In 1909, the Blitzen Benz was built in Mannheim by Benz & Cie. The vehicle was one of six built with a 21.5-litre (1,310 cu in), 200 horsepower (150 kW) inline four engine enlarged from the company's Grand Prix racer. The car was modified to improve its aerodynamics. At Brooklands on November 9, 1909, land speed racer Victor Hémery of France set a record with an average speed of 202.7 kilometres per hour (126.0 mph) over a kilometer. On April 23, 1911, Bob Burman recorded an average of 228.1 kilometres per hour (141.7 mph) over a full mile at Daytona Beach breaking Glenn Curtiss s unofficial absolute speed record, land, sea or air, set in 1907 on his V-8 motorcycle.Burman's record stood until 1919.
After 1914 the car was rebuilt for circuit racing, undergoing a number of revisions before it was broken up in 1923. Several other examples of the 200 hp have survived
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