mattg

so was it 1.2 or 2.1M?

gavriil

Not sure which one is wrong. I am guessing the 2.1 mil. is wrong. I pasted what was in the article.

Beelzebub

I want one

Too bad I don't have $400,000 sitting around

another good site with lots of pics

http://www.germancarfans.com/news.cf...es-benz/1.html

Chaptorial

Damn that car keeps looking hotter and hotter.

Yumcha

Dammit...! I want Mercedes-Benz to fly ME to Europe to drive their car too...

=================

McLaren-Mercedes SLR






My favourite car designer is Gordon Murray, creator of the McLaren F1. I've got an F1 and the minute I heard that Murray was the man designing the Mercedes SLR, I put my name down for one. Then Mercedes flew me and a dozen other guys from LA to Spain to get a taste of a pre-production SLR at the Idiada track near Barcelona. You never heard of any supercar company doing that. You never hear of Enzo owners coming down and beating the hell out of an Enzo for the weekend. What Mercedes were saying really was come on down and see if you can break the thing. So what you've got is lot of lead-footed guys like me who don't really know what they are doing bombing round a track. And I did this for 12 hours. I must have done a couple of hundred miles.

It was an enormous track. It was 7.3 kilometres, almost 5 miles round. I got the SLR up to 207mph, 209mph even, whatever the speedo said. Basically, as fast as it will go. There was banking so you could take your hands off the wheel which I did. And this car at 200mph was just sooo stable it was unbelievable.

It isn't the fastest I've ever been. I've been in a jet car on the Nevada salt flats at over 300mph. But the SLR felt quick. The sense of speed was everywhere. Guys would pull into the pits, stomp on the brakes - literally fire coming out of the carbon discs. There would be sparks. I would say, "Hey there's a fire!" and the engineers would say, "Zat is not a fire. Zat is only the heat from the brake. Do not vorry."

And nobody did. There were 20 guys beating the shit out of a car for two days. They invited everyone who put down a deposit to beat the hell out of the car. I know that if I'd been in a McLaren F1 for two days with all those people driving it, the clutch would have gone after day one or two. Where as with this it was BEOOW, BEEOW, BEEOW - just constantly pounding, shifting. Then it would come in, the car would sit there for a minute or two whilst we changed and then it was back up to 200, on the brakes, through the slalom. And you know what? Absolutely nothing broke and nothing overheated.

That's what I really like about it - it's a real world car. You can actually use it. I like the Enzo, but it's like wearing a bikini on Main Street. I don't think you can park an Enzo anywhere without people bumping it. This you probably could. And the Enzo is good looking because it's a Ferrari, not because it's good looking. If someone said that was the new Invicta they'd say, "uh-huh, that's nice".

I saw Jay Kay's Enzo in black and I have to admit it looks much more interesting than in red. I just get annoyed that here in the States the oil for the Enzo is $60 a quart. It's oil! I mean there's no reason to charge that. The SLR runs on Mobil 1, $4.99 a quart.

So I like the real-world practicality of the SLR. I mean it's comfortable. It's got airbags and all that kind of nonsense. Mercedes really wanted us there to get some feedback on the details. Do you want the noise louder or softer? Do you want 18-inch wheels or 19-inch wheels? (I think everyone went for the 19-inch wheels.) I prefer manual transmission but there is the paddle-shift deal or fully automatic. You get both and can change between them.

Compared to a McLaren F1? Well, there is nothing purer to me than the McLaren. No power brakes, no power steering. There's no substitute for lightness. The McLaren is literally the lightest go-kart in the world. You work the clutch, you work the brake. There's no traction control. Nobody's going to save you. You are responsible for everything that happens. It's amazing. It has all the best features of the cars of the last century. You get involved. There will never be anything like it again. It is the greatest experience in the world. This is more like the ultimate Mercedes. It is the best of both worlds. Think of it like having sex with an aerobics instructor. You're exhausted and panting and she's going, 'Are you done? Is that it?' I mean how many guys are as good as these cars?

So what else did I like about the SLR? Its 617 horsepower for one thing. There's tremendous response. It really kicks. There's comfort, sport and racing shifts. And the racing shifts are faster than you can shift by hand. But paddle shifts are like putting your dick in a milking machine - it's more efficient but just not as much fun.

I like big front-engined rear-wheel-drive cars, although this is really a mid-engined car. I like the V8, the sound it makes. I like the compactness of the driving compartment. It was beautiful. When I sat in the Enzo there were shut lines half an inch wide. As a German car made in Britain, I'd say the precision felt German, the crispness of the car felt German, but the handling of the car is the English part. It's 800 or 900 pounds heavier than a McLaren, but it is as light as it could corporately be. There is nothing like satellite navigation, no electric seat adjustment. Why do you need an electric motor anyway? If you can't reach down and manually adjust the seat, what in the hell is wrong with you?

But it felt funny to be doing 200mph and turn up the air conditioning, turn the blower up just another notch going round at that speed. It made me laugh. Like I said earlier, I will buy anything Gordon Murray designs. If he's making a new car, put me down for one, that's my attitude. I would put him above Enzo Ferrari because he was never an engineer.

As for where I'll drive the SLR, anywhere is the answer.That's the beauty of it, you can use it anywhere. I'll find some deserted areas in the desert to take it. But I've got to hang about until they've built it first! I can't wait, but to be honest, it's not as if I've got nothing else to drive in the meantime.

Jay Leno was talking to Jeremy Hart

Chaptorial

Damn him and his warehouse of cars.

Sweet ass car however.

Glad to see even he thinks like the rest of us.

amisconception

awesome review!

i wan't one hehe

asshole quote of the month

Eternal TL2k3

its the batmobile

proaudio22

Zat is unreal!

N.O.6speed

cool car, still would rather an ENZO, though.

Black CL-S 4-Life

Something about those Ferraris.

KavexTrax

chungkopi

great review!

SpeedyV6

Jay Leno uses words like "whilst"? OMG he's probably been spending time with Madonna.

jerseydriver

i dont like the front end at all

that car isnt a MB its a one of a kind mixture of mclaren, mb, AMG and others.

fast as all hell though

nandowong

that some sick money, Im sure the dealer probably tax deducts it

Beltfed

Julian Terian was the late Peter Terian's wife (he owned Rallye originally)......do you have any idea how much money she inherited?

Let me just say that $2.1 million (that is the right # for the winning bid) isn't going to make that big of a dent.

Funny thing is she was only married to him for like 10 years or so (not much longer).

Rallye's Bentley franchise was sold to Champion MotorGroup. Since then, Rallye has become a Maybach dealer.

SpeedyV6

2 Doors, 617 Horses, One Easy Payment of $2.1 Million

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/25/nyregion/25car.html

ROSLYN, N.Y., Feb. 24 - The Gold Coast of Long Island needs more opulence the way the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez needs a raise, but early this year, another million-dollar bauble rolled into East Egg.

It is the first Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren ever made, a silver coupe that sold for $2.1 million, making it one of the most expensive new cars anyone has ever bought. The anyone, in this case, is Juliana Terian, who runs a luxury car dealership in Roslyn.

A shrewd businesswoman who also visits psychics, Ms. Terian said the price was fair for such a trophy. "It was a steal," she said.

Steal or not, it made sense in the showroom of Ms. Terian's dealership, Rallye Motors, a North Shore business where the parking lot is filled with B.M.W.'s and personal license plates declare, "N1CE EH."

Ms. Terian is still deciding whether to hold it for a while or sell it right away, but for now it is just one more reminder that while booms and busts may come and go, there are places where there is always an appetite for just the right status symbol.

In the whirl of Long Island's car culture, this two-door sports car is "totally the apex," Ms. Terian said.

So on this sleety, gray Tuesday afternoon, customers rhapsodized about the way the car's doors open vertically, like wings. They discussed its specs: a 617-horsepower engine, a carbon frame, a top speed of 200 miles per hour, red seats. They asked, How much?

"This is a piece of sculpture," said Michael Barone, a South Shore Long Islander looking to replace his Oldsmobile with a Mercedes. "Just smell it. I would have to sell my house and all my stocks to buy this."

Ms. Terian simply raised a paddle. She was at a charity auction last year when the car went up for bidding. Silently, she watched as bidders drove the price up to around $2 million, and then as it was going, going, Ms. Terian said, she snagged it.

She told this story in her office, as well-lacquered salesmen shook customers' hands and patted backs in the showroom outside her door. Ms. Terian once ran her own architecture firm, but took over Rallye Motors after her husband, Peter, died of prostate cancer in October 2002.

Tuesday was a busy day. She spent the morning having a cracked tooth replaced; it had broken as she bit into an apple. She needed a new tooth in time for her flight to Los Angeles to attend Vanity Fair's party after the Academy Awards.

The dealership sells 300 Mercedes-Benzes each month, and it pursues rare, expensive and limited-edition cars that other dealerships do not get from the factory. While other cars of the limited-edition SLR McLaren model will be offered for sale for a modest $425,000, Ms. Terian said this Mercedes was worth the $2 million because of its singularity.

Customers were more interested in the body. "It's like the Batmobile," declared one.

Melanie Reeves of Uniondale peered inside the car, examined the gray suede headliner and relayed what she saw to her husband via cellphone. "It's like a house on wheels - a mansion on wheels," she said. "I'd be afraid to drive it."

Another customer, Eddie Sazinski, said the car was nice, but no bargain.

"Two million dollars?" he asked. "That's ridiculous. I don't have that much money yet.''

SpeedyV6

Follow-Up Test: 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
McLaren's Latest Street Car
By Edmunds.com Editors
Date Posted 12-09-2003


Editor's Note: This was our second time behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Our first experience came during an advanced First Drive event in Barcelona, Spain.

There is something truly surreal about listening to The Beach Boys sing "Little Deuce Coupe" while driving the all-new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren around Cape Town, South Africa. First, from a geographic standpoint, you couldn't be much farther from Southern California without leaving the planet, so despite the warm temperatures and crystal blue ocean, this wasn't Beach Boys territory. Second, while it's easy enough to insert the word "Cape" in the line, "Well, I'm not braggin' babe so don't put me down, but I've got the fastest set of wheels in Cape Town," the truth is that this Benz stands out far more in Cape Town than it would roaming the streets of West Los Angeles, where almost no four-wheeled conveyance can stand out.

Heck, they don't even drive on the right (or correct, for that matter) side of the road in South Africa, so much of our initial focus was centered around keeping the SLR in the proper lane while navigating the drive route (particularly challenging when making right-hand turns). But focused we were, because the thought of bending this particular $441,000 "deuce coupe" was enough to scatter any residual mental cobwebs left over from the 24 hours of air travel required to get from Los Angeles to Cape Town.

This raises yet another notable aspect of the SLR's design: its platform, outer shell and flat underbody tray are constructed of nearly 100-percent carbon fiber, so "bending" the vehicle really isn't an option. The Mercedes folks showed us some post-crash test carbon-fiber cones that mount just aft of the SLR's front bumper (also made of carbon fiber) and ahead of its aluminum engine cradle. Upon examining said cones, we saw that this ultralightweight, ultrastrong material tends to crumble and shred during severe impacts, but it doesn't bend. Regardless of terminology, we weren't interested in testing out the SLR's high-tech crash protection system, though we were assured by company representatives that the car provides a level of passive safety (airbags, cabin integrity, energy absorption, etc.) equal to or greater than that of an S-Class. Not a surprising result when you consider that, while carbon fiber is 30-percent lighter than aluminum, it offers four to five times as much energy absorption capability as steel or aluminum during a collision.

Much of the SLR's design philosophy, including those carbon-fiber impact-absorbing cones, comes courtesy of McLaren Cars, Ltd., a specialty car builder out of Woking, England. McLaren is better known for producing Mercedes-Benz's F1 race cars than ultraexotic street cars (though it did produce the extremely limited BMW-powered McLaren F1 back in the mid-1990s, a vehicle many still consider the ultimate street car). Because Mercedes has contracted McLaren to build the SLR, and because the company was after world-class performance, the heavy use of carbon-fiber materials, along with ceramic brake components and active aerodynamics, seems appropriate. Certainly, with the SLR capable of 200-plus mph, it's nice to know that the movable rear spoiler can rotate up to a 65-degree angle to work as an airbrake when jumping on those ceramic binders. This same spoiler tilts 10 to 30 degrees at 60 mph and above to aid high-speed stability.

What we discovered after two days of driving the SLR on the public roads surrounding Cape Town was that, just as hearing the Beach Boys on the other side of the planet felt a bit contradictory, the SLR is itself a collection of contradictions. On the one hand, you've got a car capable of supercar performance on the same level as Porsche's new Carrera GT and Ferrari's new Enzo. It's certainly as advanced as either of those vehicles in terms of design and construction. On the other hand, you've got features like a seven-speaker Bose audio system with CD changer (the changer is in the trunk, of course); an "Unlimited Dimensions" personalization program that offers a Personal Liaison Manager, or PLM, (much like Mercedes' own Maybach program); and a five-speed automatic transmission (no manual transmission is available). These features, along with a wealth of safety and driver aid systems — such as Electronic Stability Control, BrakeAssist and even Baby Smart technology — all speak to the Gran Turismo side of the equation. Yet many of them, particularly the lack of true manual transmission, will have purists dismissing the SLR as yet another expensive toy for buyers with more money than driving skill.

But therein lies the contradiction. Lifting the gullwing doors and falling into the one-piece, carbon-fiber driver seat immediately communicates that this is not a poseur car. Poseurs, for instance, will not want to deal with the "falling in" aspect of entering the SLR. The same less-than-dignified approach to exiting the car exists because you must hoist yourself up and step over the wide door sill while keeping your head low (or risk banging it into the gullwing door). The seat itself, because of its one-piece design, offers no independent seat back/seat bottom adjustments, so if you don't like the seat back angle…tough. Actually, that's not true; a range of seat pads can be inserted by McLaren to personalize the driver seat for each SLR customer. Your PLM will, of course, help you through the process when ordering your SLR.

Once situated in the driver seat, it becomes clear that while McLaren did much of the body and suspension design, Mercedes supplied the interior. Everything from the climate control dials to the gauges to the steering wheel is pure Benz. In fact, when sitting in the SLR, it's hard to notice any immediate differences between this high-dollar exotic and a current-generation SL — though the large "SLR"-badged panel in the center stack is a pretty clear giveaway. We can't fault the interior materials, as they are among the best we've run our grubby paws over. Everything that looks like metal actually is, and the seat and headliner leather is among the supplest we've ever felt. But we have to wonder if SLR customers will be content with a cabin that is so clearly derivative of a volume Mercedes-Benz product, especially one that can be had for one-fifth the price.

What can't be had for one-fifth the price is the SLR's driving characteristics. Fire the AMG-massaged 5.5-liter engine by hitting the start button on top of the shifter and revel in a deep rumble that only a V8 can conjure. All the latest tricks can be found under the SLR's long hood, including a Lysholm-type supercharger, twin intercoolers, twin spark plugs, NiCaSil cylinder walls, forged connecting rods and pistons and a cast-aluminum engine block. Pulling a page from the "Mad Max" school of engineering, the SLR's supercharger does not spin when the vehicle is coasting, and under light throttle, the pressurized air is rerouted to reduce the load on the supercharger and improve fuel efficiency. Anyone who remembers the old 540K's "power-on-demand" supercharger knows that Mercedes was utilizing this thought process long before Mad Max.

To keep the engine, and the SLR's hood, as low as possible, AMG outfitted the V8 with a dry-sump oil system. It's unique in that it uses twin oil pumps: one to keep the bottom of the engine block dry and another to inject oil into the engine bearings. By using this system, the block could be mounted low to reduce the SLR's center of gravity. The engine is also mounted well behind the front axle, giving the SLR a front-mid engine layout and perfect 50/50-weight balance between the front and rear axles.

You might expect all this technical wizardry to result in some fairly spectacular numbers, and with a peak output of 617 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque, we hope your expectations are met. As impressive as those numbers are in terms of spec sheets, what really matters is how the power is delivered over a wide rpm range. At 1,500 rpm, the engine is already making 440 lb-ft of torque. This number jumps to over 500 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm and hits the 575 peak at just 3,250 rpm, remaining there up through 5,000 rpm. While maximum horsepower doesn't hit until 6,500 rpm, you'd never know it from the instantaneous forward thrust available from idle to redline. This car proves the popular saying, "Horsepower is what you read about, torque is what you feel."

It's this level of engine performance that allows the SLR to overcome what many will feel is an unacceptable drivetrain component in an otherwise highly capable car. The five-speed automatic is similar to the unit found behind other AMG products, but it has been upgraded with wider planetary gears, larger bearings and an improved cooling system. It also features a new Speedshift system that offers three levels of performance: "Comfort," "Sport" and "Manual." A dial in the center stack rotates between these settings, with Sport offering crisper shifts than Comfort, and Manual offering three additional settings made by yet another dial in the center stack (these settings are labeled "Sport," "SuperSport" and "Race").

It's an accepted fact within the automotive universe that AMG makes some of the finest slushboxes available. From the C32 to the CL65, this company knows how to make a car shift for itself. Not surprisingly, the same can be said of the SLR's five-speed automatic. From responsive downshifts to positive upshifts, the five-speed auto never missed a beat. Furthermore, the ability to shift it manually via steering wheel-mounted buttons gave it a level of precision close to that of BMW's sequential manual gearbox (SMG), especially when placed in its most aggressive "Race" mode.

However, the very fact that every other high-performance Mercedes comes with a slushbox further calls out the need for this Mercedes product — a vehicle that is supposed to represent the company's no-holds-barred approach to ultimate street performance — to possess a true manual transmission. We didn't mind driving it with an automatic, but we're not sure the target demographic will be as forgiving.

Beyond the lack of a manual transmission, there was one other characteristic that we never got used to, even after two days behind the SLR's wheel: the brakes. As previously mentioned, the SLR features an advanced braking system that uses ceramic rotors. These rotors are 14.6 inches in front and 14.2 inches in back. They are grabbed by eight-piston fixed calipers in front (four-piston in back) and the entire system is rated to handle up to 2,000 horsepower. In addition, the system is supplemented by the aforementioned air brake that deploys from the rear deck lid and rotates to 65 degrees, increasing rear downforce under hard braking conditions.

With all this hardware working together, there's no denying that the SLR offers world-class stopping power, but smoothly modulating that power under normal driving conditions proved nigh impossible throughout our two-day, 250-mile driving excursion. Similar to the "dead zone" found on other Mercedes-Benz electronic brake systems, including those fitted to the SL and E-Class, the SLR's pedal moved an uncomfortable distance before any form of braking action occurred. When things finally did start to happen, they happened too abruptly, causing the vehicle to lurch, particularly at low speeds. If you've driven a new SL or E-Class, multiply the "on/off" feel of the brake pedal by five and you'll understand.

Knowing that the SLR is not your typical street car, we fully expected the need for an "acclimation period" to properly appreciate, and utilize, the race-bred braking system. But when we continued to be challenged by the car's recalcitrant brake pedal throughout our driving experience, and when we heard similar comments from the rest of the assembled press, our willingness to accept the system as part of the car's performance-oriented character waned. We've driven other ultraexotic performance cars that offered as much, or more, stopping power (Mercedes claims the SLR will stop from 62 mph in 114 feet) and they still provided predictable and consistent pedal action. The Mercedes-Benz folks readily admitted that the brakes were designed for performance use first, street use second. We won't argue with that description.

Beyond the brake pedal issue, we can report that the SLR delivers the type of excitement one would expect of a 21st century sports car. The double-wishbone suspension works in conjunction with the car's long wheelbase (106.3 inches), low center of gravity and wide track to provide stability and predictability under extreme driving conditions. We found the car to be fully capable, if a bit out of its element, in low-speed, tight corners where the long wheelbase was a disadvantage. At higher speeds in long, sweeping corners and through rapid transitions, the vehicle felt as buttoned down as anything we've driven on the street.

Our street drive was followed up by hot laps at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit near Johannesburg, where the SLR's true capabilities could be displayed. Here, the car's "always ready" powertrain was supplemented by its advanced suspension to slingshot the Benz out of corners while providing race-carlike grip through fast sweepers. Even the brakes felt at home in this venue, repeatedly pulling the car down from triple-digit speeds with aplomb.

Dr. Hans-Joachim Schopf, head of Global Product Communications, told us that "two hearts are beating within the car." He went on to describe the SLR as a vehicle that straddles two categories. On one side you have grand touring vehicles, such as the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari 575M Maranello, and on the other you have pure performance machines like the Lamborghini Murcielago and Porsche Carrera GT. If you're looking for a vehicle that offers better performance than the Vanquish or 575, the SLR answers the call. Similarly, if you're looking for a vehicle with more amenities than a Carrera GT or Lambo, again, the SLR serves up the creature comforts.

But, the SLR doesn't offer a true manual transmission like a Porsche or Lamborghini, and the level of wind and road noise within the cabin, even at moderate speeds, won't threaten the serenity of Ferrari's Maranello and Aston Martin's Vanquish. What this means to prospective buyers is that you can now have yet another flavor of exotic transportation. Easier to live with than a pure super sports car, more capable than a grand tourer and endowed with a more advanced design and construction than either. With a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 207 mph (both figures come via Mercedes-Benz), the SLR can certainly run with the world's most capable vehicles.

If you're wondering how many people are looking for such a car, Mercedes tells us there's already a two- to three-year wait for SLRs (depending on what country the customer is in). A total of 3,500 SLRs will be produced for worldwide consumption — the company says it will produce 500 a year for the next seven years. All of them will feature left-hand drive, regardless of final destination point around the globe, and in the first two years they will only come in silver or black. In later years the color palette will expand, but Mercedes says there is no plan to produce a convertible version, due primarily to the associated compromise in structural integrity.

We're just hoping to get another chance to drive one on this side of the planet. Who knows, maybe the brakes work better in the Northern Hemisphere.

Photos: http://nytimes.edmunds.com/reviews/r...age1photo.html

http://nytimes.edmunds.com/reviews/r...6/article.html

gavriil

SLR Buyers Get Some Free Time - - - Source: Autoexpress

Take a close look at this watch, because the only other time you'll see one is if you know a McLaren Mercedes SLR owner.

The exclusive timepiece has been produced by TAG Heuer, and will only be available to SLR buyers. Known as the SLR Chronograph, it has automatic winding, while its black regulator dial is designed to resemble the car's dash.

gavriil

I am not into watches but this really looks great!

gavriil

So now, people know you drive an SLR even without seeing you in it. Interesting...

Crazy Bimmer

WOW.

Cant wait to see one on ebay!

titan

That watch is goregous.

charliemike

ROFL ... The watch is as overdesigned as the car.

Both are hella ugly

nandowong

FutureBagdA4

totally 100% right. . .the original design of the car was curved, smooth, and simple. . .this has gills everywhere etc. ruins the lines and simplicity and curves the original 300slr had

rezurex

my god... i grew up right next to woodbury in syosset, l.i. and i would drive past champion everyday to go to h.s. and i would routinely see some of the sickest cars

but this one takes the fkn cake. holy shit! this car is insane... rallye has one?? soon as i get home in a few days i'll drive over and take some pics first hand.

CLUofI

I wonder in the SLR's composite brakes will hold up better than the Porsche's

gavriil

MT mag reports that the three technicians left with Mercedes/McLaren (since everyone left with Gordon Murray's departure) are tweaking the current SLR for more power, less weight and better aerodynamics. There is a new exhaust which lower weight and adds about 30HP and new rear wing deflector and front fenders.

stangg172004

srika

finally.... they made the car desirable.... lol

stangg172004

no they have those crazy doors....

srika

u iz a foo

S A CHO

And is that a stationary spoiler or am I seeing things?

Yumcha

According to Autocar:

srika

kind of a lame upgrade, imo. 24hp out of a blown V8? woop-de-doo. They have the know how to get 100 more hp, if they wanted to. That woulda been impressive. This, this is as impressive as the PS2's recent price drop.

That being said, I'll take one, in black. plz. thx. bye.

stangg172004

its a lot quicker, almost half a second. More so because of the transmission i would imagine than the 24 extra bhp

srika

arguable.

Yumcha

Are you seriously gonna argue about the added HP in a car you can't afford in like...evar?




You strange, Herr Mod. I don't care if they shoved a giant dildo on the car.