Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 review
Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 V8 Road Test
Test date 03 July 1969
Price as tested £7,743
For Performance, transmission, economy, handling, ride
Against Cost
Fast sports car characteristics are very rarely found in a big luxurious limousine. The Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3, with performance to match a Jensen or Jaguar E-type 2+2, precise steering and handling, and a spacious 5-seater body is therefore one of the world's most outstanding cars.
First impressions are a little misleading because it takes time to get used to the car and the performance is deceptive. At first it just seems a fast car. Only later does one realize how fast.
A newcomer to the 6.3 would be impressed enough at first with the smooth, continuous torque of the engine in top gear, which pushes the speedometer needle effortlessly round to the 120mph mark. But the real performance is felt when the kickdown is used to change to third at about 40mph. The resultant surge of acceleration comes in the "blue touchpaper" category. This enormous thrust, reminiscent of a jet aircraft on take-off, squirts the car like magic to the front of any traffic queue, and always leaves power in reserve for accelerating out of danger.
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