March 2007
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| Heading toward 337 km/hr (209mph)! |
While any information on the Mercedes-McLaren SLR is largely irrelevant to 99% of humanity and generally interesting for entertainment purposes only, I thought the new 722 edition merited a short mention.
What is interesting is the way Mercedes marketed the car in the US. The SLR North America marketing manager noted that the 24 examples earmarked for the United States were sold via direct contact with current SLR owners. In his words, all cars sold “instantly” and he felt the demand was there to soak up more 722s were they made available.
This is puzzling in view of the massive depreciation experienced by current owners of the original one thousand 2005/2006 model SLRs. With a number of unsold SLRs languishing in Mercedes showrooms across the country most dealer principals would refuse to order the new car, regardless of the technical improvements. This would support Mercedes-Benz going directly to their SLR ownerbank to quietly place the small number of 722s.
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| Suspension/aerodynamic tweaks improve grip. |
With most current owners facing value losses of up to 46% ($215,000!) from the original car's MSRP of $465,000, I'll bet Mercedes got an earful from some of their more disgruntled SLR owners: “Let me get this straight. I've lost 200 grand on the one I currently own and you want me to buy another?” Obviously the networking on Mercedes' part worked and the cars were sold. You can't argue with this success.
Regarding SLR values, one of our clients was approached earlier this year by his selling dealer wondering if his black 2006 SLR with just 400 miles on the clock might be for sale. Upon hearing that the car was available the dealer cheerfully offered him $230,000! Our client initially purchased the car for $455,000 after being told by that same dealer that the car was a solid investment!
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Supercharged 5.5 liter V-8
now produces 650hp! |
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Track behavior much improved
over softer original SLR. |
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Lovely Alcantara/Leather interior. |
Value issues aside, the 722 is absolutely spectacular and many owners simply don't care about the steep depreciation. The zany persona of the original car is toned down substantially and the new car has a far more appealing competition look. This is precisely how I felt the original car should have looked.
All 722s are painted Crystal Antimony Grey and fitted with attractive new 19” dark grey wheels. Improving the performance on a car whose speed and grip capabilities are laughably beyond the skills of most of humanity seems ludicrous but the 722 does just about everything better than the original car. With a lower ride height, stiffer suspension, better aerodynamics AND more power (650hp), new owners can trim some time off their personal best in their old(!) SLR over their favorite strip of road.
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| Steep price no problem for Sheiks of Dubai. |
Why the name 722? Well, the 1955 Mille Miglia race winning 300SLR driven by Stirling Moss into immortality left the starting ramp at 7:22 am and was numbered as such. The 1955 300SLR was a milestone car in 1955 and the 2007 722 edition will likely be considered a benchmark as well albeit for the street. This car is undoubtedly the most usable ultra-high performance vehicle on the planet!
Be sure to check out this month's video for a lesson by sports car great Tiff Needell on how to drift your SLR!
Roy Spencer, editor www.ourSL.com |
