Mercedes-McLaren SLR MSO Edition | Spotted
The SLR was outrageous as standard, but not beyond improvement - step forward McLaren Special Operations...
It would be fair to say that the Mercedes-McLaren SLR, despite its wild looks, exotic construction and prodigious power, was never quite as beloved as its early-'00s hypercar contemporaries. While cars like the Ferrari Enzo, Pagani Zonda and Porsche Carrera GT were raved about for their raw, visceral thrills behind the wheel, the mixed messages of the SLR driving experience left reviewers less enamoured.
The cushiness of the Mercedes bits jarred with the focus of the McLaren bits which, if the stories are to be believed, is sort of how the development journey went. The ultimate Mercedes two-door was going to be a very different proposition to the ultimate McLaren two-door, and despite the best efforts of those involved, the strategy never quite gelled for the SLR. There were criticisms of the steering, ride and brakes in period.
Nobody was more aware of these flaws than McLaren, so when SLR production had wound up and its obligations were fulfilled, it set about making a V8 hyper GT more in its mould. A more rewarding driver’s car, basically, without losing the shock and awe that made the McMerc so lovable in the first place.
The result of that work was the MSO Edition SLR. You can read about the car in more detail here; the important work was totally overhauled suspension and steering, 20 per cent more downforce (with the airbrake recalibrated to take advantage), 50kg less weight, extra carbon and a dramatic, aero-enhanced new look. It was undeniably a spectacular creation, and also mission accomplished; the PH verdict on the ‘old dog with a few tricks’ was that ‘with MSO’s help the SLR really has come of age.’
There were only ever going to be 25 MSO SLRs converted; even in 2013, almost half were spoken for, so we’ll have to assume the full run was completed a while back. This one is notable as #001, the very first SLR that received the Edition treatment, and believed to be one of just six Roadsters made by MSO. There’s a fascinating story to it, even by Mercedes hypercar standards; this Roadster was registered in September 2007, but by January 2009 it was back at McLaren for some optimisation (one way to get over the shock of a financial meltdown).
The work was pretty extensive for a car that was so new (and so valuable), including a respray, some upgrades from the 722 special edition, the suspension refresh and a sillier exhaust. Suitably impressed (or merely encouraged), that owner returned in 2010 for the wheelarch vents and extra carbon. In all, £106,831 was spent on this SLR to make it into an MSO Edition, which tallies with the 2013 PH story that said it would need more than £100k.
Yet despite all that effort to make the SLR the best it could be - plus another respray to this grey - the Mercedes-McLaren has barely been used. It’s not even recorded 3,500 miles in almost 20 years, which seems a huge shame for a car that promises so much. You’d want to hear it, if nothing else. And see it in reflections. And watch for reactions. Back in the day, having a torque converter auto and the engine ahead were intended to make the SLR more usable than the average exotic; there’s no excuse not to, basically.
Moreover, the time at McLaren that once would have been about a third of the value now looks like money well spent: this one is for sale at £850k, or the same as a factory 722. A far cry from their time at a quarter of that. But as has happened with so many of the SLR’s contemporaries, the market has realised that the early '00s really was about as good as it got for supercars. And the MSO Edition was easily the best SLR. Still less money than all the others, too…
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-BENZ SLR ROADSTER MSO EDITION
Engine: 5,439cc V8 supercharged
Transmission: 5-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 626@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 575@3,250rpm
MPG: 19.5
CO2: 348g/km
Year registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 3,140
Price new: £324,850 (standard Roadster)
Yours for: £849,950
It's still going to be big and heavy, it's still going to have that early brake-by-wire setup which has never been liked, it's still got a five-speed torque converter auto. It still lacks much interior space, and now will have a more compromised approach angle with that front lower lip. Basically, you can't redeem the car's fundamental architectural and conceptual problems by sprinkling MSO tinsel over it. Meanwhile the things that are good about it, like the sound and thrust of that M113K engine, are available elsewhere in much less compromised cars that will cost a fraction to buy and run. Or you if you want a well-resolved front-engined GT supercar, you could buy a 599...
Even at the time I felt it was a lazy design strikingly executed. An SL design of the era reimagined as a supercar. Time hasn’t changed my opinion. The slightly later SLS is of course massively cheaper but a far more classic Mercedes design.
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