The Economic Times

In 1939, Mercedes built the T 80 with 3,500 horsepower and six wheels for a planned 600 km/h record attempt. 87 years later, the car remains preserved in Stuttgart, its true top speed still unknown because it never raced

The Mercedes T 80 was built to break 600 km/h in 1939. It had six wheels, a huge 44.5-liter V12 and up to 3,500 horsepower. Mercedes wanted to push the car toward 650 km/h and claim the world land-speed record. The machine was ready for a historic test. Then World War II changed everything. The T 80 never made its final run, leaving its true top speed unknown.