CAR Online has scooped the farewell edition of the SLR – a speedster version of Mercedes and McLaren’s outrageous supercar. Our spy photos and video conclusively reveal the chop-top SLR that’s somehow even more shocking than the SLR coupe and SLR roadster. Just look at those mini windscreen lips and imagine the speed at which flies will be rammed into your throat at 200mph. Utter madness.
Our new spy photos of the aero-screened machine turned up today and the camouflage seems pretty pointless to us; this is clearly an open ‘speedster’ style SLR. Just check out the amusing third headlamp camo detail.
Yes, it’s pretty difficult do disguise a 200+mph windscreen-less hypercar!
Indeed. The SLR’s lines are unmistakable despite the loss of the windscreen. The rear deck features twin roll hoops and double-humps – reminiscent of Mercedes’ classic ‘Silver Arrows’ racers. It’s not known what it’ll be called, but it’s internally codenamed Z119. What is certain is that it will be the most expensive SLR ever built, with a price tag in the region of €750,000 (£600,000). Yikes.
That’s a huge amount of cash. What does it buy you?
Quite simply it’s a windscreen-less SLR. The existing models already use rigid carbonfibre so removing the windscreen is a relatively simple job for the engineers at McLaren’s HQ in Woking where the SLR is assembled.
Numbers will be limited – it’s thought that only 75 of these radical speedster SLRs will ever be built.
Click ‘Next’ for more on our scoop of the SLR speedster
See the McMerc SLR speedster in action in our spy video below
So is the SLR speedster any faster?
Removing the windscreen, glass and other kit like air-conditioning will reduce the SLR Speedster’s weight by around 200kg. That should be enough to ensure a drop in the SLR’s 0-62mph time to around 3.5 seconds. The top speed will increase too, with 217mph (350km/h) mooted. Mercedes and McLaren engineers are making other revisions to the suspension, steering and gearing to reflect its more extreme nature.
When will we see it?
The Z119 isn’t officially due to be on sale until 2009. However, it’s rumoured that Lewis Hamilton will unveil it in July 2008. Whether that’ll be a public viewing or a private event to prospective owners isn’t clear.
Once it’s been officially unveiled and touted around the international motor shows, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see one again. The SLR speedster is certain to end up as a collector’s piece squirreled away in air-conditioned garages of extremely wealthy Merc fans.