Mercedes-Benz SLR

Roadster

Key Facts:

• Just under 24,000 km from new
• Offered from a large private Mercedes-Benz collection
• Delivered new to Portugal

HISTORY
Developed in collaboration by Mercedes-Benz, AMG, and McLaren Automotive, the SLR McLaren aimed to introduce something new to the supercar market. The three companies had been working together in Formula 1 since 1995, and the idea of this partnership leading to a limited-production supercar was highly anticipated. The Vision SLR Concept was unveiled at the 1999 Detroit Auto Show, just months after McLaren-Mercedes driver Mika Häkkinen secured the first Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship title for the partnership.

The production version of the SLR concept debuted for the 2004 model year, with orders starting in early 2003. The Chief Engineer of the 450-person team tasked with transforming the Vision SLR Concept into a successful production model was the esteemed designer and engineer, Gordon Murray. McLaren handled all production duties at their Woking facility, the same factory responsible for producing Murray’s iconic F1.

Instead of focusing purely on top-tier performance, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren set out to create a car that could outperform rivals like the Porsche Carrera GT, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, and Lamborghini Murciélago while offering the comfort and luxury of a high-speed grand tourer.

AMG developed and assembled the SLR’s impressive 626 horsepower, 5.5-litre supercharged V8 engine, paired with a five-speed Speedshift automatic transmission. The SLR can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds and achieve a top speed of 332 km/h. To manage its incredible speed, the SLR is equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s Sensotronic “brake by wire” system, along with 370mm carbon-ceramic disc brakes and an automatic airbrake integrated into the rear decklid. These systems work together to bring the car to a complete stop from nearly 200 km/h in under 75 metres. One of Murray’s standout innovations, drawing from his Formula 1 experience, was the addition of underbody panels that not only shield the car’s undercarriage from aerodynamic disturbance but also generate significant downforce.

Murray also insisted on the use of a dry-sump lubrication system for the AMG V8 engine, allowing it to be mounted as low and as far back as possible within the SLR’s carbon-reinforced monocoque chassis. This decision resulted in nearly perfect weight distribution, exceptional handling dynamics, and the car’s distinctive long bonnet.To build even more excitement around the SLR, the roadster version was introduced in 2007, featuring a power-operated, insulated soft-top. McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton played a key role in promoting the new model, even specifying his own. Just a few months after deliveries began in November 2008, Hamilton went on to claim the first of his seven Drivers’ Championship titles. Between August 2007 and May 2009, McLaren’s factory produced only 670 SLR McLaren Roadsters, making them highly sought-after today.

Reflecting on the project in his 2019 book Formula One: 50 Years of Car Design, Gordon Murray recalled that the SLR was “the most expensive car they [Mercedes-Benz] have ever made. And it was made in a completely different way with structural composites. We [McLaren] did everything, and I mean everything, except the styling. We handled all the design, engineering, packaging, vehicle development, crash testing, and durability. We designed and built the manufacturing facility, the paint shop, and the end-of-line testing, building each car and passing it to sales.”

OUR SLR McLaren
Our example was delivered new to Portugal and first registered in 2009. The car was ordered in the very rare colour of Crystal Antimony Gray, a colour more commonly associated with the 722S variant, with a gray soft top with the carbon fibre look finish.Alongside regular routine maintenance in the current owner’s private collection the car had a major service in March 2019 at 22,181 km. This service included the all-important spark plug change and fuel filters and came to a total of EUR 14,271.21. Since this date the car has only travelled 1,537 km and has been maintained in an environmentally controlled garage.

The car remains Portuguese registered.