McLaren celebrates 20 years of the Mercedes SLR!

It is an iconic sports carresulting from the collaboration between two historic car manufacturers… In the early 2000s, the German Mercedes-Benz and Briton McLaren decide to join forces to create a high-performance sports car. It would combine the engineering expertise of Mercedes, and the motorsport experience of McLaren. A hell of a clash of titans! The long-awaited model is presented in 2003, and bears the name Mercedes SLR Mclaren. SLR (Sport Leicht Rennsport) means “Light Sport Racing” in German, and takes its name from the legendary 1950s Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, which raced at Le Mans. Faced with the enthusiasm and success aroused by this pre-series example, production can begin!

626 horsepower 5.4L V8

It began at the end of 2003, at the historic McLaren site, in Woking in the United Kingdom. The new SLR is powered by a motor 5.4-liter supercharged V8, developing 626 horsepower. For 780 Nm of torque! Its body designed in carbon fiber and aluminum is beneficial to the weight. It is contained under 8 ton! This explains the impressive performances of which it is capable. S on 0 to 100 km / h is shot in about 3.6 seconds, and its maximum speed peaks at 336 km/h! It will be available in several variants during its career, including the coupe (the most common) and the roadster. It will also be entitled to special versions, such as the SLR 722 in 2006, which pays tribute to the victory of Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson at the Mille Miglia in 1955.

A great example of collaboration

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has become an icon in the world of sports and luxury cars. It is also a beautiful testimony of the ability of major brands to work together to create extraordinary models, which make you dream. This collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren has combined the luxury and driving comfort of Mercedes models with the advanced technology and engineering expertise of McLaren in performance. To remain exclusive, its production has been relatively limited, with less than 1,800 units produced in total until 2010. Today, 20 years later the start of its production, McLaren pays tribute to it to celebrate its anniversary. The manufacturer exhibited on its Woking site four models of his sport. An SLR HDK, an SLR Stirling Moss, an SLR by MSO and a “classic” cut SLR.

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