To publicise the launch of the new 2011 S63 AMG in September, Mercedes showed the new car on the track side by side with its spiritual “Grandfather” at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium recently. The 300 SEL 6.8 AMG finished second at the Spa 24-hour race in 1971, a result that is widely acknowledged as putting AMG on the automotive map as in-house performance division of Mercedes-Benz.

Old and new were kitted out in the same colours for the special meeting, with both cars sporting the original number 35. The cars were also driven by the 1971 driving line up Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz. For the record the older car had a 6.8 litre 428 hp engine while the 2011 version has a 5.5 litre 563 hp power unit. But while power may not have moved on too much, the drivers said the cars were worlds apart in every other department.