The Visually Unique SLR Stirling Moss

December 2008 Mercedes Benz and McLaren released details of the US$1,000,000 SLR Stirling Moss, a limited edition supersports car that almost instantaneously goes down as a landmark in sports car design. The 650 bhp open top supercharged V8 is essentially a modern reinterpretation of the SLR 500 of the fifties, the car which dominated racing in the hands of Moss and Fangio. Available in June 2009, the puristic high-performance sports car might look Spartan, but the technology, including the airbrake system, is all bleeding edge. Only seventy five units will be built, ensuring the EUR 750,000 price tag represents a solid investment. The Mercedes-Benz SLR 300 was nominated as one of the best racing cars of all time. The heritage is first class but it is the styling that makes the SLR Moss the crowning glory to the SLR super sports car model family. Just like the legendary racing vehicles of yesteryear, the SLR Stirling Moss dazzles with its superlative performance. Accelerating from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 3.5 seconds and with a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) this puristic high-performance sports car denotes completely new dimensions in open-top driving. And not just because of the impressive performance figures; every time drivers take to the wheel of the SLR Stirling Moss their senses are addressed with a previously unheard of intensity, conveying a driving experience in its purest and most sensual form. This automotive thoroughbred thus facilitates the kind of open-air feeling that is utterly unique for a road-going vehicle. The entire bodywork of the SLR Stirling Moss is made of fine lightweight carbon fibre and represents a stand-alone design concept. The SLR Stirling Moss sports an exciting, pronounced arrow-shaped form and is characterized by an elongated bonnet and a compact, muscular rear. As there is no windscreen, the exterior and interior flow smoothly into one. The bonnet also stretches from its striking tip right down into the interior, giving the vehicle body a distinctly sleek air. Even when standing still, the sports car radiates a dynamism that the observer immediately falls under its spell. The new  is the kind of high-calibre speedster coveted by the sporting gentry and enthusiasts alike. At the same time it is a collector’s item which marks the pinnacle of an era and, for the foreseeable future, at least, the final curtain for the SLR. In May 2009 production of the SLR models will cease; only a total of 75 units of the Stirling Moss will be manufactured between June and December 2009, bearing chassis numbers from 1 to 75.