McLaren SLR Edition revealed

McLaren SLR Edition

A year ago – almost to the day – we reported that the very last McLaren SLR had rolled off the production line (well, production floor is more like it at McLaren) and that McLaren and Mercedes were going their own ways – McLaren with the McLaren MP4-12C and Mercedes with the Mercedes SLS AMG.

The swansong for the SLR was the SLR Stirling Moss, an SLR dressed up like a silver arrow car from the 1930s, without a roof and only a vestigial windscreen. Or at least we we believed the Stirling Moss was the last SLR.

To our surprise – and everyone else’s too – Mercedes has revealed the McLaren SLR Edition – a ‘Final’ run of twenty five cars – at the Essen Motor Show.

It looks as though the 5.4 litre V8 in the SLR will remain the same, churning out around 625 horses and hitting 60mph in a tick over 3.5 seconds. The changes to make the McLaren SLR Edition seem to be entirely cosmetic and include a redesigned front bumper, new mesh grill and bigger air intakes.

Out back McLaren has fitted a new diffuser and the air vents on the side have been given a bit of a seeing to. To our eyes it all looks a bit like a low-rent, after-market tuner workover, but this is definitely a factory special. How much is it going to be? We have no idea. McLaren are yet to divvy up anything official, but as soon as they do we’ll let you know.

We’re guessing they had a few chassis left over (well, carbon fibre monocoques). But a strange move, we have to say.

By Cars UK