First Impression: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition

Mercedes-Benz has been making cars since the 1886. McLaren was founded in 1989 and is responsible for rewriting the rules for making a supercar with the McLaren F1 in 1994. The two automotive companies worked together to create the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which was introduced on November 17, 2003. When this car came out, it cost $450,00. It was powered by a supercharged 5.4L V8 that produced 617 hp and 580 lb-ft of torque, with a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 207 mph. Production of the SLR McLaren ceased in 2007 for the coupe and 2009 for the roadster. In 2006 a new version of the SLR was released, called the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. The 722 refers to the victory by Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722, referring to the 7:22 am starting time, at the 1955 Mille Miglia.

I recently saw a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition at the 2011 Houston Classy Chassis: Concours d'Elegance. There were two other variants of the SLR McLaren on exhibit at the same show. This is one of the best cars to wear the Mercedes-Benz badge. It is gorgeous. I love its styling. The side exhaust add to its incredible styling.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition is powered by a supercharged 5.4L V8 engine, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, that produces 640 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. Its 0-60 mph time is 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 209 mph. Prices for the 722 Edition started at $480,000. The SLR McLaren 722 Edition is one of the most expensive cars on the road, but not many cars can match its styling and perfromance.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition defeated a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV during Top Gear Series 13, Episode 2. The 722 Edition is playable in Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Shift 2: Unleashed, Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo 5, and many other video games.

Final Thought: The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition is an incredible car. It is one of the fastest grand tourers on the road. Not many cars can match the style and performance of this car. The $480,000 price tag is expensive. I would take a SLR McLaren over the SLS AMG any day.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a digital camera

First Impression: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722S Roadster

To extend the life of the SLR, Mercedes-Benz released the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722S Roadster in 2009. The 722S is the roadster version of the SLR Mclaren 722, but the 722S has added power, but the added weight causes the roaster to be slightly slower than the 722 Coupe. Only 150 SLR McLaren 722S Roadsters were produced.

I recently saw the Mercedes-Benz SLR Mclaren 722S Roadster at the 2011 Houston Classy Chassis: Concours d'Elegance. This is one of the best roadsters I have ever seen. It has incredible style. I love the angle of the windshield.

The 722S Roadster is powered by an AMG supercharged 5.5L V8 that produces 650 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque, an improvement of 10 hp and 6 lb-ft of torque over the 722 coupe. The 722S uses a five-speed automatic transmission. Its 0-60 mph time is 3.7 seconds, 0.1 second slower than the 722 coupe, and has a top speed of 208 mph, 1 mph slower than the 722 coupe. It cost $525,000 when it was new. It is expensive, but this is one of the fastest, quickest roadsters on the road.

The 722S is playable in Test Drive Unlimited 2. The 722S Roadster has not been featured on the main automotive programs.

Final Thought: What a Roadster. This is one of the best looking roadsters I have seen. There is nothing like it on the road. It is one of the fastest, quickest, most expensive roadsters on the road. 

CarJunkie

Photo taken from a digital camera

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss Edition

Mercedes-Benz and McLaren collaberated on the SLR in 2003. In 2009, as a final series of the SLR was released before McLaren announced its own edition in 2010. Called the Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss edition, this SLR series is based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR race car that Stirling Moss drove to victory at the 1955 Mille Miglia. The Stirling Moss edition has no top, two slits of glass where a windshield would normally be, side exhausts, two scissor doors, and sheet of carbon fiber to cover the passenger seat when the seat is unoccupied. 75 Stirling Moss editions were made.

I recently saw a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss Edition at the 2011 Houston Classy Chassis: Concours d'Elegance. It was the third different variant of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren at the event. It does not look like a normal road car. It is hard to see that this is still a Mecedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss Edition is powered by a supercharged 5.4L V8, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, that produces 650 hp and 606 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 217 mph. It costs $1.01 million. That is a very steep price for a quick limited edition car. I think it is very stylish, but the regular SLR has better styling.

The Stirling Moss edition has not been featured on mainstream television. It is playable in Supercar Challenge,  Need For Speed: Shift, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, Shift 2: Unleashed, and Forza Motorsport 3.

Final Thought: This is one fast, highly expensive race car. I have never seen one on the road. I would have to take a regular SLR McLaren over the SLR Stirling Moss Edition. If I am going to spend $1,000,000+ on a car, I would spend it on a Bugatti or Duesenberg.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from a digital camera

First Impression: McLaren MP4-12C

McLaren set the automotive world on fire when it released the McLaren F1 in 1992. The F1 was the first ever hypercar, reaching a top speed on 242 mph with the rev limiter removed. From 2003 to 2012, McLaren worked with Mercedes-Benz on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. In 2011, McLaren released the McLaren MP4-12C, a rear-mid engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door supercar.

I recently saw the MP4-12C at the March 2012 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. This is one stylish supercar, mixing beauty with aggressiveness. The exterior has very sleek lines. There is something about scissor doors that add to the styling. The scissor doors gave character to the F1 and SLR and the scissor doors give character to the MP4-12C. The interior is nothing special. The McLaren F1 was a three seater with the driver seat located in the middle and two passenger seats in the rear.

McLaren MP4-12C Interior

The MP4-12C is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8L V8, paired with seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, that produces 592 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 205 mph. Prices for the MP4-12C start at $229,000. Compared to a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Ferrari 458 Italia, the MP4-12C is quicker and faster for around the same price. Just one problem with trying to buy a MP4-12C, they are sold out.

The MP4-12C was featured on Top Gear Series 17, episode 3, in which Jeremy Clarkson compared the car to a  Ferrari 458 Italia. It was also featured in Cars 2, Fifth Gear, Auto Esporte, Jay Leno's Garage, and Clarkson: Powered Up. The MP4-12C is playable in 3D L.A. Supercars, Asphalt 3D, Parking Mania, Need For Speed: Shift, Test Drive Unlimited, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Driver: San Francisco, Split/Second, Gran Turismo 5, Real Racing, Need For Speed: the Run, Shit 2: Unleashed, Forza Motorsport 3, Nitto 1320 Legends, Forza Motorsport 4, Race Town, and Car Town.

Final Thoughts: The McLaren MP4-12C is an incredible car. The MP4-12C is quick, fast, and stylish. The MP4-12C can out perform its main rivals, yet it costs around the same as the 458 Italia and Gallardo. The MP4-12C is sold out until 2013, so good luck trying to get one. The McLaren MP4-12C was one of the best cars to come out in 2011. I hope to see more from McLaren, including another industry-shattering hypercar like the McLaren F1.

CarJunkie

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Classic Car: McLaren F1

In 1992, the Jaguar XJ220 was the fastest street-legal production car reaching a speed of 217 mph. Also in 1992, British car manufacturer started production on a car that pushed the limits of what a car can do. From 1992 to 1998, McLaren produced the McLaren F1, which was designed by Gordon Murphy and Peter Stevens. Only 106 F1s were built. The car was limited to 231 mph. On March 31, 1998, the rev limiter was removed and the McLaren F1 reached a speed o 242.95 mph. What McLaren built was the first hypercar, a car that can reach speeds over 240 mph. Cars that followed the F1 were the SSC Ultimate Aero, Saleen S7, Bugatti Veyron, Hennessey Venom GT, and Koenigsegg CCX. The F1 is one of the most important cars in automotive history.

I recently saw the McLaren F1 at the April 2012 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. This car got a lot of attention. The F1 had a very unique design. The F1 was built with carbon-fiber, titanium, magnesium, kevlar, and gold. Gold foil was used as a heat shield in the gold compartment. The F1 had a unique seating arrangement. Most sports cars are two seaters, 2+2 seaters, or four seaters. The F1 is a three seater. The driver seat is located in the middle, not on the left-hand side or right-hand side of the car. There are two passenger seats located behind the driver seat. Also there are small luggage storage slots along the sides of the F1.  The F1 also has sleek lines for improved aerodynamics. There is no other car that looks like the McLaren F1.

The McLaren F1 is powered by a naturally aspirated BMW 6.1L V12 engine, paired with a six speed manual transmission, that produces 618 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. The F1 goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 231 mph with the rev limiter on and 242.96 mph with the rev limiter off. When the F1 was being produced, it cost around $970,000. At a RM auction in 2009, a McLaren F1 went for over $4 million. This car is expensive, but it is very rare and is a very important car in automotive history.

The F1 has been featured on Jay Leno's Garage. Jay Leno told the story when he had two undercover cops in his McLaren F1 when he was the celebrity guess on Top Gear. The F1 has also been featured on both the original version and the revamp version of Top Gear. The McLaren F1 has also been featured in Bugs, The Greatest Ever, Clarkson: Supercar Showdown, Johnson Family Vacation, Love The Beast, Clarkson: Duel, Beyond Tomorrow, RTL Autowereld. The McLaren F1 is playable in Need For Speed: The Run, Midnight GT: Primary Racer, Burnout Revenge, Viper Racing, Cruis'n World, Cruis'n Exotica, Test Drive Unlimited, Test Drive 5, Choro Q HG, Supercar Challenge, Drag Racer, Drag Racer 3, GT Racing '97, Twisted Metal 4, vDream Racing, Mad Race, Ridge Racer V, Auto Club Revolution, Ridge Racer 2, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, Automobil Lamborghini, London Racer, Europe Racer, Need For Speed II, Need For Speed: Pro Street, San Francisco Rush 2049, Death Rally, Need For Speed: Undercover, Need For Speed: Shit, Gran Turismo 5, Wheels and Fire, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Forza Motorsport 4,Shit 2: Unleashed, Car Town, Super GT 24h, and Driver: San Francisco.

The McLaren F1 is the original hypercar. It took the automotive world by storm in the 1990s. The Ferrari F40 was the first car to reach speeds over 200 mph. It was very lightweight and had a powerful engine. The McLaren F1 took the Ferrari F40 formula and brought it to the next level. The McLaren F1 was the first car to reach speed over 230 mph. It is a very sought after car. To get one, you have to have deep pockets. If you can afford to pay over $4 million for a car, get the McLaren F1. It is very rare and very fast. This is a must own for any high end car collector.


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