duel between M1 and C 111 shows impressively that sometimes reality can be more beautiful than teddy bears.

Conclusion

Editor Alf Kremers: Car idol of my youth - C 111. I owned all miniature models - from Märklin to Wiking. Even with the V8 engine, I find it completely exciting. The fact that it was not mass-produced upsets me. The M1 is real, with one leap it settled in the niche of the German supercar and even without the V12 saved the pride of the nation.

Text: Alf Kremers

Photo: Arturo Rivas

technical details

BMW M1, E26 (male 1979)	Mercedes-Benz C 111-II (produced 1970)
Working volume	3453 cc	3499 cc
Power	277 hp (204 kW) @ 6500 rpm	205 hp (151 kW) @ 5600 rpm
Maximum torque	330 Nm at 5000 rpm	275 Nm at 4500 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	6,5 with	7,5 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	no data	no data
full speed	250 km / h	220 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	17 l / 100 km	15 l / 100 km
Base Price	no data	no data