SLR Stirling Moss

STORY

The SLR McLaren was a joint project of Mercedes-Benz and its then Formula 1 partner McLaren. It was a front-mid-engined supercar built from 2003 to 2010. It had a hand-assembled 5.4-litre AMG V8, supercharged rather than turbocharged, producing 617 hp and a loud, unmistakable sound.

Everything about it was unconventional. AMG built the engines in Germany and shipped them to Woking, where McLaren fitted them into a carbon-fibre body set more than a metre behind the front axle, which gave the car its very long bonnet. Power went to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic, and the car was stopped by carbon-ceramic brakes and an air brake that rose at the tail.

Around 2,157 were built as coupé, roadster and speedster, including the 722 Edition honouring Moss's Mille Miglia. It remains a unique combination of German power and British engineering.