Mercedes' recently unveiled SLR McLaren "Sterling Moss" Speedster certainly delivers on the hype (visually, at least), and the car's performance stats promise to deliver on the road as well, with 650 hp powering the lightest, most extreme road-going SLR model to date.
As soon as we have one on our dyno, you can bet we'll post the results. Enjoy the video!
Autoblog just posted a new hi-res photo gallery of the upcoming SLR McLaren speedster, which promises to be a hardcore, roof-free track rat that is expected to post solid numbers at the ring.
The article is reprinted below. CLICK HERE to view the gallery. The shutterbugs at KGP have captured the forthcoming McLaren SLR Speedster as it hits the Nordschleife for some testing. The car's expected to be lighter but just as powerful as the standard SLR and SLR Roadster, meaning it could conceivably be able to blow their respective doors off. A top end of 220 mph should be available to those who like to stare down the Reaper for kicks, and KGP reports that the car could be unveiled by the end of the month with one Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.
The SLR McLaren has always been controversial. Being a McLaren, some expected a hard-edged "racecar" experience ... being a Mercedes, others expected a luxury car. The end result was an extremely capable long-distance cruiser (that, in its heart of hearts, was really a dragster). To satisfy some of the more hard-edged enthusiasts, Mercedes OK'd the SLR McLaren 722 and SLR McLaren 722GT special editions, along with a luxurious ragtop model.
As exciting as the SLR was (and is!) it has reached the end of its production run ... and, as a sendoff, Mercedes and McLaren are producing 75 ultra-hardcore speedster editions that promise to be the fastest SLRs to date. With no roof, windows, or windscreen, the SLR McLaren speedster promises an exciting drive ... which you can almost get a taste of in the video above.
This is probably not the final shape this car will take - let's get that out of the way first. The ultra-exclusive, ultra-exotic, ultra-lightweight SLR McLaren ultra-speedster that *was* shown to the SLR.Club members at Paul Ricard several weeks ago still hasn't officially been shown to the public.
That said, someone snapped these shots of a development mule undergoing testing, and you can clearly see the "edgier" side vents, front intakes, and updated taillights.
