The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S with 650 hp and a top speed of 220 mph is one of the fastest open-top production car ever built.
This beauty is charged by a supercharged 5.5 liter V8 engine with a five-speed automatic transmission which allows the driver to choose between two sets of shift characteristics is hand-built in the Mercedes-AMG engine shop in Affalterbach, the 722 S features a carbon fiber body,crystal antimony grey paint finish, and a soft top that can withstand sustained 200 mph+ top speeds.
The company has set the release date for the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S for January 1,2009. Production is limited to just 150 vehicles which will be hand-built at the Formula 1 workshops of McLaren in Woking, England.
By naming the new SLR model as "722" Mercedes has paid a tribute to its rich motoring history and its historic win as the number is a reference to the SLR racing models from the 1950s from which the two-seater cabriolet draws inspiration - Stirling Moss and his co-driver Dennis Jenkinson carried this number when they drove to victory in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR at the classic Mille Miglia long-distance race in 1955.
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S continues the legend of the successful 1950s SLR racing sports cars, with innovative technology adopted from the world of motorsport.
The source of supercar power is a 5.4L, hand-built, supercharged V8 engine that snarls out 617bhp from its exhaust manifolds and generates a wave of torque rated at 780Nm! The result of such engineering madness is a sprint to hundred clicks in under 4 seconds and a top whack of 334kmph.
With even more dynamic suspension tuning and improved aerodynamics the car provides exceptional performance.
Handling is also enhanced by stiffer spring and shock absorber configurations and the body has been lowered by 10 millimeters at the front and rear. outstanding lateral support is guaranteed by sports bucket seats upholstered in a combination of semi-aniline leather/Alcantara.
With the exception of two aluminum frames, the body is completely of carbon-fiber materials (CFRP) with steel-reinforced A-pillars and two fixed rollover bars which results in lower weight, a high-level of energy absorption, plus a torsional rigidity that provides exceptional safety characteristics and further boosts handling.
The aerodynamic characteristics of the new roadster are derived from the SLR Coupé with an airbrake integrated into the boot lid, an enclosed underbody, a diffusor in the rear bumper and an airsplitter at the front end to provide maximum downforce with small wheel spoilers reducing turbulence at the rear axle.
The lightweight, 19-inch forged aluminium wheels allow a view of the red-painted brake callipers on the highly-resistant carbon-fibre/ceramic brake discs, which make for impressive deceleration figures.
The new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster 722 S feature a fully retractable folding soft top capable of withstanding the high speed and are made of carbon fibre which provides high degree of safety and extreme torsional stiffness.
The soft top opens and closes semi-automatically in around ten seconds, combining comfort expectations with the purist nature of the roadster. For opening, the roof needs to be unlatched at the windscreen frame and lifted slightly, after which it folds down electrically. The front section of the soft top features an integral aluminium cap, which effectively prevents "ballooning" at high speeds.
The 722 is a limited edition of SLR, the numbers 722 signifying the starting time (7:22am) of racing pair Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR. The 722 is a more powerful version of the standard SLR. Rated at a max power of 650bhp and 820Nm of torque, the 722 can dismiss 0-100kmph run in 3.6seconds while the top speed is marginally higher than the standard coupe 337kmph. There is also a roadster variant of the SLR to give that wind-in-the-hair experience while a 722GT is also developed, with approval from Mercedes-Benz, by Ray Mallock Ltd.
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