For Release: September 9, 2003 4:00 a.m. EDT
MERCEDES-BENZ UNVEILS SLR MCLAREN IN FRANKFURT
New SLR Super Sports Car Makes Global Debut at Frankfurt Show
FRANKFURT, GERMANY – The new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is making its world premiere
today during press activities preceding the opening of the Frankfurt Auto Show. The new SLR super sports car
marks a new era of Mercedes-Benz passion for high-performance sports cars and, at the same time, celebrates
the formidable SLR race cars of the 1950s. A futuristic interpretation of styling elements from the original
300SLR and from the latest Formula 1 Silver Arrow race cars bridges the past and future, bringing cutting-edge
motorsports-inspired design to the road, just as the legendary SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupe” did in 1955.
A supercharged V8 producing over 600 horsepower rockets the new SLR from zero to 60 miles per hour
in just 3.7 seconds, and its top speed exceeds 200 mph. Stopping the car is equally quick, thanks to ceramic
brake discs and an innovative air brake mounted in the trunk lid. When the driver heavily applies the brake
pedal, the air brake pops up at a 65-degree angle, increasing drag and providing greater down force.
A Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Collaboration
The new SLR super sports car allows Mercedes-Benz and its Formula 1 partner McLaren to showcase
their collective experience in the development and production of high-performance sports cars. This unique
combination of expertise is evident not only in the pioneering developments and impressive performance of the
new SLR, but also in its high levels of safety and practicality.
The limited-production SLR McLaren will go on sale in Europe late this year, and its U.S. market
launch is planned for summer 2004.
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Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren/2
Carbon Fiber Body
One dramatic example of technology transfer from Formula 1 racing is the carbon fiber composite
construction of the new SLR body, which provides rigidity and strength never before achieved in road-going
vehicles. Equally impressive is its high level of occupant protection. In a serious collision, specially designed
crash structures of carbon fiber help the new super sports car absorb over four times more crash energy than
convention steel or aluminum.
Ceramic Brake Discs
The ceramic brake discs on the SLR are made of a new composite material. Fiber-reinforced ceramic
boasts astounding stopping power, high heat resistance, outstanding structural strength and long service life.
The high-performance SLR sports car will be one of very few production cars to make use of ceramic brake
technology. Fitted with huge eight-piston calipers up front, the brake system alone can decelerate the SLR up to
1.3 g, and the air brake adds to the braking force, especially at high speeds.
AMG Supercharged V8 Power
Under the SLR’s hood lurks a supercharged V8 engine developed and built by Mercedes-AMG.
Delivering well over 600 horsepower for 0-to-60 miles-per-hour acceleration of about 3.7 seconds, each SLR
engine is hand-built at AMG’s manufacturing facility. The engine’s dry-sump lubrication system – originally
developed for race cars to prevent oil starvation during extremely hard cornering – includes a remote oil tank
that eliminates any conventional oil pan or sump, allowing the engine to be mounted lower in the frame for
better aerodynamics and an even lower center of gravity. The powerplant is also mounted in a front mid-engine
position, largely behind the front wheels.
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Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren/2
Reinventing the SLR Legend
Like the new car, the SLR sport-racing car of the 1950s combined leading-edge technology from the SL
sports car and the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 race car. Its three-liter, straight-eight engine made 310
horsepower, pushing the 300SLR to speeds of around 190 miles per hour.
Perhaps the original SLR’s most astonishing feat was in the 1955 Mille Miglia, a no-holds-barred race
through Italy over twisty public roads. Setting a record never to be matched, Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson
piloted the 300SLR over the 1000-mile road course in 10 hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds!
Broadening the Mercedes-Benz Product Portfolio
Not only does the new SLR boast a rich heritage, but the super sports car also has an exciting future as a
flagship within the multi-dimensional Mercedes-Benz brand. With by far the broadest product portfolio of any
luxury automaker, Mercedes-Benz offers an array of models ranging from mid-size coupes to large premium
sedans as well as luxury roadsters and now the SLR super sports car.
sold 213,225 vehicles through a nationwide network of over 300 retailers in the U.S., setting the highest-ever
sales volume in its history for the sixth straight year.
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