Mercedes Station Wagon Hits 200 MPH Within a Mile with Jaw-Dropping Engine Swap

Alex Harrington | Jul 7, 2024

Mercedes W123 / Valtonen Motorsport

At first glance, a Mercedes W123 300TD wagon might evoke images of a stately, albeit slow, vehicle known more for reliability than racetrack power. However, the rules of the road—and record books—may need rewriting thanks to a radical transformation that propelled this classic wagon to a jaw-dropping speed of 200 mph within just a mile from a stationary start.

The evolution of this seemingly mundane Mercedes has roots in an audacious engine swap carried out by Finland-based Valtonen Motorsport. Replacing the original 3.0-liter diesel inline-five, the team installed a turbocharged 4.0-liter Ford Barra straight-six engine, known for its robust performance. Integrated with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, specifically tuned to harness the engine's potential, the car blurs the line between vintage charm and modern engineering marvel.

Valtonen Motorsport has been somewhat secretive about the exact power output, going so far as to blur the dyno screen in their promotional video. Nonetheless, the visual spectacle of flames erupting from the exhaust during dyno testing furthers the allure and mystery, suggesting a power so formidable that specifics are better left to the imagination. Additional footage capturing the wagon’s sprint down the runway at Halli Airport in southern Finland showcases not just the engine's sheer force but also its capability to rapidly accelerate.

However, achieving such speeds in an older chassis brings its own set of challenges, particularly concerning stability. The vehicle's high-speed run wasn't without issues; instability was noted as it neared the end of the runway. Ingeniously, a parachute deployment system had been incorporated, a feature more common in drag racing than station wagon makeovers.

This modified Mercedes is not just a car; it's a statement on creativity, engineering limits, and the spirit of innovation. The blending of a classic 1980s wagon known for transporting families and groceries with a high-performance engine and safety modifications paints a new picture of what automotive enthusiasts might consider when designing their next project.

In reflecting on this extraordinary vehicle's journey from humble beginnings to high-speed headline-maker, one must appreciate the blend of past and present, proving that with enough ingenuity and engineering skill, the sky—or in this case, the speedometer—is the limit. As the landscape of car modification broadens, the story of this Mercedes W123 300TD may just inspire the next wave of automotive enthusiasts to think outside the gearbox.

The video told us the following (spell checked for clarity):

"After last year's promising results, we decided to turn up the power and see if we could achieve 200mph at the standing mile. The W123 chassis is clearly not ideal for this, but we thought we'd try it anyway.

"In preparation for this, we did some dyno testing to verify if the Barra was up to the task, and the ZF8HP70 could hold the power. After all, this particular gearbox had some km’s on the clock before we started beating on it and learning how to control it with the Haltech R5 VCU.

"First pull at Halli airport was an easy test run resulting in 315 km/h and zero issues, so we put more power in 7th gear for the second run (2-6 was left at the same power). The second pull resulted in 322 km/h and some instability was noticed at the end of the run, but the parachute took care of that in the braking zone.

"Zero issues other than the data showed that we are getting some front-end lift at the top end, and the team decided that we do not run it any faster at this point.



"We then took a different approach and focused on the half-mile speed and made some good progress. It was a good day with friends and a well-organized event by the Hallin varuskunnan perinneyhdistys."