The SLR McLaren: The Design
Published: 14th July 2003
The design of the new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: a breathtaking blend of legend and sophistication
- New high-performance sports car to make world debut in autumn 2003
- A captivating combination of traditional and state-of-the-art styling elements
Legend and sophistication – this is the precept underpinning the Gran Turismo body design, as it takes the classical styling elements from the legendary SLR racing cars of the 1950s and blends them masterfully with the sophisticated, avantgarde design language of both the latest Mercedes passenger car models and of the modern-day Silver Arrows race cars which took the McLaren Mercedes team to Formula One World Championship glory. The design's concept therefore spans the divide between past and present, whilst at the same time showing the way forward for the sports car designs of tomorrow.
The new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren bears witness to the tremendous expertise of Mercedes-Benz and of its Formula One ally, McLaren, when it comes to the development, design and manufacture of high-performance sports cars. Know-how and knowledge are blended into a harmonious whole, resulting not only in pioneering new features, stunning power development and sensational on-road performance, but also in extremely high levels of safety and suitability for day-to-day use.
Such a thorough grounding has given rise to a vehicle blessed with inimitable charisma, where legend and sophistication melt together in a thoroughly masterful Mercedes synthesis.
