Autoblog

McLaren brings back the SLR for a limited-edition swan song

Noah Joseph — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Misc. Auto Shows

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been a year since the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was discontinued. 2,000 examples of five different variants of the extravagant supercar were made over the course of five years of production. And in its wake, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren have gone their separate ways, both on the track and off. Both have been keeping plenty busy since the divorce, but they've apparently gotten back together for one last hurrah.

Apparently created by McLaren as an aftermarket kit for existing models and unveiled at the Essen Motor Show (think of it as Germany's SEMA), this McLaren Edition SLR packs revised aerodyanamics, steering, suspension and interior. The result is an exclusive swan-song for the exotic McMerc (only 25 examples will be offered), and it looks like it's mated with a MG SV. Take a closer look with the images below and the video after the jump, where you may notice that the Mercedes part of the equation has been decidedly de-emphasized.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Edition

[Source: Autoblog Germany]

Continue reading McLaren brings back the SLR for a limited-edition swan song

McLaren brings back the SLR for a limited-edition swan song originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible hammers at $205,000

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Performance, Auctions, Bugatti, Chevrolet, GM, Mercedes-Benz

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible teaser - Click above for high-res image gallery

The hammer has fallen on the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible and the Barrett-Jackson crowd broke out their wallets for it. Final price for the drop-top muscle car? $205,000. Being the first person with a new toy costs money and an affluent fan of the bow-tie will be placing one of the earliest examples of the upcoming Camaro convertible in their garage.

General Motors products ending up taking three of the top five sales spots. A 1981 Corvette coupe sold for $150,000 and a custom 2010 Camaro coupe brought in $350,000. A pair of exotic supercars finished one and two as a 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren convertible cost someone $412,500 and a 2008 Bugatti Veyron sold for $770,000. More on that one later...

Is it worth that amount of money to have an early example of a new model like the reborn Camaro convertible? Only time will tell - but we could think of many other ways to spend $205,000, especially in Las Vegas. Regardless, congrats to the new owner, whose family will probably be selling the car at Barrett-Jackson Mars 2060.

Gallery: Chevrolet Camaro Convertible teasers

Followup: 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible hammers at $205,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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21-year-old with giant supercar collection makes us jealous

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Middle East, Luxury, Koenigsegg

When we were 21, we were happy to ditch the fake ID and score cheaper insurance rates. Life's a little different for Dhiaa Al-Essa, a 21-year-old Saudi who owns a fleet of exotics that'd turn the average enthusiast's knees into Jell-O.

His 30-car (not a typo) garage includes enough Italians, Brits and Germans to re-enact World War II. The current stable includes four Ferraris, five Porsches, three Lamborghinis, two Rolls-Royces and a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which Al-Essa counts as his personal favorite. To wring maximum enjoyment out of his exotic empire, young Dhiaa spent this summer flying his fleet around the globe so that he and his friends could create their own driving tours in cities such as London, Montreal, Las Vegas and New York.

How is a young man like Mr. Al-Essa able to afford such amazing machinery? Well, he can't. His father just happens to be a billionaire who enjoys spending money on a cost-is-no-object basis for his son. To prove this point, Dihaa's father plans to hand him the keys to two more otherworldly vehicles. On his 22nd birthday, Dihaa will become the proud owner of a Koenigsegg Agera, which comes with a golden key. It's like the Willy Wonka of supercars. After the Agera, a Bugatti Veyron will join the family. The price for both cars? Around one Corvette Z06 under $5 million.

Sadly, Al-Essa's new Ferrari 458 Italia was recently lost to fire while housed at Heathrow Airport. Is he crying about it? Nope. He reportedly plans to replace it with one of the Ferrari 599 Roadster models rumored to have been shown at Pebble Beach last month. Thanks for the tip, dood!

Image Copyright (C) 2008 Alex Núñez / AOL
[Source: Metro.co.uk]

21-year-old with giant supercar collection makes us jealous originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes and McLaren bid farewell to SLR, each other

Noah Joseph — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren range - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the end of one's life approaches, individuals are prone to reflect and wonder how they'll be remembered. A car, on the other hand, can't think for itself, so we'll have to take up the task in its stead.

A joint effort between Mercedes-Benz and its erstwhile Formula One racing partner McLaren, the SLR spawned five variants: the original coupe and roadster, the 722 coupe and roadster and the Stirling Moss edition... not to mention a racing version or two. Over the course of its five-year production run, more than 2,000 examples were built, making the SLR one of the most prolific supercars in automotive history. As the final examples of the Stirling Moss roll out of the McLaren factory in Woking, its parents are going their separate ways: Mercedes has sold its stake back to McLaren, acquired its own F1 team, and each has produced its own successor: the SLS AMG and the MP4-12C.

So with its production run drawing to a close, we can't help but wonder how will history remember the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. As the purest embodiment of the Gran Turismo? A fitting tribute to the original 300 SLR that dominated racing in the Fifties? The flawed result of a conflict of interests? Or perhaps as the roadgoing product of one of the most intriguing partnerships in automotive history? Read through the history lesson in the press release after the jump and peruse the gallery of high-resolution images below and you'll get Daimler's perspective. We invite you to share yours in the comments section below.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren retrospective

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes and McLaren bid farewell to SLR, each other

Mercedes and McLaren bid farewell to SLR, each other originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren based Desire. FAB-ulous? Umm...

Frank Filipponio — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Tuners, Coupe, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz

FAB Design SLR Desire - Click above for a high-res gallery

Don't look now, but there's another Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren special on the scene. The latest comes via FAB Design, the tuner that shocked us with their modded SL and CL in Geneva last year. Now they've turned their attention to the SLR and dubbed the result "Desire." If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, desire must be in the loins, and this one leaves us kind of limp. While it isn't as divisively over-the-top as, say, the ASMA Perfectus or the Hamann Volcano, or as garish as the chrome or gold ones we've seen, we'd prefer the SLR 722 GT directly from Mercedes.

The carbon fiber rebody is distinctive and bold, and might not be as bad as we implied. It has a certain DTM machismo to it that might appeal to certain SLR fanciers who want something a little different. In its favor, the FAB Design Desire isn't all about looks. It does feature some suspension tweaks and engine mods that bring power up to 750 hp and nearly 800 torques. And all of that bodywork, along with that optional rear wing, are said to increase downforce considerably. Only 15 will be offered and rather amazingly, all are said to be spoken for. There's a full press release after the jump.

Gallery: FAB Design Desire SLR

[Source: FAB Design]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren based Desire. FAB-ulous? Umm...

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren based Desire. FAB-ulous? Umm... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Golden Arches: Gilded McMerc spotted in - you guessed it - Dubai

Noah Joseph — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Mercedes-Benz

Redefining the term "enough is enough", the owner of this car is said to have had his SLR gold-chromed. The strangest part is that, according to reports, this is actually the same Mercedes SLR McLaren that was previously spied in Dubai with a silver-chrome treatment. We're not sure about the accuracy of this model considering it has a different rear spoiler, different wheels (which have also been gold-chromed) and darker taillight frame like those on later versions of the Anglo-Saxon supercar, not to mention a different license plate... although the car also reportedly belongs to the owner of a UAE license plate registry, so anything's possible.

The sad reality is that someone, whether it's the same guy or not, looked at a chromed McMerc and thought, Yeah, but what if it were plated in gold? Sure makes the gold-plated Veyron and Phantom DHC sent to the same region seem like the epitome of good taste.

[Source: GTSpirit.com]

The Golden Arches: Gilded McMerc spotted in - you guessed it - Dubai originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SLR Stirling Moss won't be offered in North America (w/VIDEO)

Noah Joseph — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:33:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Videos, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss

With the exhibitors' roster for the upcoming 2009 Detroit Auto Show dwindling, you'd think that any cars being unveiled there might actually, you know, be available in North America. But according to reports, you'd be wrong.

Mercedes-Benz is anticipated to unveil the million-dollar Stirling Moss edition SLR McLaren, but sources indicate that the limited-production topless supercar won't even be offered in the market in which it's being unveiled. No worries for Mercedes, which will likely have sold the full run of 75 SLR speedsters being offered exclusively to current SLR owners before the show concludes. Bad news for supercar owners in the U.S,, who'll just have to blow their extra million on another Veyron, Reventon or Koenigsegg instead.

Now, for your viewing enjoyment, we invite you to follow the jump for video footage of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, the longest-named open-air sportscar since the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder.

Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss

[Source: Inside Line]

Continue reading SLR Stirling Moss won't be offered in North America (w/VIDEO)

SLR Stirling Moss won't be offered in North America (w/VIDEO) originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren P11 supercar goes under the knife again before 2010

Michael Harley — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars

We reported ex-Fiat boss Frank Stephenson was tasked with a clean-sheet redesign of the upcoming McLaren supercar, codenamed the McLaren P11, just two months ago. Now we are hearing word that the exotic has been totally redesigned and is scheduled for a launch in 2010. Prototypes of the two-seat, mid-engined coupe (and convertible) are in testing as you read this.

Both body styles are reportedly built on a carbon fiber tub with aluminum front and rear subframes. Weight is expected to be less than 3,000 pounds, making it one of the lightest high-performance cars on the road (the current Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren coupe, more than a bit on the porky side, tips the scales about 750 pounds heavier). Power for the supercar is expected to come from a 550-hp V8 built by famed engine builder Mahle.

Now that the design of the P11 is theoretically set in stone, McLaren needs to find a factory in which to build it. Sites across Europe, including those in Italy, Austria, and Britain, are being considered. Insiders say the factory will announce their manufacturing decision next summer.

[Source: Autocar]

McLaren P11 supercar goes under the knife again before 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RENNtech PKG2 boosts SLR 722 to 740hp

Noah Joseph — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz

Click for hi-res gallery of the RENNtech SLR 722 PKG2

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren may be on its way out, but that doesn't mean there can't be more horsepower extracted from the supercar. The original had 617hp. Then came the SLR 722, which despite its name had 650 horses underhood. The 722's American importer, RENNtech, addressed the perception gap with its first package, boosting output to an eponymous 722hp. Never satisfied to leave well enough alone, RENNtech has now released its second package for the SLR 722 that further boosts power to 740 thanks to a revised ECU and a freer-flowing exhaust system.

While RENNtech's PKG1 went for a solid $12,900 (come on, what's a lousy $13k on the price of such a supercar?), the new PKG2 costs a heftier $26,990, plus an extra $7,800 for the optional Signature 10-spoke 20-inch rims, which can be had in chrome, satin-ceramic or "sniper gray" finishes. The SLR won't be leaving without a final swan song.

Check out the details in the press release after the jump and the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: RENNtech Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 PKG2

[Source: RENNtech]

Continue reading RENNtech PKG2 boosts SLR 722 to 740hp

RENNtech PKG2 boosts SLR 722 to 740hp originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New McLaren supercar expected for 2010

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:13:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars, Mercedes-Benz, Rendered Speculation, Rumormill

With the mostly unloved Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren set to get the official axe in 2009, the path is clear for the next McLaren-branded supercar to be unveiled. Expected to be built at its facility in Woking, England, McLaren has plans for the as-yet-unnamed vehicle to compete with Ferrari's incredible F430. Rumored to be powered by a 550-horsepower V8 engine featuring a basic design snagged from Mercedes and built by Mahle (that of the former Cosworth tuning fame), the power-to-weight ratio should handily outdo that of the Prancing Horse. Shortly after the new coupe codenamed P11 is unveiled, a convertible version is also expected.

True hardcore McLaren enthusiasts should mark 2012 as the year that McLaren returns to form with a proper replacement for its awe-inspiring F1 of a few years back. Powered by a lightweight version of the P11 architecture, this car codenamed the P12 is expected to be powered by a V10 engine with over 600 horsepower. The waiting list will likely start right... about... now.

[Source: Autocar]

New McLaren supercar expected for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 May 2008 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes SLR McLaren production ends entirely next year

Noah Joseph — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz

Click above for high-res gallery of the SLR Roadster

It's been a long, drawn-out goodbye for the lackluster Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The last of the original coupes rolled smoothly off the production line at the end of last year, and the subsequent SLR Roadster is set to follow in 2009.

The SLR drew criticism from the start as a wishy-washy compromise of a supercar with an automatic transmission, better suited towards boulevard cruising - of which it was capable in the grandest style - than white-knuckle driving. The future is looking brighter, however, as a whole array of mouth-watering supercars is popping up in the SLR's place. We brought you news yesterday that the SLR's supercharged V8 engine could find its way into the next Pagani. Before that we brought you spy shots of the upcoming SL65 AMG Black Series, whose performance promises to eclipse the SLR's at a fraction of the price. Mercedes is also preparing an even more extreme SLC with potentially even more blistering performance. McLaren, meanwhile, unhappy with the compromises forced upon it by Mercedes over the SLR project, is going its own way with the P11 project. With this cache of supercars coming down the road, we think it'll be rather hard to miss the SLR at all. Don't you?

Gallery: LA 2007: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster

[Source: Autocar]

Mercedes SLR McLaren production ends entirely next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2008: Mansory displays a few supercar transformations

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Geneva Motor Show, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari

Click above for high-res gallery

OK, we've seen some of their previous work so we probably shouldn't have expected much more this time around, but when we heard that Mansory had gotten its hands on an SLR and a Ferrari 599 GTB, we certainly hoped that it would figure out a way to enhance their gotta-have-it quotients. Alas, our prayers went unanswered. Done up in a matte gold and black combo, the SLR looks a bit toy-like, but it should manage to sell in the single digits at least. Which digit you choose to count the sales is up to you. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano had actually been criticized in some camps for being a bit too evocative of the Chevrolet Corvette when it was first shown. The Mansory edition done up in white and carbon fiber looks even more Vette-like to our eyes. Thoughts of a ZR1 or the recent 427 special edition Z06 leapt to mind. There was also a Phantom in the booth, but quite honestly, doing something outrageous to a Roller just doesn't offend us as badly. Take a look at the gallery and let us know if you agree. We've already heard from at least one other journo who happened to be winding his way down the road towards us that the 599 looks seriously racy and that we are dead wrong about it. We'll let you decide for yourselves. Click away.

Gallery: Mansory SLR and 599 GTB

Geneva 2008: Mansory displays a few supercar transformations originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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