If you’ve ever dreamed of having a grand-prix driving experience on the street—and have pockets as stuffed as Scrooge McDuck’s—the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss is the thing for you. Serving as the final hurrah for the SLR line, the Stirling Moss sheds both its top and windshield and continues the Mille Miglia–centric theme of the previous SLR 722 and Roadster 722 S special-edition SLRs—722 was both the number and start time of the 300 SLR that won the 1955 event. The driver of that car, of course, was Sir Stirling Moss.

This open-cockpit wonder’s 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine will make the same 641 hp as the 722. Zero-to-62-mph sprints are expected to be achieved in less than 3.5 seconds, and top speed is a claimed 217 mph. Imagine 217 mph without the protection of laminated safety glass; the two wind deflectors that stand less than an inch tall likely won’t do much to protect you from the impact of even a large moth at that speed. This car is hard-core.

This Thing Looks AWESOME

Even beyond the obvious lack of a roof and windshield, the rest of the Stirling Moss edition's carbon-fiber exterior is radically different from that of other SLRs, beginning with a freshly styled front fascia. Gone are the quad headlights (removed in favor of stacked clusters), as well as the single-slat grille on both sides of the three-pointed star, giving the front a much smoother style. The lower portion of the front now peaks at the center and the larger intake resembles that of the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Two large hood vents are added near the cowl along with a smaller vent in the front on the passenger side.

The Moss edition features a deep body crease that begins behind the front wheel and extends almost to the back of the door. Dual exhaust outlets now find their exit in the middle of the front quarter panel, rather than down at the rocker, as on conventional SLRs. Smaller and sleeker taillights give the rear a very modern look, while the deck sports two aero humps topped with roll hoops. The rear diffuser is considerably larger than the SLR coupe or roadster’s. There’s a retractable air brake as on the other SLR models, but the Stirling Moss’s air brake differs in that it can be operated manually.

Our Bare Essentials Include Carbon Fiber, Too

The interior is reduced to what Benz calls the “bare essentials,” although it is still coated in high-zoot materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum, and leather. An aluminum plate around the shift lever will carry the engraved signature of Stirling Moss to remind you which SLR you’re driving, just in case the sparrow you nearly took to the face doesn’t do the trick.

The SLR Stirling Moss will be limited to 75 units, which will be the final SLRs ever built, marking the end of the manufacturing contract between Mercedes and McLaren. Assembly will begin in June of 2009 following the end of SLR roadster production in May. Production of the 75 vehicles will continue through December; each one will carry a price of about $1 million—the official price is 750,000 euros—and will only be made available to existing SLR customers in Europe. Considering the Euro-only sales, it’s strange that Mercedes chose to debut the SLR Stirling Moss at the 2009 Detroit auto show. We’re not sure there really is a perfect venue to unveil a radical, speedster-style supercar, but the Motor City probably isn’t it.

Article key :  Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, Auto Shows, Mercedes-Benz, SLR, 2009