Merc Apprentices Build B55 B-Class

By MBWorld.org Editors - December 22, 2010

Mercedes-Benz must really be loaded with whiz kids and geniuses. Can you imagine that a group of 12 apprentices were able to create a new Mercedes-Benz B55 B-Class wagon? That’s exactly what they did, taking an honest-to-goodness B200 CDI and turning it to what looks like a production-ready unit.

This one-off B-Class is powered by a 5.5L V8 engine, the same one
you’ll find in the E500. This way, the B55 gets 282kW of power with
530Nm of torque, a big improvement from the B200 CDI stats. Of course,
the apprentices had to devise a way to get that engine into the
available space. They also had to accommodate a rear-wheel drive setup
in order to get the gearbox and drivetrain up to speed and able to
handle all that torque. The B55 B-Class has a 0-100kph time of a mere
5.2 seconds, and top speed is pegged at 250 kph.

It should be noted that the apprentices fitted an AMG steering wheel
into the interior of the car, complete with paddle shifters. The
interior also comes with other sporty features such as hip-hugging
seats, while the exterior comes with some nifty AMG alloy wheels.

The project took some 8 months to complete. All in all, we’d say those apprentices really did a good job.