What were they compairing it to? Other European sedans or everything?
I think to any other 4-door sedan, wherever it was made.
But Mercedes has been wrong before. Here is an example. This is the text from a Car Life (Nov., 1968) of a '69 Plymouth 'Cuda 340...
"National pride made the challenge mandatory. A European manufacturer has gone into the supercar business, with the huge engine from its limousine installed in an intermediate-sized sedan. When only Americans did this, the Europeans described it as vulgar. Now it is proclaimed as advanced engineering and the factory claims its new creation would put the hurt on America's finest.
Another magazine brought one of these SuperGermans to the track on the day Car Life was there with Plymouth's pocket Road Runner, the 'Cuda 340.
In the style of a Western shoot-em-up, we ambled over, and allowed as how the Barracuda isn't the fastest thing in Mopar's line-up and the 340 isn't the biggest engine available in the Barracuda, but would they care to step over to the starting line, just to find out if...?
They would. It was a tough fight, but the 'Cuda won, three out of three. It gained a few feet off the line, and stayed there until both cars were in high gear. Then the 'Cuda pulled away, and kept on pulling past the quarter-mile until both cars ran out of track.
Sportsmanship requires us to say here that the import was geared for cruising, not acceleration, and that it was loaded with air conditioning and all manner of luxury equipment. But it cost something like $10,000 more than the 'Cuda and that's the point. The 'Cuda 340 is a Ponycar in the Road Runner manner."
I have road tests of both cars. Here are the actual figures:
-------------------------- '69 Mercedes------------- '69 Plymouth
-------------------------- SEL 6.3------------------ 'Cuda 340
Engine-------------------- 386- F.I.----------------- 340-4 bbl
Rated horsepower--------- 300@4100 rpm------------ 275@5000 rpm
Rated torque-------------- 435@3000---------------- 340@3200
Compression ratio---------- 9.0:1-------------------- 10.5:1
Wheelbase/length---------- 112.2"/196.9"------------ 108"/192.8"
Width---------------------- 71.3"-------------------- 69.6"
Axle ratio------------------ 2.85:1------------------- 3.91:1
Transmission--------------- 4-speed auto------------ 4-speed manual
Weight-------------------- 4,010 lbs----------------- 3,470 lbs
0-30 mph------------------ 2.9 secs----------------- 2.8 secs
0-40 mph------------------ 3.8---------------------- 3.7
0-50 mph------------------ 5.2---------------------- 5.6
0-60 mph------------------ 6.9---------------------- 7.1
0-70 mph------------------ 9.1---------------------- 9.0
0-80 mph------------------ 12.0--------------------- 10.9
0-90 mph------------------ 15.1--------------------- 13.7
0-100 mph----------------- 18.4--------------------- 15.6
1/4 mile-------------------- 15.1 @ 90 mph----------- 14.93 @ 96.63 mph
40-60 mph----------------- 3.1----------------------- 3.4
50-70 mph----------------- 3.9----------------------- 3.4
30-70 mph----------------- 6.2----------------------- 6.2
60-100 mph---------------- 11.5---------------------- 8.5
Top speed----------------- 131 mph------------------- 119.6 mph
Fuel mileage (test cond.)--- 12.8 mpg------------------ 12.8 mpg
Notes: -The Mercedes had a very low 1st gear ratio (3.98:1)
-The (Mercedes) factory claim for the 1/4 mile was 14.25 seconds and a top speed of over 140 mph. Not quite!
It looks like Mercedes did not quite put the hurt on America's "finest!" That company also didn't mention 1969 cars like Mopars with the 440 and 426-Hemi engines (Charger, Coronet R/T, Road Runner, etc).
