Merc wheels out SLR Roadster

Newswheel staff :: 11 May 2007 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Front engine sportscar, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz SLR, Europe & UK

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It’s not an aardvark, but it does have a protruding nasal implement…

Let’s be honest. MB’s SLR supercoupe doesn’t really add up. Perhaps it’s the gloopy, unsubtle ‘90s concept car styling. Or maybe the torque-converter gearbox which belies its supercar pretensions. And what about the hair-trigger brakes? Whatever, the SLR is neither fish nor foul, sportscar nor luxury coupe. But that hasn’t stopped Mercedes from attempting to reignite interest in the long-nosed road missile with this new drop-top revision…

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Putting cynicism aside for a moment (we’ll see how long that lasts…), Merc reckons the SLR Roadster is a no-compromise effort. It boasts the same 207mph Vmax as the original fixed-roofer, while 62mph comes up in just 3.8 clicks.

At the same time, close attention has also been paid to both aerodynamics and acoustics. The pop-up rear airbrake from the coupe remains and MB claims that coherent chin-wagging is possible even at speeds over 120mph. A useful real-world feature for British driving conditions, natch.

Mercedes is also bigging up the car’s safety courtesy of unique carbon fibre crash elements, steel-reinforced A-pillars and a pair of fixed roll-over hoops.

As for the semi-auto fabric hood,  just ten seconds separate al fresco motoring from cocooned cruising.

And though we’ve never been big fans of the SLR’s fishy presence, we have to admit the chopped roof and uber-SL vibe is pretty effective. In fact, this is probably the car the SLR should have been all along. As a tool for effortless continent crushing and in-your-face posing for those with large bank balances but only moderate interest in serious driving, the SLR Roadster is probably tough to beat.

The SLR Roadster will be produced alongside the coupe at McLaren’s Woking facility. Think July for availability and think big (and as yet undisclosed) sums in terms of list price. That is all.