Well, there is a strong bond between Bollywood and high-end performance cars. A commercial movie of the modern generation is literally incomplete without pyrotechnics involving super cars colliding mid-air. Even the lower budget movies have the more often than not the protagonist in a suave car on the freeways. Be it the coupe or luxury cars, these have carved out a niche for themselves by their own virtue. One of the super hit movies of the generation, Dil Chahta Hai, was no different in using cars. The movie featured a chic looking Mercedes Benz 300 SL, which formed an integral part of the film.
The car can be seen even in the title track of the movie when the three lead characters are seen taking turns to drive the Mercedes Benz as the foot-tapping music takes the fans into a swoon. Mercedes cars in India have been much popularised with this model. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was the first model of the SL class convertibles and among the fastest production models. It was first launched in 1954 as a two-seats model, which was later offered as an open-hood roadster. Indeed, the car is meant for long drives on highways as clearly depicted in the movie.
The 300 SL was incredibly popular and was best renowned for its gull-wing doors. Apart from this characteristic, the car was the first ever consumer model, which offered fuel-injection. What set the youth racing was the fact that Mercedes Benz 300 SL was the then fastest model in the world. The car was powered by a 2996 cc engine, which was capable of churning out 215 PS power at the rate of 5800 rpm. The net twisting force of the car was 274 Nm at the rate of 4600 rpm. Power was transmitted using a four-speed manual gearbox and the car came with rear-wheel drive option. Undoubtedly, the movie would just be incomplete without the classic Mercedes Benz 300 SL.
