ˆ Paris 2008: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster

tags : coupes , mclaren , mclaren slr 722 , mclaren slr 722 roadster , mclarenslr722 , mclarenslr722roadster , mercedes , mercedes mclaren , mercedes mclaren slr 722 roadster , mercedes-benz , mercedesmclaren , mercedesmclarenslr722roadster , paris , paris 2008 , paris motor show , paris2008 , parismotorshow , slr 722 , slr 722 roadster , slr722 , slr722roadster , supercars

Certain cars encourage a response that is as routine and predictable as the reaction to a stoplight, and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster is one of those cars. This is what happens every time someone gets in one, irrespective of their age, sex, or nationality: she snuggles into the seat, looks into the footwell to make sure her feet are placed just so on the pedals, slides her hands around the steering wheel for a couple of seconds to find just the right position, snuggles into the seat again... and then she just sits there, staring off into the distance. She might flip the paddles once or twice, or check out the center console. Then it's back to the thousand yard stare at the wall in front of her. She gets her picture taken, notices the line of people waiting to do the same thing, and it's all repeated again and again. And for good reason – the SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster is topless testosterone-topped terrificality. 650 horsepower from a supercharged 5.5L V8 and a convertible soft top that'll stay put above 208 mph deserves the attention.

posted : 10/5/2008 @6:13:01 PM

ˆ Mercedes-Benz reveals SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S

tags : mercedes , mercedes mclaren , mercedes mclaren slr , mercedes mclaren slr 722 , mercedes mclaren slr gtr , mercedes mclaren slr722gt , mercedes-benz , mercedesmclaren , mercedesmclarenslr , mercedesmclarenslr722 , mercedesmclarenslr722gt , mercedesmclarenslrgtr

As the era of the Mercedes McLaren SLR winds down to its conclusion sometime in 2009, Mercedes-Benz is releasing what may be the ultimate example of the breed. The SLR 722 S Roadster picks up where the 722 coupe left off dropping the 650-hp supercharged 5.5L V8 into the open top body shell. With a top speed of 220.6 mph, this may be the fastest open top production car ever built. And unlike the first generation Dodge Viper, Mercedes has devised a soft top that can withstand sustained 200 mph+ top speeds. Mercedes has tapped into McLaren's F1 experience to create the fully carbon-fiber body that can provide the structural integrity needed at those speeds. The semi-automatic top just needs to be unlatched from the windshield header manually before the rest of the process is handled by the electrical actuators. The vehicle dynamics are also aided by dropping the suspension by 10 mm at each end of the car and recalibrating the spring and damper rates. Only 150 examples of the 722 S Roadster will be made available starting Jan. 1 2009.

posted : 10/3/2008 @8:30:53 PM

ˆ Spy Shots: Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 Roadster... seriously

tags : mclaren , mercedes , mercedes benz , mercedes mclaren , mercedes slr mclaren , mercedes-benz , mercedesbenz , mercedesmclaren , mercedesslrmclaren , slr 722 , slr 722 roadster , slr mclaren speedster , slr roadster , slr roadster en auto show de los ngeles , slr722 , slr722roadster , slrmclarenspeedster , slrroadster , slrroadsterenautoshowdelosngeles , spied , spy shots , spyshots

They have got to be kidding. Another SLR derivative? Before the Mercedes-McLaren supercar speeds off into the horizon, it will have spawned no less than six different versions - including the original coupe, the Roadster, 722, 722 GT, the upcoming "Speedster", and this latest variant - if the latest reports are to be believed. We would have thought that the spied Speedster version would have been the last, but then spy shots surface of what appears to be a 722 Roadster.This undisguised vehicle carries all the visual cues of the 722 edition coupe: the dark grey 19" forged alloys hiding red brake calipers over oversized discs, plus the carbon fiber lip spoiler and darkened taillight clusters. The convertible can be expected to carry the same 650-hp supercharged V8 as the 722 coupe, only with the nifty hard-soft top from the roadster. By the state of readiness evident from these spy shots, we'd venture that the 722 Roadster will appear before the Speedster. And we trust that will be the end of the SLR... until someone says otherwise, of course.

posted : 8/30/2008 @4:48:13 PM

ˆ RENNtech PKG2 boosts SLR 722 to 740hp

tags : mercedes-benz slr mclaren , mercedes-benzslrmclaren , renntech slr 722 pkg2 , renntech slr mclaren , renntech slr mclaren 722 , renntechslr722pkg2 , renntechslrmclaren , renntechslrmclaren722 , slr mclaren , slr mclaren 722 , slrmclaren , slrmclaren722

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren may be on its way out, but that doesn't mean there can't be more horsepower extracted from the supercar. The original had 617hp. Then came the SLR 722, which despite its name had 650 horses underhood. The 722's American importer, RENNtech, addressed the perception gap with its first package, boosting output to an eponymous 722hp. Never satisfied to leave well enough alone, RENNtech has now released its second package for the SLR 722 that further boosts power to 740 thanks to a revised ECU and a freer-flowing exhaust system.

While RENNtech's PKG1 went for a solid $12,900 (come on, what's a lousy $13k on the price of such a supercar?), the new PKG2 costs a heftier $26,990, plus an extra $7,800 for the optional Signature 10-spoke 20-inch rims, which can be had in chrome, satin-ceramic or "sniper gray" finishes. The SLR won't be leaving without a final swan song.

posted : 6/30/2008 @5:47:01 PM

:: new posts

:: popular posts