Mercedes-Benz · 2003–2010

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C199 / R199 / Z199) is a grand tourer jointly developed by German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and British automotive manufacturer McLaren Automotive and sold from 2003 to 2010. When the car was developed, Mercedes-Benz owned 40 percent of the McLaren Group and the car was produced in conjunction between the two companies. The "SLR" name is an abbreviation for "Sport Leicht Rennsport" (Sport Light Racing), and was an homage to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR which served as the car's inspiration. The car was offered in coupé, roadster and speedster bodystyles, with the latter being a limited-edition model.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR · Successor: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

All Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

At the 1999 North American International Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz presented their Vision SLR concept, inspired both by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé of 1955, which was a modified Mercedes-Benz W196S race car, and the design of closed-wheel Formula One cars, a field in which they had prior experience from Mercedes-Benz competing in Formula One in the past as constructor also winning back to back championships in their debut season 1954 then 1955. Also during the jointly developed project of Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in 2003 Mercedes-Benz acquiring 40 per cent ownership of McLaren Group competed in Formula One as partnership with the McLaren Formula One Team, and were developing powertrains and electronics for McLaren's Formula One cars. The car was presented as "Tomorrow Silver Arrow" in a clear reference to the Silver Arrows of the golden age of Mercedes in competition during the fifties. Later that year, during the Frankfurt Motor Show, a roadster version of the SLR concept was presented. The concept car was fitted with a 5.0-litre supercharged AMG V8 engine able to generate a power output of 565 PS (416 kW; 557 hp) and 720 N⋅m (531 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm, mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox with Touchshift control. Wanting to bring the concept to production following its positive reception, Mercedes joined forces with their Formula One partner, McLaren, thus creating the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Mercedes did the styling on the car while McLaren was fully responsible for everything else, from the design and the engineering to the manufacture and the testing of each car at the production line. During development, a pair of TVR Cerberas were modified for use as test mules for the SLR's engine. The production version of the car was unveiled to the g

Technical highlights

=== Brakes === The SLR features Sensotronic Brake Control, a type of brake-by-wire system. The brake discs are carbon-ceramic units and provide better stopping power and fade resistance than steel discs when operating under ideal working temperature. Mercedes-Benz claims these discs are fade resistant to 1,200 °C (2,200 °F). The front discs are internally vented and measure 370 mm (14.6 in) in diameter; eight-piston callipers are used. Rear discs are 360 mm (14.2 in) in diameter with four-piston callipers. During wet conditions the callipers automatically skim the surface of the discs to keep them dry. Aerodynamics. The SLR features active aerodynamics; there is a spoiler mounted on the rear integral air brake flap. The spoiler increases downforce depending on its angle of elevation (angle of attack). At a set speed, the spoiler/brake automatically raises to 10 degrees (15 degrees in the 722 edition), when demanded via the driver's switch, the elevation can be increased to 30 degrees (35 degrees in the 722 edition) for increased rear downforce, at the cost of increased steady state drag. The car has a flat underbody and a rear diffuser for improved downforce. Due to this, there was no other place for the exhaust pipes to exit, other than the sides of the car, making it another unique feature of the SLR. Engine. The SLR has a 232 kg (511 lb) hand-built 5.4 L; 331.9 cu in (5,439 cc) supercharged all-aluminium alloy, SOHC 3 valves per cylinder 90° V8 engine, with a bore and stroke of 97 mm × 92 mm (3.82 in × 3.62 in) and with a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The engine is lubricated via a dry sump system. The Lysholm-type twin-screw supercharger rotates at a maximum of 23,000 rpm and produces 0.9 bar (13 psi) of boost. The compressed air is then cooled via two intercoolers.

Variants

=== 722 Edition === A new version of the SLR was introduced in 2006, called the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. The "722" refers to the victory by Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722 (indicating a start time of 7:22 a.m.) at the Mille Miglia in 1955. The "722 Edition" includes a modified version of the engine used in the SLR generating a power output of 650 PS (478 kW; 641 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 820 N⋅m (605 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm. 19-inch light-alloy wheels were used to reduce unsprung mass, while modifications were also made to the suspension, with a stiffer damper setup and 10 mm (0.39 in) lower ride height introduced for improved handling. Larger 390 mm (15.4 in) diameter front brakes and a revised front air dam and rear diffuser were fitted. Other exterior changes include red "722" badging, harking back to the original 722 racer, black tinted tail lights and headlamps. The interior has carbon fibre trim and black leather upholstery, combined with Alcantara. The SLR 722 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds, 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 10.2 seconds and 300 km/h (186 mph) in 27.6 seconds, and can attain a top speed of 337 km/h (209 mph), faster than the standard Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Production of the 722 Edition was limited to 150 units. Roadster. A roadster version of the SLR went on sale in September 2007. It uses the same engine as its coupé sibling, generating a power output of 626 PS (460 kW; 617 hp), to propel it to a top speed of 334 km/h (208 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of 3.6 seconds. However, as a convertible, the roadster was burdened with extra weight, which affected performance and handling. The Roadster's roof is made from a "newly dev

Sales

Total sales were 615 units in 2005, 261 units in 2006, and 275 units in 2007, falling well below Mercedes-McLaren's goal of selling 500 units annually. When the SLR was first announced, Mercedes said total production would be limited to 3,500 units. 1,400 units had been sold by the end of 2007. The factory confirmed that production would halt at the end of 2010. A total of 2,157 cars were produced.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

sp: uk
name: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz, McLaren Automotive
Production: 2003–2010, 2,157 produced
Assembly: United Kingdom: Woking, Surrey, England (McLaren Technology)
Designer: Gordon Murray, Gorden Wagener
Class: Grand tourer (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé, 2-door roadster, 2-door speedster (Stirling Moss)
Layout: Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Engine: 5439 cc supercharged M155 SLR V8
Transmission: 5-speed 5G-Tronic automatic
Wheelbase: 2700 mm
Length: 4656 mm
Width: 1909 mm
Height: 1261 mm, 2006–08: 1252 mm
Kerb weight: 1743-1768 kg, 1791.5 kg (SLR Roadster)
Predecessor: Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (spiritual)
Model years: 2004–2010
Top speed: 336 km/h

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207624CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLR_McLarenCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371857915 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_SLR_McLaren_2.jpgPublic domain · Photo: Cars en travel · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.