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The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sports car and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Automotive, inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR of 1955 which was actually based on the W196 F1 car, yet named after the road-going Mercedes 300SL Gullwing.
Though often classified as a Supercar, and compared to cars like the Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Murcielago and Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, the presence of the automatic and its driving characteristics lead some commentators to classify the SLR McLaren as a Super GT whose closer rivals are the Aston Martin Vanquish and Ferrari 599 GTB. In fact, one of the goals of the SLR was to combine both supercar and GT characteristics.
It is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world. It is assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. SLR stands for "sport, leicht, Rennsport" (sport, light, racing). The car's base price is £300,000 or $450,000.
The SLR has a supercharged 5.5 (5439 cc) litre dry sumped 90 degree stacked six V8. It produces 466.8 kW at 6500 rpm (626 hp) and 780 N·m (575 ft·lbf) torque at 3250 - 5000 rpm. AMG technicians took the original SL-55 AMG engine and optimized its capacities by enlarging the fuel pump, the cylinders, and installed a larger cooling system. It has 3 valves per cylinder with SOHC. This is very unusual as most supercars, indeed most modern cars, have DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder, but it keeps with the recent trend in modular V engines from Mercedes Benz and decreases engine emissions. The Twin-screw type supercharger and the 2 aluminium rotors have a maximum speed of 23,000 rpm. It is mounted between the two engine banks and uses 120 bhp at maximum capacity.
Unlike most of its contemporaries, its engine is front-mid mounted. McLaren took the original concept car designed by Mercedes and moved the engine 1 metre behind the front bumper, and around 50 cm behind the front axle. They also optimised the design of the centre firewall.
Mercedes-Benz's performance claims for the SLR have been confirmed. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 10.6 seconds, and 300 km/h in 28.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 334 km/h (207 mph), and has once reached a speed of 210 mph, which makes it the fastest car with a true automatic transmission with a torque converter. The car uses carbon fibre for its entire body construction, which makes it lighter. However, at 1768 kg, the car is still quite heavy. The SLR is one of the safest and most luxurious supercars ever built, straying from the common supercar practice of eliminating luxuries for the sake of weight reduction.
Car and Driver achieved a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds at 125 mph. C&D suggests the times may be even lower if temperatures were higher. Car and Driver achieved top gear acceleration 30-50 mph and 50-70 mph times of 1.7 and 2.4 seconds, which are the fastest ever recorded by the magazine in a production car. The SLR also pulled 0.97 g on the skidpad.
The German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, in 2004, tested the SLR at the Nardo test track in southern Italy. They reported that the SLR accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, 200 km/h in 10.7 seconds, and 300 km/h in 30.6 seconds. The car's 400-meter time and 1 km time were found to be 11.5 seconds at 207 km/h, and 20.5 seconds at 269 km/h, respectively. Wikipedia |
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