2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition – Previews

For those who need more than the $455,750 regular SLR.

The partnership of Mercedes and McLaren has responded with this 722 Edition. Only the automotively enlightened will comprehend this moniker’s meaning. The numbers 722 were worn by the 300SLR in which Stirling Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia, averaging 98 mph over public (most of them closed) roads in northern Italy. The SLR’s starting time was 7:22 a.m., hence the number.

In keeping with that racing connection, the SLR 722’s supercharged V-8 is reprogrammed, getting an extra 24 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque. It also gets bigger (15.4 inch) carbon front brakes, lighter wheels, aluminum shocks with 20-percent-stiffer damping, and a higher-downforce carbon-fiber front splitter paired with more angle on the movable rear spoiler. All told, these changes, along with less carpeting and sound deadening, shave a claimed 97 pounds from the SLR’s not insubstantial mass.

Mercedes also claims these changes increase top speed from 207 to 209 mph and cut the 0-to-62-mph sprint from 3.8 seconds to 3.6. We don’t doubt the claims, and the lusty-sounding V-8, which is still coupled to a five-speed manumatic gearbox, produces massive thrust whenever you want it.

Exploiting the 722’s immense performance on winding public roads is, unfortunately, less than satisfying. The stiffer suspension never settles down enough to encourage approaching the car’s limits in an otherwise smooth corner. Similarly, the SLR’s steering has a blend of direct action and high effort that makes it difficult to carve a smooth line or make subtle midcorner adjustments to the car’s path.

Dial your speed back a few notches, though, and you are seduced by the view over the endless hood and the beautiful interior with its carbon-fiber trim, rich charcoal hues, and contrasting red stitching. For buyers of the SLR 722s — only 150 will be built, at an expected cost of $480,000 each — that will likely be sufficient virtue.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $480,000

ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 332 cu in, 5439cc
Power (SAE net): 641 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 605 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic with manumatic shifting