The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a masterpiece. A good wine that took some years to mature to perfection. Mercedes-Benz presented the Vision SLR in 1999. To turn the concept car into a usable car, the project was transferred to McLaren, of which Mercedes-Benz was a shareholder at the time. More specifically, the project ended up with Mr. Gordon Murray, creator of the sublime McLaren F1. The Vision SLR was at odds with everything Murray stands for. The packaging of the car was not good, the design was difficult and the proportions made it difficult to achieve the preset goals. Murray began a long period in which he flew to Stuttgart every week to hold meetings with people from Mercedes-Benz to convince them of how the car should be developed. The final result of those long negotiations is here before you in the form of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The SLR was released around the same time as the Ferrari Enzo and the Porsche Carrera GT. Although the press at the time liked to compare the SLR with the Enzo and the Carrera GT, they were not the obvious competitors in the eyes of Mercedes-Benz. That does not mean that the SLR collapsed during tests on circuits where both other cars had already set times, on the contrary. The SLR held its own well. The SLR had to be an accessible hypercar, get in, quietly leave the street, drive to the Autobahn in peace, put your foot in the carpet, leave everything on the street behind you and return home in peace.

Connoisseurs of this type of car know what it’s all about. It starts with a low mileage, many collectors will always want a car with a low mileage. That is absolutely the case in this case, the car has driven 23,107 KM since the first owner bought the car in 2008. The car has been neatly maintained and maintained according to regulations. The booklets are stamped from 3,878 KM to 21,667 Km, and then an invoice will follow at 22,502 Km where a full service has been carried out.

The most striking thing about this SLR is that it is a 722 edition. The bodywork is in beautiful condition. The body is made entirely of carbon to keep the weight low. The chassis consists of a carbon fiber tube and aluminum frames and is completely glued. The upward-hinged doors open and close exactly as they should. The car stands on the original 722 wheels. When we see the car, we can only say that the design of the SLR has more than stood the test of time. It is a powerfully shaped car. In addition, this is further enhanced by the 722 parts that have been used to make the car look even more beautiful. You must be a huge enthusiast if you want to make an already beautiful SLR McLaren even more beautiful with the used 722 parts. .

The interior is of the same cloth. The sills are wide because they are part of the carbon fiber base. The buttons and controls may look vaguely familiar from other Mercedes-Benz models of the period. Yet the interior can be called unique. The wide sills, the way in which the buttons for opening the doors and the seat adjustment are mounted will not be found in any other Mercedes-Benz car. The seats are made of carbon and are very comfortable. In this case, the seats are upholstered in red nappa leather, as is the rest of the interior. The top of the dashboard is of course black. The interior, just like the exterior and the technology, is in absolute top condition. The leather is beautifully supple and well cared for everywhere. The counters are partly digital and completely match the period in which this car was developed. Still, the SLR’s most eye-catching feature is the start button on top of the transmission lever.

The powertrain is of course the star of the show. The supercharged V8 rumbles beautifully from the side-mounted exhausts and is very powerful. The 5.4 liter 90 degree V8 engine delivers 626 hp and 780 newton meters and is necessarily linked to an automatic transmission because Mercedes-Benz had no other transmission available at the time that could handle the enormous torque of the engine. From 0-100 takes just 3.8 seconds and the top speed is 334 kilometers per hour. There was not much to say about the performances at the time, they were fine. However, the press could not really get used to the five-speed automatic transmission. The Enzo had a six-speed semi-automatic transmission and the Carrera GT even had a six-speed manual transmission. However, with today’s knowledge we can only conclude that the automatic transmission fits the character of the car better than we could have anticipated at that time. What also helps is that the automatic transmission can also be switched manually using buttons on the steering wheel. The SLR is equipped with brake by wire technology. Smooth braking takes some getting used to. Fortunately, the SLR’s stopping power is just as impressive as its acceleration. The brakes are more than well suited to their task and are also assisted by an air brake if necessary. The spoiler at the rear of the SLR can fold up to form an air brake. The underside of the SLR is completely flat to promote airflow and downforce. The side-mounted exhausts are therefore not a “design gimmick” but a necessity. The way in which the engine, exhausts and transmission are mounted in the car is a feast for the eyes for technology enthusiasts. It helps to keep the air resistance low, the Cw value of the SLR is only 0.374, very good for a car of this size and also helps to keep the car stable at high speed.
In short, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 edition in excellent condition with a very attractive mileage.