2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster Review

Race the Wind, and Win

A new open-air Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster joins the coupe for top-down fun at a sky-high price.

Launched during the 2005 model year, the exotic Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren sits atop the luxury automaker’s lineup and being priced at nearly half a million dollars, that’s way atop. An open-air roadster joined the coupe for 2008; aside from the convertible top, the two versions are virtually identical.

Like the coupe, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster was developed jointly with the automaker’s partner in Formula One racing, McLaren. A full carbon fiber body gives the convertible considerable torsional rigidity, which translates into less shake and fewer rattles than in lesser droptops. As with the coupe, the Roadster’s sleek styling is highlighted by doors that swing up instead of out. It's inspired by the automaker’s famed Silver Arrow F1 racer and it shares a passing resemblance with the Mercedes SL-Class. Only a small number of cars are hand-built each year. The SLR McLaren Roadster is a race-ready street car that can run from 0-60 miles per hour in less than four seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 200 mph. It turns heads everywhere it goes.

• Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster Vehicle Summary

Available in three colors, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster’s power-operated convertible top opens or closes in less than 10 seconds. When open, the top is stowed beneath an aluminum cover. It’s not a totally automatic process, however, as you still have to manually unlatch the top and raise it slightly from the windshield frame before pressing the button to lower it — just like in a $25,000 Ford Mustang convertible. Likewise, after the top is raised, you have to pull down on the roof and manually latch it closed.

Mercedes says the interior acoustics of the SLR McLaren Roadster are such that occupants can carry on a conversation at speeds up to 120 mph with the top down before wind noise becomes too intrusive. Anything faster than that is best accomplished with the top in its raised position (and by a well-trained driver, at that).

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster’s blazing acceleration comes from an AMG-supplied supercharged 5.5-liter V8 that generates more than 600 horsepower. It’s mounted to a lightweight aluminum frame behind the front wheels in a mid-engine configuration. Its unique dry-sump lubrication system helped engineers make the engine shorter, which allows it to be mounted lower in the frame for better aerodynamics and a lower center of gravity. A five-speed automatic transmission is the only available gearbox; it offers “comfort” and “sport” shift modes, and can be taken through the gears manually via steering wheel-mounted paddles or the console gearshift lever.

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Bringing all that power to a halt is no small feat, and to that end, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster is one of only a handful of production vehicles in the world to use ceramic brake technology. In addition to immense stopping power, its composite discs are claimed to offer high heat resistance, stouter structural strength, and longer service life than conventional materials.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster’s stopping power is further aided by means of a unique rear spoiler that’s mounted in the trunk lid. If you’re going faster than 59 mph and hit the brakes, the spoiler will deploy at a 65-degree angle to provide greater aerodynamic downforce and act as an air brake.

On the safety front, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Coupe is the first production car in which the front crash structure is made entirely of carbon fiber, which is said to afford exceptional energy absorption in a collision. The car also comes with knee and side airbags and Mercedes’ Electronic Stability Program to help keep the vehicle’s handling secure through even the tightest curves at high speeds.

Inside, driver and passenger are treated to leather-trimmed carbon-fiber sport seats which come with interchangeable pads for customized comfort; a full range of amenities includes dual-zone climate control and a premium Bose audio system.