If you go looking for a Mercedes SLR review, expect to find several that sing the praises of this supercar. Boasting a top speed of over 200 miles per hour, it could go from zero to sixty in 4 seconds flat. Here, NJ Mercedes dealer Prestige Motors offers its own Mercedes SLR review to explain the benefits of this remarkable vehicle.
The Mercedes SLR McLaren cost somewhere around a whopping half million dollars when it arrived on the scene, and was clearly a luxury vehicle only for the very elite. It was built in Portsmouth, and the McLaren Technology Center in Woking, Surrey, England, starting in 2003, when Mercedes-Benz owned 40 percent of McLaren. Often classified as a GT, its rivals were vehicles like the Aston Martin DBS V12 and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. With SLR standing for sport, light, racing, it was meant to be designed for seven years, with a total production of 3500 vehicles. The hefty Mercedes SLR price made it the ninth most expensive street-legal car for 2008.
It was inspired by the Mercedes racers of the fifties and, in a nod to the original SLR300, the SLR McLaren featured doors that swung forward in up, in a modified gullwing. Among the innovative highlights mentioned in many a Mercedes SLR review were the Sensotronic brakes, which were a brake by wire system with carbon-ceramic discs that Mercedes claims are fade resistant to 1200 degrees Celsius. To further improve braking performance, the vehicles had an automatic air brake. Another impressive factor in the SLR’s capability was the hand-built, supercharged, all aluminum V8 engine, which was unique among its contemporaries, in that it was front-mid mounted. The transmission was an AMG SPEEDSHIFT R five speed, with three manual modes, built for durability and performance.
Using carbon fiber for the entire body construction, the engineers kept the weight low. Because of this, it was able to attain remarkable speeds—Car and Driver clocked 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds—as well as above average fuel economy. In fact, the fuel economy for an SLR McLaren is generally better than some lighter, less powerful cars, like the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Gallardo.
If your interest is piqued by this Mercedes SLR review, you may be sorry that production has ceased on this remarkable vehicle. Rest assured, Mercedes has plenty more innovation where that came from, and the staff at Prestige Motors will be happy to introduce you to the Mercedes lifestyle. Visit the website to learn more about Prestige Motors, or connect with the online community on Facebook and Twitter.