As Gert expertly handles the wheel, it’s immediately clear that understeer is non-existent in this machine. The responsive 3.0-liter engine allows for a playfully relaxed low-speed oversteer, a testament to its finely tuned engineering. However, Gert cautions against sudden high-speed oversteer, emphasizing the importance of controlled power in a Benz Race Car of this caliber. The 16-inch drum brakes are remarkably effective for a vehicle of this age, enhanced by a mechanical servo system that ensures they are never taxing to operate. Navigating the twists and turns of the Mercedes track, the lateral forces are surprisingly intense, far exceeding initial expectations. Every aspect of this drive reveals a meticulously developed race car, a stark contrast to many of its contemporaries which often prioritized short bursts of speed over enduring performance. This is not a machine built for a single qualifying lap; it is an indomitable racing marvel, a true benz race car.
Immersed in the experience, observing Gert’s ease and confidence with each gear change, memories of Denis’s words about the “Golden Boy” resurface. Denis, recalling Stirling Moss, would express endless fascination watching him at work. During the legendary Mille Miglia, as car 722 approached village entrances at seemingly excessive speeds, Denis, with an air of composed observation, would witness Moss masterfully navigate each situation. His internal monologue, as Denis recounted, was often, “This is going to be interesting. Now I am going to watch the master at work!” Such was his unwavering faith in Moss’s abilities that fear was absent. Moss, in turn, often confided his complete reliance on Denis’s pace notes. If Denis signaled, even amidst the engine’s roar, that an upcoming corner was “flat in third,” Moss executed it without hesitation. When moments allowed, Denis transitioned into the role of an “avid observer.” He once recounted an experience traveling at approximately 190 mph, gradually overtaking an airplane filming them from above. Describing the moment to his family, Denis remarked, “That is when I realized that I was traveling in another, surreal dimension,” a dimension only a true benz race car can unlock.
