2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Is Exclusivity Reloaded, 1 of 150 Ever Made

Mercedes-Benz teamed up with McLaren in mid-1990s. The German carmaker started supplying the F1 team with engines. It was the logical step for the two of them to build a road car. And a road car they built. It happened after Daimler AG acquired 40 percent of the McLaren Group in 2000. It was the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which saw the light of day in November 2003.

It was a front-mid-engine sportscar with rear-wheel drive, a layout that permitted more space on board, perfect weight distribution, and incredible proportions. It came with a long hood, short rear overhand and looks to match the engine that hid under that sculpted hood, plus the oh-so-spectacular gullwing doors.

But Mercedes-Benz was not going to stop there. Customers wanted more. They wanted something special, exclusive, sportier, more powerful. So, in 2006, Mercedes came up with the SLR McLaren 722 Edition in 2006. The '722’'is a reference to the victory achieved by Sir Stirling Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting nam 722 at the Mille Miglia in 1955. Why 722? That was the time their Benz would start off in the race: 7:22 a.m.

The 722 Edition is powered by a retuned version of the engine that operated under the hood of the standard SLR, the 5.4-liter supercharged V8, which delivered 641 horsepower (650 PS) and 605 lb-ft (820 Nm) of torque. The standard SLR only had 617 horsepower.

Those were enough for the sports car to flash from 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) in 3.6 seconds, from 0 to 200 kph (0 to 124 mph) in 10.2 seconds and from 0 to 300 kph (0 to 186 mph) in 27.6 second. To work with all that power, Mercedes brought in larger front brakes (390 millimeters/15.4 inches) with carbon ceramic brake discs.

Where does the needle of the speedometer stop, you may ask. It goes all the way 337 kph (209 mph), which makes it faster than the standard SLR McLaren. How did it get there, you may ask. Mercedes used more than 300 modified components. Almost everything about the SLR McLaren 722 was upgraded. The car came with newly designed 19-inch light-alloy wheels, a solution which reduced weight.

For improved handling, the German carmaker reworked the suspension using a stiffer damper setup and put the car 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) closer to the ground. The rear diffuser and the front air dam were lifted for better airflow, while the carbon fiber front splitter increased front downforce by 128 percent. Mercedes pulled down the drag coefficient as well. This car screamed “In your face!” to the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT.

To make sure everyone looking at the SLR McLaren 722 Edition understands it is a special car, Mercedes put the red 722 badging on the front fenders and black-tinted the headlights and taillights.

Inside the cabin, Alcantara and carbon fiber replaced much of the letter and aluminum as the carmakr wanted to enhance that sporty feeling and reduce weight as much as possible.

Mercedes only built 150 of them, and we have one right here. Finished in Crystal Antimony Grey Metallic over Black/Anthracite leather and Alcantara, this one drove through the factory gate in December 2006 and was registered on January 4, 2007.

The one who ordered it back then chose the carbon fiber seats in large size and checked the boxes for the optional Sports Package and CD changer.

The model was imported to the UK after it had spent most of its lifetime in Spain. In November 2014, the SLR underwent extensive fettling at Mercedes-Benz Hamburg, which ended with a 39,260-euro ($41,633) invoice. The file detailing shows operations such as the replacement of the faulty ignition coils or the repair of the corroded exhaust manifold studs.

The car was sold the following year to the current owner and registered for road use in the United Kingdom. Right after purchase, the owner took the car straight to Autoficcina. That was where the seats were recovered and the front bumper, hood, and doors were repainted to make the stone chips vanish.

In November 2019, also at Autoficcina, the car underwent oil service, while the brake calipers were rebuilt for 4,775 pounds ($5,802).

The latest maintenance routine SLR specialist Supercar Service Ltd. took 20,000 pounds ($24,302) out of the owner's bank account. It consisted of a major service, new spark plugs, ignition coils, supercharger belt, transmission fluid, lambda, and crankshaft sensors. The fins on the hood were refinished in heat-resistant paint, and the car got a new secondary fuel pump.

The 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 is going under the hammer with RM Sotheby's in London on November 4. Organizers of the auction have estimated the car somewhere between 425,000 and 475,000 pounds. That would be anywhere between $516,418 and $577,173.