In September 2023, it will be 20 years since the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was unveiled at the IAA in Frankfurt. The Super GT, which emerged from a Formula 1-inspired collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren, was a unique chapter in McLaren's history. The project was announced at the 1999 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. It was confirmed that McLaren would work with Mercedes-Benz to bring the Mercedes-Benz SLR Vision concept, shown at the Detroit Auto Show earlier that year, to the road as a production car under the name 'Project 7'.
The first Project 7 prototype was built by a team of former McLaren Formula 1 mechanics who, together with automotive engineers, formed the core team that would take the car into production - the first car to be hand-assembled at the then newly opened McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) in Woking, England.
The shape and design of the car were kept as close as possible to those of the Vision SLR concept. In doing so, McLaren was able to draw on its decades of experience in carbon fiber composites in Formula 1 and the McLaren F1 road car. The SLR consists of a bonded full carbon fiber monocoque, just like the McLaren F1 and all subsequent McLaren cars. Along with the monocoque, McLaren developed a carbon fiber front crash structure that is bolted to the SLR's aluminum engine mounts. The Super GT also features a carbon fiber body.
A 5.5-liter supercharged V8 engine developed by Mercedes-AMG was used to power the car, producing 626 hp and 780 Nm of torque. With acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 334 km/h, the performance of the super GT with front mid-engine, which drives the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic transmission, was more than on a par with the super sports cars of the time.
The first Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was delivered to a customer in the summer of 2004. Further versions of the vehicle were the 722 Edition Coupe, which was introduced in 2006. A year later, the SLR was given a roadster version with a folding fabric top, which in turn formed the basis for another 722 Edition. The last version of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was the SLR Stirling Moss Edition. This open-top roadster used the same carbon fiber monocoque and 5.5-liter V8 powertrain as the standard SLR, but with a dramatic body directly inspired by the 1955 Mille Miglia 300 SLR. Production of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren ended in December 2009.
