▁the ▁bore ▁was ▁increased ▁by ▁ ▁to ▁ ▁. ▁The ▁stated ▁top ▁speed ▁was ▁ 9 8   km / h ▁( 6 1   m ph ) ▁for ▁the ▁standard ▁length ▁and ▁ 9 5   km / h ▁( 5 9   m ph ) ▁for ▁the ▁long ▁bod ied ▁cars . ▁Power ▁passed ▁to ▁the ▁rear ▁whe els ▁through ▁a ▁four - speed ▁manual ▁transmission ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁top ▁g ear ▁was ▁effectively ▁an ▁over drive ▁ratio . ▁The ▁top ▁two ▁r ati os ▁featured ▁syn chrom esh . ▁The ▁bra kes ▁operated ▁on ▁all ▁four ▁whe els ▁via ▁a ▁hyd ra ul ic ▁link age . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁model ' s ▁final ▁year , ▁Mer cedes - B enz ▁announced , ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁the ▁option ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁powerful ▁ 2 , 2 2 9   cc ▁ ▁engine , ▁which ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁necessary ▁response ▁to ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁car ' s ▁le is ure ly ▁performance ▁in ▁long ▁bod ied ▁form . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁In ▁terms ▁of ▁features ▁and ▁performance ▁the ▁W 2 1 ▁represented ▁considerable ▁progress ▁when ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁its ▁prede cess or , ▁and ▁was ▁pr iced ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁level ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁a ▁little ▁more ▁simply ▁and ▁in ▁standard - w heel base ▁form ▁was ▁a ▁little ▁smaller . ▁The ▁appearance ▁of ▁a ▁long - w heel base ▁version ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁bod ied ▁car