Mercedes-Benz supercharged Grand Prix racing engine
| Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix racing engines | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Mercedes-Benz |
| Production | 1934–1939 |
| Layout | |
| Configuration | Straight-eight 60° V12/ 90° V8 |
| Displacement | 3.4 L (3,364 cc) 3.7 L (3,718 cc) 4.0 L (3,992 cc) 4.3 L (4,309 cc) 4.7 L (4,740 cc) 5.7 L (5,663 cc) 3.0 L (2,961 cc) 1.5 L (1,493 cc) |
| Cylinder bore | 78 mm (3.1 in) 82 mm (3.2 in) 86 mm (3.4 in) 94 mm (3.7 in) 67 mm (2.6 in) 64 mm (2.5 in) |
| Piston stroke | 88 mm (3.5 in) 94.5 mm (3.7 in) 102 mm (4.0 in) 70 mm (2.8 in) 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| Valvetrain | 32-valve to 48-valve, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder |
| Compression ratio | 7.3:1–7.5:1 |
| Combustion | |
| Supercharger | Roots-type supercharger |
| Fuel system | Carburetor |
| Oil system | Dry sump |
| Output | |
| Power output | 280–640 hp (209–477 kW) |
| Torque output | 253.5–715 lb⋅ft (344–969 N⋅m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Dry weight | 222 kg (489 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | |
Mercedes-Benz made a series of pre-war supercharged Grand Prix racing engines for their Silver Arrow race cars; between 1934 and 1939. They made two supercharged large capacity inline-8 engines only limited by the 750kg maximum weight rules: the M25 and M125.
For the limit of 3 liter supercharged that came in effect for 1938, one V12 was designed, with two generations; the M154 / M163.
Not to Grand Prix rules, but for Voiturette (F2) rules and closely related, was the one-off model made for the 1939 Tripoli Grand Prix, the 1500 cc supercharged V8 Mercedes-Benz W165 which also was run at Indianapolis in the 1940s. The design could have been raced in post war Grand Prix and even in Formula One up to 1951, but Mercedes decided against reviving the old model.
Some of the surviving W154 were entered in 1951 Formula Libre races in Argentina. At the 1952 German Grand Prix, one of the Mercedes 300 SL (W194) entered in the supporting sports car race had a supercharged version of the Mercedes-Benz M194 engine, the M197, which basically was the very last Mercedes-Benz supercharged Grand Prix racing engine.