2011 Mercedes-Benz B55 Concept

 

Benz Concept B55. This idea comes from Rastatt plant manager, Peter Wesp. Comes with V8 engine and rear wheel. Spacious, innovative and safe. The compact models of the Mercedes A and B-Class score with their high practicality, and have found favour with more than 2.5 million customers as a result. An extraordinary one-off example has now been built at the Rastatt plant, and shows the B-Class in a completely new light.

A book of specifications was drawn up:

• The spatial concept of the B-Class was to remain unchanged.
• On the outside too, there were only to be minor indications of the conversion work.
• The interior was to be upgraded in line with the new vehicle class being aspired to.
• And the result of the conv

 

HR manager Martin Spicale promised financial support, which made the project a feasible proposition in the first place. And a "victim" (Würz) for the conversion was also soon found: a B 200 CDI which had anyway been delegated to the training workshop for learning purposes. While the trainees completely disassembled the car, Würz went in search of a suitable engine and found what he was looking for. And no mistake: the 5.5-litre V8 developing 285 kW (388 hp) and 530 newton metres of torque was transplanted into the B-Class together with a seven-speed automatic transmission and the engine control unit.



The latter proved to be quite a headache later on, as it had to be reprogrammed only to process signals from the driven rear axle.

Würz: "The V8 power unit fitted amazingly well, and we were even able to use the original engine mounts." There were serious problems with the steering, but here too, harmony was restored with a number of modifications. The exhaust system was a clever combination of various replacement part items, and took the form of a twin-pipe system emerging at the centre of the rear end. This is where the one-off, christened the B55 gets its typical, burbling sound - once the ignition key has been turned, all heads in the vicinity are guaranteed to swivel simultaneously in the direction of the B-Class.



Intensive perusal of parts catalogues also solved the second major transplantation problem, namely the drive axle at the rear. It emerged that the rear axle of an older W 210 series E-Class would be a very good geometrical fit. Plant manager Wesp gave the go-ahead to obtain one, and Würz and his colleagues designed a subframe, which extensive forming and welding work allowed to be integrated into the B-Class bodyshell to receive the new rear axle. Elegantly concealed within the sandwich floor, the propshaft of the E-Class also fitted into the B-Class with no further modifications.



For the brakes the team also struck gold in the replacement parts catalogue, this time in the C32 AMG listing. Perforated and internally ventilated disc brakes in size 345 x 34 mm were implanted at the front, with perforated and internally ventilated disc brakes in size 300 x 30 mm at the rear. The system was combined with striking 8.5 x 18 AMG sports wheels in a five-spoke design shod with 235/40 ZR 18 Y tyres at the front and 9 x 18 wheels with 255/35 ZR 18 Y tyres at the rear. The maximum steering angle at the front axle was limited to suit. The team had recourse to a typical item from the tuner's toolbox for the suspension, installing a coil-over suspension by K&W.



Where the interior was concerned, friends from the training workshop in Sindelfingen were able to help, providing Alcantara linings for the A, B and C-pillars as well as a roof liner in the same, luxurious material. The seats in a leather/Alcantara combination were provided by the specialists at Johnson Controls, who are located on-site in Rastatt. The finishing touches were added to the B55 in the paint shop of the Rastatt plant. In trendy white with dark-painted radiator louvres and smoked headlamp lenses, the B-Class cuts an imposing figure but only gives a discreet indication of the powerpack concealed beneath its bonnet.

ersion was to be in large measure suitable for day-to-day driving.