Mercedes Built This Ultra-Rare Coupe With McLaren. Now It Could Be Yours.
We’re less than a week away from one of the finest automotive collaborations in recent memory going up for grabs.
Next weekend, Bonhams will auction off a gorgeous 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR coupé in England. Any example of the two-door is worth getting excited over, but this is one of only 10 “Crown Edition” variants that were built.
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They may be rivals on the race track these days, but between 1995 and 2014, Mercedes and McLaren were Formula 1 partners. Midway through the union’s first decade, the two marques decided to work on a roadgoing car together. It was to be based on the legendary 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe and would pair top-tier performance with the most luxurious features and materials available. The result was the SLR McLaren, a muscular yet sophisticated coupé and roadster. The model was in production from 2003 to 2010, during which time some 2,157 examples would be built.
Of those, among the rarest was the “Crown Edition” variant. The production run of just 10 cars was commissioned by the leader of a Persian Gulf state to be given as gifts to other royals in the region. This example, chassis no. WDD1993761M001671, is finished in white over a Silver Arrow red leather interior. The coupé wears an upgraded aero kit and rides on a set of 19-inch lightweight alloy wheels.
Each “Crown Edition” was based on the high-performance SLR McLaren 722 build, which was limited to just 150 examples. The variant is named after the 300 SLR that Stirling Moss drove to victory at the Mille Miglia in 1955 and features a slew of performance upgrades. Chief among these is a new engine tune that boosts the output of the car’s already potent supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 to 641 hp and 605 ft lbs of torque. Thanks to these modifications, which also included stiffer dampers, the car can sprint from zero to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 209 mph. This example should be able to replicate these feats since it has less than 50 miles on it. It’s only ever been owned by the seller and has kept on a “static” display during that time.
The SLR McLaren “Crown Edition” is being sold without reserve. Despite this, the auction house expects it to sell for between $250,000 and $380,000 when it goes up for bid Sunday, April 14, at the Goodwood Members Meeting.
Click here to see more photos of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “Crown Edition.”
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