2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition

Very few cars have made the successful transition from a track car to a road car than the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. When Mercedes launched the car, they did so in the full knowledge that they had succeeded in transferring all the positive attributes of a thoroughbred racing car, and by marking a few major or minor refinements throughout the car, had transformed it into a road car that would grace the street of every major North American of European city.

The history behind the car is that the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition was launched in dedication to one of Mercedes Benz’ finest hours.
The victory of British drivers Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in the famous Mile Miglia

A new version was introduced in 2006 called the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. The 722 refers to starting time and the subsequent victory by the legendary English driver Stirling Moss and his co-driver the late Denis Jenkinson who drove a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR in the race indicating a start time of 7.22 a.m. (hence the name)

The Mile Miglia was an Italian open-road endurance race run over 1597 km. Moss and Jenkinson won the race in a record 10 hours and 8 minutes, almost half an hour ahead of another legend and teammate of that era, Juan Manuel Fangio.

It doesn’t take too much of a practiced eye to realize that the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition was designed in a laid back manner, but with more of a hint of the cars and its producer’s rich history and tradition. The target group is those drivers and enthusiasts who will use the car as a collector’s item principally and also to commemorate the achievements of Mercedes and McLaren in the race circuits of the World running back fifty years or more.

Based ubiquitously on the Mercedes SL but with a far more pronounced racing feel to it, that is emphasized by a modified front spoiler with an air splitter, as well as a rear diffuser, designed to augment the car’s aerodynamics as well as mirroring cutting-edge technology deriving from the SLR’ obvious motor racing origins. By applying the brakes in emergency stop mode at speeds over 60 miles per hour, the front spoiler will be deployed and is expected to reduce stopping time significantly. Safety is a very strong feature in the SLR McLaren, being the first production car ever produced whose front crash structure was produced entirely from carbon fiber, considered to possess exceptional powers of energy absorption in the event of an accident.

Potential buyers that wanted to go the extra mile when ordering the car could take advantage of McLarens “SLR Unlimited” program that offered further opportunities for customization to make the car even more unique and outstanding. These included a choice of 15 additional interior leather upholstery colors and thirteen exterior paint treatments, either in monochrome or metallic finishes.

To create an even more dramatic effect, larger, 19-inch asymmetrical turbine-look wheels can added instead of the standard 18-inch rims, and at the risk of going over the top, the visible brake calipers could be specified to be finished in either red or gold.

Under the bonnet of the 722 edition Mercedes McLaren awaits a sleeping beauty of a supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine hand-built in the AMG engine shop in Affalterbach, designed to generate 650 brake horse powers. This translated to around 4000 revolutions per minute. Speed statistics were highly impressive with a 0-60 mph (0-100kp/h) of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 217miles per hour (378 km/h) which is around 12 miles per hour more than the standard SL.

The SLR’s handling characteristics are as worthy of the racetrack as they are of the road, as well as the car’s equally sophisticated suspension system.
The select few who acquired a 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition
Were invited to join the SLR Safety & Speed Academy, offering special driver training courses and seminars.






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April 1, 2008, 5:41 am