This Luxury Coupe Became a World Rally Champion (opens in new tab)

The 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC 5\.0 has officially arrived at the Petersen Automotive Museum\. Originally developed as the coupe counterpart to the legendary R107 SL, the SLC evolved into an unlikely rally weapon\. Built as a homologation special for FIA competition, the 450 SLC 5\.0 featured lightweight aluminum body panels and a more powerful 5\.0-liter V-8 engineered for endurance rally racing\. Mercedes-Benz’s gamble paid off: the 450 SLC 5\.0 became the first V-8-powered car — and the fi...