MERCEDES-BENZ SLR MCLAREN

MERCEDES – BENZ SLR MCLAREN

Mercedes - Benz SLR Mclaren

The car jointly developed by two of the greatest automotive leaders, Mercedes – Benz and Mclaren. The SLR was developed when German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz owned 40 percent of the McLaren Group. It was built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England and sold from 2003 to 2010. SLR stands for “Sport Light Racing”. SLR Mclaren  is a grand tourer 2-door coupe and roadster. The SLR features a hand-built 5.4-litre, supercharged, all-aluminium, SOHC, V8 engine. The engine produces a maximum power of 617 hp at 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 780 Nm at 3,250 to 5,000 rpm. The power is delivered through a  AMG SPEEDSHIFT R five-speed automatic transmission with three manual modes. The car uses carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) construction in an attempt to keep the weight low. The SLR features active aerodynamics; there is a spoiler mounted on the rear integral air brake flap. The spoiler increases downforce depending on its angle of elevation (angle of attack). At a set speed, the spoiler/brake automatically raises to 10 degrees (15 degrees in the 722 edition), when demanded via the driver's switch, the elevation can be increased to 30 degrees (35 degrees in the 722 version) for increased rear downforce, at the cost of increased steady state drag. The SLR features Sensotronic Brake Control, a type of brake-by-wire system. The brake discs are carbon-ceramic and provide better stopping power and fade resistance than steel discs when operating under ideal working temperature. It achieved a 0 – 100 kmph in 3.4 seconds. It’s top speed is 334 kmph. The SLR costs US$ 616,000, making it one the most expensive street-legal cars of 2008.

INTERIORS

The SLR has classic Mercedes interiors. It is covered with red leather and silver & black panels. Despite of making the car lightest posibble, the interiors look quiet heavy. The AMG 5-speed gearbox also makes it heavy. The passenger cell has been constructed completely from carbon fiber to protect the passengers in the event of a head-on or side collision. A single piece makes up the window sills, the roof spider, the roof frame and the door apertures. Then, there are the airbags to protect the head, knees and sides. One can also add acceleration skid regulation (ASR), ABS, ESP, sensotronic brake control (SBC) and brake assists (BAS) to the safety features. The multi-functional steering hosts a variety of control buttons which include climate control within the car. Bose audio systems provide a glorious 'sound' output as one sits back in the highly adjustable seats and relaxes.

Mercedes - Benz SLR Mclaren

722 EDITION

A new version was introduced in 2006, called the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. The "722" refers to the victory by Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722. The 722 Edition featured a more powerful engine rated 640 hp at 6,500 rpm and 820 Nm at 4,000 rpm. 19-inch light-alloy wheels were used to reduce unsprung weight, while modifications were also made to the suspension, with a stiffer damper setup. The 722 has a higher top speed of 337 kmph than standard SLR.

Exterior changes, other than the larger 19-inch (480 mm) black light-alloy wheels, include red "722" badging, harking back to the original 722 racer, and slightly different tail lights and headlamps.

Mercedes - Benz SLR Mclaren 722 Edition

STIRLING MOSS

This version of SLR is named after british race driver of the same name – stirling moss. The SLR Stirling Moss is a limited edition (75 vehicles only) of the series, which uses a speedster styling that does not include roof or windscreen. The design is inspired by the 300 SLR race car, and the exterior was designed by Korean designer Yoon Il-hun, the interior by Dutch designer Sarkis Benliyan. It was to be the last series of the McLaren SLR built under the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren. It is the fastest SLR which reached a top speed of 350 kmph. 

Mercedes - Benz SLR Mclaren Stirling Moss