BC
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| Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition |
| Wolf in an Armani dinner suit |
AutoWeek | Published 03/09/07, 9:29 am et
| AT A GLANCE: | ||
ON SALE: Now BASE PRICE: $482,750 DRIVETRAIN: 5.5-liter, 641-hp, 605-lb-ft V8; rwd, five-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT: 3800 lbs 0 TO 62 MPH: 3.6 seconds (mfr.) FUEL MILEAGE EPA COMBINED: 14.8 mpg | ||
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A two-lane, arrow-straight asphalt strip gleams black and descends from the desert hills. Even in the dead of winter, heat ghosts shimmy far off the land and intermingle with those rising from beneath the limited-edition carbon fiber hood.
Part of your brain thinks this is not possible—long, smooth, near-perfect roads in the middle of nowhere. Another part, that piece filled with facts about the United Arab Emirates and particularly about Dubai’s relatively quick ascendancy to world-class status, knows otherwise. And let’s be reasonable: Asphalt, in its purest form, percolates from the earth not far from here, and there’s no reason this highway shouldn’t lie before us.
It’s a good thing it does, because the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722, a limited-edition version of the company’s sports car flagship in which we are stuffed, is bestowed with more power, less weight, more capabilities and better handling than its potent progenitor. And it needs—almost demands—a place to let loose and be free.
But during a predrive briefing, we learn that to let loose too much can mean greater consequences than those to which we are normally accustomed. Officials here take regulations seriously, and they mete out punishment accordingly. Alongside freeways that stretch far into the desert stand electronic sentinels that threaten to take pictures of drivers traveling above posted 120-km/h (75-mph) limits. With those pictures can come heavy fines; we also learn the glovebox carries letters of introduction (or excuse) that aim to explain our presence should we be stopped by local lawmen.
It takes no time to recognize that exceptions to the speeding rule exist, as cars occasionally fly by, presumably piloted by locals who know which cameras are bogus. Or perhaps the cars are filled with self-confidence. Here, if your car’s license plate begins with a single digit, you are identified as a member of the royal family—and you needn’t worry about speed laws, because you make them. If your plate starts with a double digit, you are friends of the family and enjoy much the same courtesy. Even three-digit plates get some dispensation and consideration. But there is no forgiveness for transgressions by our vehicles with five-digit license plates, even though the car’s sticker price roughly equals the median cost of a home in Stamford, Connecticut. You come to understand quickly that these SLRs—as well as other high-profile, high-performance cars—are virtually a dirham a dozen around here.
Well, they are, and they aren’t like this one. This newest SLR is the 722 Edition, a model created to honor Sir Stirling Moss’ brilliant win at the 1955 Mille Miglia race. That number, painted in bright red across Moss’ SLR race car, signified his morning start time; that he finished the 1000-mile race through the Italian countryside at an average speed of nearly 100 mph is a record that will never be broken.
You couldn’t miss this version—of which only 150 will be made, all of which are already sold—if you wanted to. Emblazoned on its rich anthracite gray flanks is a 722 badge above its side vents and ahead of the door openings. A dark carbon fiber aerodynamic wind splitter fits below the nose, and this is more functional than aesthetic, as it increases downforce by 128 percent at the front axle at top speed, while a reworked rear air diffuser reduces lift. The result is a car that feels planted, and you can bet the many hours spent in a wind tunnel to perfect these bits will be amortized on future standard models.
The 722 also differs from the proletariat cars with new 19-inch aluminum wheels that reveal bright red brake calipers to the world. These wheels have an added benefit, as they reduce the SLR’s unsprung weight by nearly 10 pounds apiece (what were once cast are now forged aluminum); they’ll certainly make it to the AMG aftermarket parts bin.
The overall visual effect of the 722 reminds you of an extremely well-coiffed, perfectly sized fashion model—the sort of person who might fit comfortably in this car’s driving environment. We’re not saying all SLR owners should fit into off-the-rack, 40-long clothing to optimize the driving experience, but it couldn’t hurt. Regardless of how tight the cabin is, once you’re behind the wheel, you can’t wait to depress the shift-mounted fire button and let it go.
And the straight, smooth road that lies ahead beckons and tugs at sense and reason . . .
Chances come to open up the SLR and let loose, as long as the driver is willing to flirt with the consequences. Terminal velocity on this model is listed at 337 km/h, or 210.6 mph. That’s faster (by almost 4 mph) than the original and is the result of increasing engine output to 641 hp at 6500 rpm from 617 hp, sharpening and massaging the aero package to reduce lift and increase downforce, and reducing curb weight by 97 pounds.
To get into that speed, roll your foot into the throttle, and shift the five-speed automatic gearbox through wheel-mounted paddles. (You can use the tunnel-mounted tip shifter, but why take your hands from the task if there’s no need?) Torque comes strong and pins driver and passenger to the carbon fiber seat shells; that power is accentuated by a thrumming exhaust note that seems to reverberate to a basso crescendo as the tach climbs toward its 7000-rpm redline in each gear. Gently, very gently, hold the thick, suede-wrapped steering wheel, and let the car unwind. It fires from standstill to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, and from launch you quickly work its paddle-shift lever as revs race. The company says this car goes from 0 to 300 km/h (187.5 mph) in 28 seconds, and that doesn’t seem out of its reach at all. What surprises a driver most is that the SLR can get up and go as quickly as it does with its 3800-pound curb weight, which is almost evenly distributed (51:49) front to rear. It doesn’t want to push and plow with heavy understeer as you put it hard into a corner; indeed, thanks to its robust 605 lb-ft of torque, if you switch off the electronic countermeasures, you can throw the tail out with throttle-induced oversteer. This road, however, is straight, and speeds climb quickly: 200 klicks is earned with ease, and then come 220, 240, 250 . . .
Wait! What’s that in the distance, virtually sheathed in a translucent mist that rises off the pavement? It must be a mile, maybe two ahead, where red flashing lights warn . . .
Dial the throttle back, and it still takes no time to come upon a scene as surreal as a Midwestern boy has seen: a camel ambling across the highway, its goofy, lazy eyes cast at cars whose hazard lights warn others of potential calamity.
Only here, you think, in the middle of nowhere, do camels mix with crazy-fast cars. We’re sure there’s no glovebox letter to explain away one of those as hood ornament.
TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes-Benz
Fact: Car guys are gadget guys. They love intricate, detailed stuff, including watches. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has created 3500 limited-edition, high-tech watches to hail the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR sports car.
Among its features are buttons next to its dial that echo the layout of the shift buttons on the SLR’s transmission selector lever. A fixed black bezel with engraved SLR logo is crafted of titanium, with a tachymeter scale to measure speed. Though the car is good for little more than 210 mph, you can clock speeds up to 250 mph with the watch. Additionally, its brushed steel case is watertight and good to 300 feet underwater.
Naturally, this all comes at a cost: $12,000, which is only about $470,000 less than the limited-edition McLaren SLR 722 model itself.
Part of your brain thinks this is not possible—long, smooth, near-perfect roads in the middle of nowhere. Another part, that piece filled with facts about the United Arab Emirates and particularly about Dubai’s relatively quick ascendancy to world-class status, knows otherwise. And let’s be reasonable: Asphalt, in its purest form, percolates from the earth not far from here, and there’s no reason this highway shouldn’t lie before us.
It’s a good thing it does, because the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722, a limited-edition version of the company’s sports car flagship in which we are stuffed, is bestowed with more power, less weight, more capabilities and better handling than its potent progenitor. And it needs—almost demands—a place to let loose and be free.
But during a predrive briefing, we learn that to let loose too much can mean greater consequences than those to which we are normally accustomed. Officials here take regulations seriously, and they mete out punishment accordingly. Alongside freeways that stretch far into the desert stand electronic sentinels that threaten to take pictures of drivers traveling above posted 120-km/h (75-mph) limits. With those pictures can come heavy fines; we also learn the glovebox carries letters of introduction (or excuse) that aim to explain our presence should we be stopped by local lawmen.
|
Well, they are, and they aren’t like this one. This newest SLR is the 722 Edition, a model created to honor Sir Stirling Moss’ brilliant win at the 1955 Mille Miglia race. That number, painted in bright red across Moss’ SLR race car, signified his morning start time; that he finished the 1000-mile race through the Italian countryside at an average speed of nearly 100 mph is a record that will never be broken.
You couldn’t miss this version—of which only 150 will be made, all of which are already sold—if you wanted to. Emblazoned on its rich anthracite gray flanks is a 722 badge above its side vents and ahead of the door openings. A dark carbon fiber aerodynamic wind splitter fits below the nose, and this is more functional than aesthetic, as it increases downforce by 128 percent at the front axle at top speed, while a reworked rear air diffuser reduces lift. The result is a car that feels planted, and you can bet the many hours spent in a wind tunnel to perfect these bits will be amortized on future standard models.
The 722 also differs from the proletariat cars with new 19-inch aluminum wheels that reveal bright red brake calipers to the world. These wheels have an added benefit, as they reduce the SLR’s unsprung weight by nearly 10 pounds apiece (what were once cast are now forged aluminum); they’ll certainly make it to the AMG aftermarket parts bin.
|
And the straight, smooth road that lies ahead beckons and tugs at sense and reason . . .
Chances come to open up the SLR and let loose, as long as the driver is willing to flirt with the consequences. Terminal velocity on this model is listed at 337 km/h, or 210.6 mph. That’s faster (by almost 4 mph) than the original and is the result of increasing engine output to 641 hp at 6500 rpm from 617 hp, sharpening and massaging the aero package to reduce lift and increase downforce, and reducing curb weight by 97 pounds.
To get into that speed, roll your foot into the throttle, and shift the five-speed automatic gearbox through wheel-mounted paddles. (You can use the tunnel-mounted tip shifter, but why take your hands from the task if there’s no need?) Torque comes strong and pins driver and passenger to the carbon fiber seat shells; that power is accentuated by a thrumming exhaust note that seems to reverberate to a basso crescendo as the tach climbs toward its 7000-rpm redline in each gear. Gently, very gently, hold the thick, suede-wrapped steering wheel, and let the car unwind. It fires from standstill to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, and from launch you quickly work its paddle-shift lever as revs race. The company says this car goes from 0 to 300 km/h (187.5 mph) in 28 seconds, and that doesn’t seem out of its reach at all. What surprises a driver most is that the SLR can get up and go as quickly as it does with its 3800-pound curb weight, which is almost evenly distributed (51:49) front to rear. It doesn’t want to push and plow with heavy understeer as you put it hard into a corner; indeed, thanks to its robust 605 lb-ft of torque, if you switch off the electronic countermeasures, you can throw the tail out with throttle-induced oversteer. This road, however, is straight, and speeds climb quickly: 200 klicks is earned with ease, and then come 220, 240, 250 . . .
|
Dial the throttle back, and it still takes no time to come upon a scene as surreal as a Midwestern boy has seen: a camel ambling across the highway, its goofy, lazy eyes cast at cars whose hazard lights warn others of potential calamity.
Only here, you think, in the middle of nowhere, do camels mix with crazy-fast cars. We’re sure there’s no glovebox letter to explain away one of those as hood ornament.
|
TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes-Benz
Fact: Car guys are gadget guys. They love intricate, detailed stuff, including watches. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has created 3500 limited-edition, high-tech watches to hail the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR sports car.
Among its features are buttons next to its dial that echo the layout of the shift buttons on the SLR’s transmission selector lever. A fixed black bezel with engraved SLR logo is crafted of titanium, with a tachymeter scale to measure speed. Though the car is good for little more than 210 mph, you can clock speeds up to 250 mph with the watch. Additionally, its brushed steel case is watertight and good to 300 feet underwater.
Naturally, this all comes at a cost: $12,000, which is only about $470,000 less than the limited-edition McLaren SLR 722 model itself.
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