388 hp Mercedes B Class V8

Mercedes has always been good at fun, and only this company would let a bunch of trainees to throw a V8 in small hatchback, for fun!

The idea came from the Rastatt plant manager, Peter Wesp. He gave some of his staff the task of creating a very special vehicle on the basis of the B-Class – leaving it to their creativity to decide what and how. Andreas Würz, a foreman in the technical vocational training department, immediately took up the challenge.

So a team of twelve second-year and third-year trainees specialising in production mechanics and automotive mechatronics got busy to make the B55.

The changes are just bewildering! The 5.5-litre V8 developing 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. 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. They’ve also added 18-inc AMG wheels and coil-over suspension by K&W.

It was a hard task, but the result is a spectacular car. It’s a pity though, they will never put it into production!