w116 Mercedes-Benz 350 SE with the M 116 V8 engine 3.5 liters

In the 1960s, it was not clear whether the new rotary piston engine according to Felix Wankel would really hold its own against conventional piston engine designs. This is why Mercedes-Benz decided in favor of a parallel development approach. The M 116 and M 117 piston engines can trace their beginnings back to engine designer Adolf Wente, who developed the first V8 injection engine offered by the brand ─ the 6.3-liter M 100 found in the Mercedes-Benz 600 (W 100). The M 116 and M 117 had an overhead camshaft and two banks of four cylinders mounted at a 90-degree angle to each other. On the M 116, the bore-to-stroke ratio measured 92 × 65.8 millimeters, giving the engine an extremely short stroke. In addition to its wonderful ability to rev, the power plant was also a very smooth runner. The M 116 was the second engine from Mercedes-Benz to have the D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection system by Bosch. The M 117, on the other hand, had a bore-to-stroke ratio measuring 92 × 85 millimeters, which made the unit an extremely pleasurable “cruiser”. Both engines were earmarked for the new SL (R 107) and SLC (C 107) ─ which débuted in 1971 ─ as well as the S-Class (116 model series). The launch of the S-Class was postponed, however, and the model was not showcased until 1972. Since the predecessor six-cylinder engines were technically outdated after having been around for a long time, the company decided to start using the new engine variants as soon as 1969 in the W 109 and W 111 model series as well as in the W 108 later on. All of these vehicles were predecessors to today’s S-Class.

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source: Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Classic collection