Mercedes-Benz has put motor racing technology (modern Formula 1) into it's latest high-performance SLR McLaren Roadster. The car is made entirely of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) apart from two aluminium engine frames. It is powered by an AMG V8 compressor engine which is coupled to an AMG Speedshift R five-speed automatic transmission. The front-mid-engine delivers 460 kW/626 hp, is 332 km/h and and a maximum torque of 780 Nm. The Roadster can go from zero to 100 km/h in a mere 3.8 seconds.The design borrows a little from it's heritage - in the distinctive lateral louvers, side pipes behind the front wheels and the wide-opening gullwing doors similar to that of the SLR legend of the 50s.
Roof
The fully retractable top blends harmoniously into the flowing lines of the SLR McLaren. The roof opens and closes semi-automatically in less than ten seconds. To open, the roof merely needs to be disengaged from the windscreen frame and briefly raised, after which it folds away electro-hydraulically.
Safety
A high level of safety is assured by the unique steel-reinforced A-pillars and two fixed roll-over bars. It also features adaptive airbags, knee and side airbags as well as seat belt tensioners and a tyre-pressure monitoring system. The car is equipped with high-performance carbon-ceramic brake discs.
Extras
The exclusive standard equipment includes semi-aniline-leather-upholstered carbon-fibre bucket seats which can be individually adapted to the driver and front passenger by means of differently sized seat pads; dual-zone automatic air-conditioning; a high-quality BOSE premium sound system; a multifunction sport steering wheel with gear-change paddles, and a navigation system with integral radio and CD player.
The new Mercedes-Benz SLR Roadster, is produced at McLaren's Formula 1 factory in Woking, England, and will be available as from September 2007.
According to their website, they will also market its SLR McLaren roadster with a top.