Saturday, February 28, 2009

Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss


It is safe to say the market for Silver Arrows is not huge, so kudos to Mercedes-Benz for introducing a new one.

Based on the SLR McLaren, the SLR Stirling Moss has neither a roof nor a windscreen to separate the driver and passenger from the outside world; they enjoy unadulterated high-speed excitement with all the attributes of a speedster. The new SLR Stirling Moss is also characterised by the most sophisticated technology and a design which reinterprets the SLR legend.

With 650 hp the SLR Stirling Moss accelerates its V8 supercharged engine from standstill to 62 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 217 mph - no other series-production car is at the same time so open and so fast. This extreme concept makes the new high-performance sports car a legitimate bearer of the name of the British motor racing legend and Mille Miglia record-holder Stirling Moss, who drove the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR racing cars from victory to victory during the 1950s.

Remaining totally true to the specifications of the original 300 SLR, the new Silver Arrow's equipment is extremely sophisticated and yet at the same time decidedly spartan, doing without both a roof and side windows. There are just two wind deflectors a couple of centimetres in height to protect the driver and passenger from the airflow. Two air scoops integrated into the bodywork serve as roll-over bars. With this extreme concept the new SLR Stirling Moss is visually very different from all other vehicles in the ultra-exclusive sports car class.

The entire bodywork of the SLR Stirling Moss is made of fine lightweight carbon fibre and represents a stand-alone design concept. Exactly as they were on the shining historical example, the side skirts on the new SLR Stirling Moss are also very high. This prompted the designers' decision in favour of folding swing-wing doors which open forwards. The vehicle can be closed by two tonneau covers which are carried in the boot.

On the inside, a mixture of high-class authentic materials such as carbon fibre, aluminium and fine-quality leather sets the style. An aluminium plate carries the engraved signature of Stirling Moss and covers the area around the shift lever.

Thanks to the high-precision work carried out in the wind tunnel, the SLR Stirling Moss always generates sufficient downforce for extremely safe handling. But the driver can also manually operate the AIRBRAKE in order to increase the contact pressure further, during particularly sporty driving, for example. The AIRBRAKE is also raised during powerful braking at speeds above 75 mph, so as to stabilise the vehicle even more in such situations, thus facilitating maximum possible deceleration.

The SLR Stirling Moss is the kind of high-calibre speedster coveted by the sporting gentry and enthusiasts alike. At the same time it is a collector's item which marks the pinnacle of an era and, for the foreseeable future, at least, the final curtain for the SLR. In May 2009 production of the SLR models will cease; only a total of 75 units of the Stirling Moss will be manufactured between June and December 2009, bearing chassis numbers from 1 to 75. Not only does this exclusive vehicle represent the conclusion of the current SLR family; it also serves as a very special thank you to the most loyal of SLR customers, for they are the only ones able to acquire a Stirling Moss.

Despite a hefty 750,000-euro price tag, it seems likely all 75 examples will be snapped up pretty quickly, given the car's pedigree.

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