2. 1939 Mercedes-Benz T80
Oh, what could have been. This voluptuous silver missile is the mighty T80, a stillborn land speed record car developed by Ferdinand Porsche for Mercedes-Benz. The effort was officially sanctioned by Adolf Hitler himself, who envisioned the T80 as an example of German dominance. Racer Hans Stuck was to drive the car on the record setting attempt, initially predicted at 342 mph. Eventually, the predicted speed cap was raised to 373 mph, and then to a breathtaking 470 mph record. The record vehicle was powered by a monstrous 44.5-liter (you read that correctly) Daimler-Benz DB603 V-12 lifted from Daimler’s aeronautics division. The V-12 was strangely inverted, returning a stunning 3,000 hp. World War II broke out as the project was nearing completion, and the T80 was stuffed in an Austrian garage. After the war, it was brought to the Mercedes-Benz museum, where it remains on permanent display. Mercedes could conceivably resurrect the car, but bringing a Nazi-sanctioned speed project to life is likely low on the automaker’s priority list.
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