Novemberr, 2008
Noted supercar tuner, Hamann, have turned their talents to the Mercedes-McLaren SLR and created the Volcano, their interpretation of the ultimate SLR. There have been many SLRs tweaked by established tuners such as Brabus/Opera/Lorinser/Renntech etc. Some have been more successful than others and I would characterize this effort as not particularly harmonious. Looking over their site, Hamann Motorsport I see other projects that work far better than their SLR.
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| An SLR Speed Racer would be proud of. |
Chopping up the SLRs fundamentally angular, edgy design with patches of matte black and adding more appendages to give the car a boy racer look seems at odds with the demographic of SLR buyers. To my eyes, black is the most interesting color for an SLR as it smoothes out so many of the fussy details and introduces some elegance to its fundamentally brutal, overwrought look. Hamann moves in the opposite direction, however, and highlights many of the surface edges with contracting black tones which results in a chaotic look.
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| SLR's bulges and fussy details best left camouflaged. |
The rear wing and roof vent look like afterthoughts (because they actually are) and the revised lower side skirts look like cheap aftermarket additions (which they are, although certainly not cheap). I see revised wheels/tires, a wider track and the press release notes a power increase to 700hp. Of course, zero to sixty is ferociously quick. Interior materials are first class although applied in a jarring manner at odds with the black/white theme of the exterior.
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| Beautifully stitched interior shocks with colors. |
All in all the result is part Speed Racer cartoon, part "hey look at me" pseudo track day car, and the sacrifice of one perfectly good SLR. Understatement is not the Volcano's forte. Prices will be jaw-dropping and likely laughable in light of what one can buy low-mile SLRs for in today's market.
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| Ok, I do like the triple side pipes. |
Roy Spencer,
editor www.ourSL.com
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