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Before the Mercedes SLS AMG came out and wowed us with its awesome gullwing design, a lot of people had little idea that the German automaker played with that design in the past and, while some saw the light of the production block, others weren’t as lucky. One such design, considered today as the ‘Forgotten Gullwing’, is the Mercedes C111, a car that was universally lauded back in the day for its revolutionary Wankel diesel engine. Despite the number of prototypes that were made, the C111 never became a production model and soon thereafter, it was lost in the yard of discarded concept models, never to be heard from again. That is until Arturo Alonso, the owner of GWA Tuning, decided to bring its spirit back. Feeling that a concept so iconic should be given its just due, Alonso and his team at GWA Tuning went out and took design elements from the C111 and incorporated modern changes into it to create a one-off machinery they appropriately called the “Ciento Once”. Details after the jump. Exterior and Interior The Ciento Once will come with a body made out of high-grade aluminum and an electrically operated rear adjustable wing. Other elements that will be added to this one-off vehicle include a swooping front hood, front spoiler with large air intake, a rear diffusor, and of course, those gull wing doors. Comparing it to the 1970 Mercedes-Benz C111 from which it was based on, the Ciento Once will come with a slightly shorter wheelbase at 103 inches while maintaining the same weight – around 1,400 kg – as its inspiration. The one-off car also runs on GWA Type A wheels, 19X9 front and 20X11 rears, with 265/35/19 and 295/30/20 rubber. As for the interior, GWA Tuning gave the Ciento Once a modern take while also taking into account a vintage retro feel. Modern items include carbon fiber seats covered in plaid, an instrument panel that’s been modeled after a W120R MB, modern dashboard accents, illuminated door sills, and brushed AMG aluminum pedals. Performance GWA Tuning certainly made sure to give the Ciento Once an engine worthy of its one-off status. Housed in a tubular space frame chassis, the car’s power plant is derived from a M120 Mercedes V12 engine that produces a robust 408 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed Cima H-type transaxle and a special tuned exhaust. Even better, the car’s powerful engine can be seen through a glass on the rear deck, making for some nice ‘ooohing’ and ‘aaahing’ from passersby. PricingNo word yet on how much it’s going to cost, but considering it’s most likely going to be a one-off vehicle, there’s a very big chance that it’s going to come with a steep price tag. How steep? Well, we wouldn’t be surprised if it punches a number north of six digits.  CompetitionScoff if you want, but if you’re in the market for a one-of-a-kind Mercedes with gullwing doors to rival your neighbor’s SLS AMG, then GWA Tuning’s Ciento Once is the perfect candidate for that. Just make sure you call ‘dibs’ on the car before everybody else. 17 comments: Mercedes Ciento Once by GWA Tuning I think Mercedes had plans for a Ferrari competitor since then... lately the shapes of sport cars got much more diversified and we have the current market as you know it.
 I hope this is a joke! It looks like Lotus HOOKED up with Ferrari and they put the Mercedes badge on it! Crappy looks!  Agree this is something new from mercedes benz, i guess they have the same wheelbase as the SLS AMG. but honestly, I like it more than the SLS.
 wow this is a whole lot different from the other Mercedes Benz design. well I guess they wanted to revamp their sports car. I love the rims and the rear end of this baby.
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Posted on
01.6.2011 @ 08:51