A collaboration between two of the world’s leading manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and McLaren, two key rivals in the Formula 1 world championship, and two manufacturers that, despite both beginning with M, have very different philosophies. McLaren’s is to build the ultimate driver’s supercar whilst Mercedes is simply to make the ultimate car. Yet despite their differing philosophies, the two manufacturers decided to come together and produce a road racer. Mercedes owned 40% of McLaren at the time, and back then, they were a joint force in Formula 1, with the iconic McLaren Mercedes title. So with this combined force in F1, the two manufacturers decided to collaborate and build a road car. Their first concept was unveiled in 1998 under the banner Vision SLR, a concept heavily based on the 1955 300 SLR coupe. This concept featured a 5.0l supercharged 557 horsepower V8 and acted as a vision for what was to come. It wasn’t until 2003, that a final full-production SLR came to fruition with several alterations made by McLaren for aerodynamic stability and performance. A Mercedes from the Outset… Traditionally hypercars are meant to be supercars unplugged, they are meant to be totally wild and make supercars seem tame and unnoticeable. Mid-engine jet fighters focused on delivering thrills, lacking practicality or refinement whilst also breaking the bank. Then along comes the SLR that, at first glance, doesn’t look like your traditional hypercar. Its engine is at the front, there’s a boot at the back large enough for golf clubs and the whole car looks more flagship Mercedes than a McLaren-based hypercar. This is especially true underneath the skin. The SLR’s engine isn’t some bespoke race-derived unit, it’s in essence a tuned version of AMGs 5.4l supercharged V8 that dominated the early 2000s. Inside we find the same fixtures and fittings as an SL and there’s no manual or race-derived single clutch gearbox, instead, there’s a 5-speed Automatic. In essence, from the outset, one would assume that this is more a super-GT, a rival for Bentley and Aston Martin than a specialist hypercar. Certainly despite its carbon-fibre construction, its interior and enormous resulted in it being quite a real fatty, weighing in at 1,743kg. …But a McLaren Within However, throughout the entire car, there are certain details that are clearly from the race geniuses at McLaren. The car is constructed almost entirely of carbon fibre, there’s a huge air brake at the rear and doors are McLaren’s iconic butterfly design, first seen on the F1. And whilst the 5.4l Supercharged V8 is from AMG, McLaren’s boffins reworked, re-calibrated and re-tuned everything so it developed 617 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. The result is that this car sprints from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and maxes at 208mph. But even more impressive than the gain in speed is the loss. Thanks to the enormous carbon ceramic brakes and the race-derived air brake, the car stops from 120mph to 0 in less than 230 ft. And in the corners despite the weight, it manages to handle as precision and accuracy of McLaren’s best racers. And compared to a lot of hypercars at the time, which were about as easy as wrestling a bear, relatively speaking the SLR was a doddle to drive fast. But the best thing about the SLR wasn’t the speed or handling or braking, it was its liveability. Most hypercars at the time were as delicate as dandelions, they were only used on specialist weekends and manufacturers had to transport them everywhere for testing. But infamously when Mercedes conducted the winter test on the SLR, they drove it to Sweden, did the test and drove it back. It was a car that one at a stretch could use every day, with its signature front-engine GT layout and exceptional Mercedes build quality. It really was the best of both worlds combining McLaren’s racing DNA with Mercedes usability and build quality. And where many hypercars came and went the SLR soldiered on with many iterations like the 641 hp 722 coming in 2006 and a Roadster variant in 2007. A Recent Classic Despite its uniqueness, the SLR was often sniffed at by the motoring press. Most saw it as just a lazy effort on both Mercedes and McLaren’s part, lacking the excitement or drama that any true hypercar deserved. As a result, very few actually purchased one and it subsequently lost value. In fact, just 10 years ago, one could pick up an SLR for as little as $200,000 which for a game changer is a solid value for money. However, in the last two years, the car has experienced a surge in appreciation. A lot of which has to do with its unique construction. There have been many times car makers have worked together see the AC Cobra and McLaren F1. But the SLR is the only time when two manufacturers equally collaborated on a car’s construction. As a result, its value has increased so now at a minimum it’s at its original list price of $445,000. How all modern hypercars learnt from this Hyper-GT The SLR may not have the drama of most of its peers but its significance in history in history cannot be denied. It was because of its dual personality as both a hypercar killer and a daily-living GT. Without this feat, Bugatti would never have made the Veyron so refined. It’s because of the SLR that modern-day super and hypercars are now so refined and liveable. It is a genius amongst hypercars and is exceptional, to say the least. Undoubtedly the underappreciated gem in the many hypercars of the 2000s. F1rstMotors Facts and FiguresManufacturerMercedes-Benz Group AG/McLaren Automotive LtdModelSLRYear of Release2003Engine5.4l Supercharged V8Horsepower617 horsepowerTorque575 lb–ft0–62mph (100km/h)3.6 secondsTop Speed208mph (335 km/h)Weight1,743kg (1.7 tonnes)Power to Weight354 hp per tonneGearbox5-speed AutomaticDriven WheelsRear-Wheel-DriveAmount Built2,715RivalsPorsche Carrera GT, Ferrari Enzo, Pagani Zonda S, Koenigsegg CC8S, Lamborghini MurcielagoSource: McLaren Automotive
