Mid-Eastern rally driver drops SLR engine into SLK
Stare as long as you like, it's not a Photoshop job. That is the 617-hp McLaren SLR motor shoehorned into the bay and sticking through the hood of a Mercedes SLK. If the forum posts are true, the owner appears to be a Mid-Eastern rally champion named Mohamed Bin Sulayem. The story goes that Sulayem performed this transplant because his other supercars weren't suitable in the traffic-clogged streets of Dubai. He liked the comfort and ride of the SLK, but felt it was a little weak on power. Needless to say, he's alleviated the SLK's shortcomings and then some.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Damn! Must be nice to throw cash around like that!
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Scott Eaton 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
methinks my last gas fillup paid for half that.
Never. Worked a day. In his life.
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B 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I love the rich and out-right f-ing crazy! Forget the "Fabulous Life of Usher/P-Diddy/Montle Crue," they need to do an entire series on these guys in Dubai!
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Scott 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I am impressed!
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Luxury Larry 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
"traffic-clogged streets of Dubai."
how clogged ARE the streets of Dubai?
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Finished.Law.School 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I should have been a middle eastern oil baron...
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Adam 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
I wonder if he changed the front suspension at all because that is a large amount of weight up front. If you look at the pics it seems as thought the car is stitting too low in the front (i.e. look at the spacing in between the tire and wheel arches front and back).
Anyways if you could just get this in stick it would be perfect.
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ebp2k2 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
eh, kinda predictible, no?
what I really want to see if someone stuffing a BAR F1 Honda v10 into an NSX... or Ferrari's v10 into a F430...
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sajid 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
>Never. Worked a day. In his life.
I actually think he is a quite successful middle east rally car driver.
http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=2634
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Jesse Quijano 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
If you digg into the article a bit you will see that the guy is an ex rally racer who has participated in the dakar. Im not saying he doesnt have oil in the family but he could easily afford that after a succesful race career combined with all the sponsership money
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Gandhi 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Would it not have been cheaper to have Brabus drop in a supercharged V8? I am sure it can easily hit the 617hp target and would not have to sacrifice the McLaren engine (not that money seems to be a concern here, mind you).
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Fooman 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
poster number 9...
Because he can, and the brabus v8 would be to easy.
The question is where did he get the engine? Is McClaren offering that engine in crate form?
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SoloTwo 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Do you guys fail to realize that Merc sells a SLK 55? With a supercharged V8? Why would you swap in a Brabus V8 when you can already get a supercharged V8. Btw I seriously doubt the SLR motor weighs that much more then the V8 it came with from the factory seeing as that they are the same size internally.
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Sa3adi 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
You guys are always ready to assume anything, This guy is a very famous rally driver in the middle east and an important figure in the auto world there. Every year he would get free cars just to have people see him in them. No every rich middleeastern have oil in his blood. As a matter of fact, %99.98 of rich people there has nothing to do with oil.
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Mathew 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
He can't be that rich considering he didn't have money to get himself a proper paintjob.
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Elias 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
The SLK55 is not supercharged.
-- Elias
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Dan 11:06PM (12/18/2005)
Poster 13:
The car IS an SLK55. Check the pictures.
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