Mercedes-Benz’s ex-design boss has revealed a secret ‘Red Pig’ revival concept
The Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.8 AMG ‘Rote Sau’ (Red Pig) is one of the marque’s best-known touring cars (pictured below) and this week the brand’s former design chief has shared his 21st-century reimagining of this famous racer for the first time.
Gorden Wagener, the former Mercedes-Benz design boss who just recently retired, revealed a previously unseen concept on Instagram a few days ago.
The car is a tribute to the “Red Pig,” a racing version of the 300 SEL developed by AMG, which raced in the early 1970s and became iconic for its color and unusual size.
The modern take on the Red Pig has a large chrome grille, bold circular LED lights, and brawny bodywork.
The 6.3-liter V8 was enlarged to huge 6.8 liters and it delivered a staggering (for its time) 428hp and 619Nm and as a result this sedan able to push the large 1,635kg Benz from 0-100kph in just 6.1sec.
In 1971’s Spa 24 Hours which is a 24 hours racing a Mercedes S-Class, the Benz was one of the last cars standing at the finish, coming in a hot second, three laps down on the winning Ford Capri.
Had it been more relaxed with its fuel and tyres, who knows if it could have actually won. Do you think Mercedes should make this and have another race at Spa to prove its point?
By the way, for Mercedes-AMG, last years 24 Hours of Spa was all about a special anniversary: the classic race at the Ardennes circuit resulted into the first major success that put the still young AMG brand onto the major motorsport stage almost overnight.
Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz won their class and finished second overall with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG, a sensation that still has its effect on the Mercedes-AMG spirit to the present. As homage to the legendary red saloon car that defeated the opposition with the considerably lighter race cars back in 1971, Mercedes-AMG has developed the limited edition “50 Years Legend of Spa”.
