Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722 Edition (2006): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth

First Official Pictures

31 August 2006 08:12

What! A 722bhp SLR - are they mad?

You've got the wrong end of the stick. The Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 is named after the Mercedes 300 SLR that British racing legend Stirling Moss and his co-driver Dennis Jenkinson drove to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia race from Brescia to Rome and back. The number actually refers to the time - 07:22am - that they started the gruelling 1000-mile race, and they completed it at a record-breaking average speed of 100mph.

Well, it's basically an excuse to put the SLR on a bit of a diet and send it down to the gym. Limited to a production run of only 150, the 722 is aimed at well-healed SLR fans wanting something with a bit more bite. The gull-winged coupe has been developed over the last 12 months to deliver a more aggressive, track-biased driving experience and has been given a power boost, tweaked suspension and sharper steering, all complemented by a muscular makeover.

By Ben Whitworth