The Mercedes-Benz name is synonymous with well-crafted luxury cars. Using auto racing to showcase its engineering prowess throughout most of the 20th century, Mercedes popularly campaigned their cars under the nickname “Silver Arrows” intermittently between 1930 and 1955. Regrettably, after recording the fastest Mille Miglia time in history, the 1955 300 SLR served as Mercedes’ last serious racing effort until the late 1980s.
Staking a return to former motorsport greatness, Mercedes-Benz began supplying engines to an ailing Team McLaren in 1995. The pairing soon became the hottest relationship in Formula 1 racing, cemented further when DaimlerChrysler purchased a 40% interest in McLaren and assured an enduring partnership.
Parlaying the 10-year Formula 1 friendship in 2005, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren merged their racing experience and produced an offspring worthy of both nameplates. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren aimed to recapture a racing pedigree that was lost 50 years prior.
Our evaluations are grouped under two categories: luxury and practicality. In each category, 50 possible points make up a total of 100.
Luxury ride
Many racing enthusiasts will know that 300 SLRs only raced professionally in open-cockpit form. Therefore, the new SLR McLaren takes on the personality of the rare, hardtop test version of the 300 SLR named the Uhlenhaut Coupe. For 2007, a sleek, long-flowing hood line and functional side gills behind the front wheels pay tribute to the 1955 race car. However, with only racing greatsThe SLR McLaren’s dimensions (183.3 inches long, 106.3 inches wide and 49.6 inches tall) allow the car to cut through the air with the precision of a surgical knife. The car’s front end, evidenced in the pointed nose contour, is inspired by the Formula 1 McLaren. The tri-star emblem, which usually serves as a proud accent to the grille, has actually become the grille and part of the air-induction system on the SLR. The SLR's long hood surface, which transitions to a near horizontal windshield and to a radically low roof, helps the car achieve a 0.37 drag coefficient. Additionally, the SLR's body, a high-quality carbon-fiber composite, is 50% lighter than steel.
The 5.5 liter, 617-horsepower V8 operates with two spark plugs per cylinder to increase the potency of the ignition during combustion. The SLR McLaren also takes advantage of MB’s in-house performance division, AMG, which provides a belt-driven supercharger and a dry-sump oiling system to master a top speed of 208 mph and a 3.8-second 0-60 mph time.
Additional AMG performance expertise was used in the SLR McLaren's five-speed automatic transmission -- the only tranny available on the car. Being the fastest automatic supercar in the world, this transmission is heavily programmable to suit the driver's preference: If you desire edge-of-your-seat supercar performance, there are three manual modes (Sport, Supersport and Race) that can be engaged via the levers on the steering wheel or with the touchpad. The automatic modes include the Sport, for everyday use, and Comfort, which aids the driver with a second-gear take off on bumpy or slippery surfaces.
To slow down from its incredible speeds, the SLR uses high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes (with eight-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear) and a very extraordinary air-brake system that features a rear spoiler. The SLR McLaren stops faster than any other car in its class, coming to dead stop from 62 mph in a mere 114 feet.
Another design cue that the SLR McLaren takes from the 300 SL is the set of gullwing doors that open up to a two-seat oasis. Inside, carbon-fiber bucket seats with lumbar support are draped with Grand Nappa leather or with the optional Silver Arrow leather upholstery. Occupants rest their feet on velour floor mats while they enjoy individual climate control, which is aided by the sun sensor that adjusts for the effects of direct sunlight. Other goodies inside include a seven-speaker Bose surround-sound stereo systems with a six-disc CD charger (and a concealed cassette deck), and an integrated cellular phone.
Unlike many other Mercs, the SLR McLarens are hand-built away from Deutschland: composites are made in Portsmouth, England and assembly takes place at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. With the mass-production equipment found on the assembly line, 500 SLRs are built each year on a floor originally intended to produce carbon-fiber parts for the F1 racecar.
such as Sterling Moss restricted to using his 1955 SLR for business, the 2007 SLR is show business for a new generation of elite drivers.
The verdict
It wasn't a new challenge for Mercedes-Benz to build a world-class supercar, as the McLaren F1 still stands as a benchmark for extremes. However, the Silver Arrow-inspired SLR McLaren is not a mere silver-medal performer thanks to engineering brilliance. It still seems like a betrayal to the exotic supercar market to equip the SLR McLaren with an automatic transmission, even with 0-60 mph times of 3.8 seconds.Luxury score: 46/50
Practical ride
Provided that you can get your hands on one, the SLR McLaren’s price tag will have you counting more numbers than if you were watching Sesame Street. The $452,750 MSRP will have you spending about $733 for each horse.The SLR McLaren’s fuel economy will also have you counting dollars at the pump, thanks to the extreme appetite of 617-horsepower. In the city you can expect to earn 13 miles per gallon and 18 on the highway, according to EPA estimates.
You’ll certainly require a few things if you want to own an SLR McLaren; among them are premium unleaded gasoline, a fine share of pit stops and a gold credit card. But if you have an SLR McLaren sitting in your driveway, you most likely have an Amex Black Card sitting in your billfold.
The SLR McLaren will put a noticeable dent in anyone's pocketbook, but if you put a dent in your McLaren, there are few people who will be able to help you out. To put the labor behind an SLR McLaren into full perspective, keep in mind that it takes three weeks to produce one carbon-fiber monocoque body at McLaren Composites. In a very unpractical, not to mention inconvenient, way, the limited number of cars and parts produced is going to cause grief even for authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers.
Unlike most exotic two-seaters, such as the Saleen S7, the SLR McLaren’s engine is mounted in front of the cabin. The major benefit of this configuration is the usable cargo space. Although it’s highly improbable that you’ll see an SLR McLaren at your local discount superstore, Mercedes-Benz has created a vehicle with a very economical 9.6 cubic feet of trunk capacity. There are also additional storage spaces within the center console, behind the seats and under the rear shelf for the daily items you’ll need on your trip to Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood or when visiting friends on Star Island in Miami.
The verdict
At a price exceeding $450,000, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren costs more than two AMG-prepped Mercedes-Benz SL65s. However, recognizing that you want an SLR McLaren, you'll be pleasantly surprised that your 617-horsepower super machine can manage to carry you and your golf clubs to an exclusive green.Practical Score: 38/50
and the total is…
Capturing the soul of the Silver Arrows, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren honors the racing dynasty with an exotic car unlike any other. Further capturing true performance decadence, the 650-horsepower 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition was released in 2006. Needless to say, the SLR McLaren is another symbol to the constant excellence that Mercedes-Benz has been exercising since its first racing machine.84/100
Resources:
http://autos.aol.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLR_McLaren - SLR McLaren
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_300_SLR - 300 SLR
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56174
http://www.mbusa.com/index.do
http://www.mclarenautomotive.com/cars/slr_introduction.htm
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8434/default.aspx
http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/m_slrmclaren.asp
http://www.mclarenautomotive.com/company/portsmouth.htm
http://www.forbesautos.com/reviews/2006/mercedes_benz/slr_mclaren/model_upate.html
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/mercedesbenz/slrmclaren/100578899/specs.html
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