Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a grand tourer car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in Portsmouth and the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England and sold from 2003 to 2010. When it was developed, German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz owned 40 percent of the McLaren Group. SLR stands for "Sport Leicht Rennsport" (Sport Light Racing). The car uses carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) construction in an attempt to keep the weight low. Despite CFRP materials the total curb weight is 1,750 kg. The SLR sports a 232 kg hand-built 5,439 cc, supercharged, all-aluminium, SOHC, V8 engine. The engine generates a maximum power of 626 PS (460 kW; 617 hp) at 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 780 N·m (580 lb·ft) at 3,250 to 5,000 rpm. A roadster version of the SLR went on sale in September 2007. It uses the same supercharged V8 AMG power plant as its coupé siblings, developing 626 PS, to propel it to a top speed of 334 km/h and a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 3.1 seconds. However, as a convertible the roadster was burdened with extra weight, which affected performance and handling. The Roadster's roof is made from a "newly developed material" and does not take the form of a folding metal arrangement, as is common on many modern cars. Following a manual unlatching, it takes ten seconds to fold away electrically. According to an official Mercedes document, the cabin of the roadster is capable of allowing conversation between driver and passenger up to a speed of 200 km/h with the roof retracted. This roadster is aimed to compete against other sports cars such as the Pagani Zonda F Roadster.