Does no one like drag racing? Fastest cars at the drags where I live (southern cali) all use autos. There's no substitute for it. Instant shifts and its really hard to screw up in an auto. Any high HP dragster at the strip uses an auto. Unless you're a ricer, cause they think that autos are useless on the strip. Then again, they also think "NAWS" stickers add 20 HP so...

Also, funny cars are hardly a manual tranny. It's basically a modified to shit auto, and some of them use autos. Not to mention if they had 10kHP they'd be going faster than 4.8 second quarters.

OK...we've been through this before. Funny cars and top fuel draggers make 5500-6000hp. Not 10,000+. Also, they don't use transmissions in the typical sense. It's not an automatic, but it's not a manual, either. There are no gears in these cars. The Pro-Stocks use a sequential style kind of thing. I do hate to say this, but yes, automatics do provide a more consistent time. That's all they are good for. If you bracket race, an auto will be to your benefit. But, those are typically lower powered cars. A good driver in a manual, all other things equal, will beat the automatic by a good margin, usually.

But we are talking about a fast luxury car.
I mean if you want to spend $400,000 on a super fast manual, buy a Lambo or a Ferrari for the raw power. You would buy the SLR if you wanted power, but ease of drive also, not having to worry about shifting. It is more of a super-fast luxury car.

Where did you guys get the $750000 price tag?
'Cause the UK price will be ~275000 GBP which is ~$440000...

Awesome video at
http://www.mercesdes-benz.com

Do not go to the U.S. site, go to the international site and they have several wallpapers and a video on the car. Pretty cool.

Well, if that IS true, it totally changes my opinion on the car. Not the looks, but the practicality. a 3/4 Million dollar price tag is rediculously over priced. 400k or so is a good price for the performance, prestige, luxory, as well as Rare and Unique factor.

Well according to the latest UK edition of "Car" it's true... They tend to get car prices right... :)

I heard it would be around $750,000 down here, so $400K sounds about right for the US.

Many of you are talking about what is faster, what has more power, blah blah blah!!!!

If a car is capable of 3.9 seconds or 4.5 seconds or 3.1 seconds, are you really gonna notice it???

Also, are you David Coulthard to be able to drive this thing at its full potential? I would say a big fat NO to the vast majority of you!

Further, when will you ever roll up next to a Bugatti at traffic lights to be beaten if you are in a SLR? Its not like these type of cars are everywhere! Like someone said earlier, most people will never see one, so what makes you think someone who owns one will come across a car which can match it? On top of that, those who can afford these things generally won't want to drag them against anything that pulls up next to them!

This car is sensational for two reasons. One is because it is a hand-made Mercedes which is as rare as tits on a bull, and two is because the performance is up there with the best, but it is still a Mercedes, which has certain connotations to it, like being really good cars that dont fall apart!

And besides, if you can afford to spend $750K on a car like that, I'm sure you aren't looking for something to drive your kids to school in, or race down at the local street meet against the local petrolheads, but something that will turn heads, which this thing will do quite nicely.

My thoughts exactly, Nickt.

Sure, a McLaren or the Bugatti could beat the SLR 0-60. So if you had the choice between a Mclaren F1, Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes-Benz SLR; you would choose the McLaren, its the fastest isn't it?

You must factor in the entire car. All the other cars are ass ugly while the SLR is, in my opinion, the nicest and fastest looking car I have ever seen (combines speed looks with luxurious looks).
In my years living, the fastest car I have seen is the Viper. I have probably seen around 5 Vipers, tons of 'Vettes, some M-series, and 1 Ferrari. Now how often will you see a Bugatti, or Mclaren? Almost never

Some more pics:
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/large/1696-12.jpg

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/large/1696-11.jpg

http://www.youngbabez.com/mercedes/slr2/pic03.jpg

But..the Benz is an AUTO. Autos are BORING, and you have so much less control over your car. I dont understand the point of putting a standard auto on a sports car...it boggles the mind!!

And I agree that all the afformented cars are ugly (including this mercedes POS), but there are plenty of alternatives that arent ugly (Dinan BMW M3, M coupe, Porsche GT2, a lambo, Koenigsegg, etc etc).

And if the fastest car you've ever seen is a viper, you must not live anywhere near me.. =)

I think they should have a manual option, but I can understand why this car is an auto. Its more of a super-GT than a race car. Its target audience is middle-aged men who will have this as one of their fun cars and/or status symbols. The car has enough power that shifting it would just get in the way for most people. The auto has a manual mode anyway (more involved than the normal manual shift on an auto box), and algorithms taylored to sporty driving.

I guarantee that this car would not be boring. I have a modified corvette with an auto transmission. I would have prefered a manual (my autobox doesn't have all the neat stuff that the SLR's does either), but the car is still incredibly fast. Go through a windy mountain road at 9/10, and there is no way that I would feel confident having to think about shifting properly on top of eveything else. And the SLR is (should be!) much faster than my car.

Whadya know, just some more pics....
http://www.heimsnet.is/hafst/bilar/M...McLaren/38.jpg

http://www.heimsnet.is/hafst/bilar/M...McLaren/30.jpg

http://www.heimsnet.is/hafst/bilar/M...McLaren/45.jpg

*drool*

Re: Mercedes SLR McLaren
 

Dont get me wrong, its an awesome car, but for quarter million.. thats a bit steep.. besides the fact i can take a 30K Z28, and less than 10K in mods, and it will run circles around the benz

i agree.. autos rock for bracket racing, but nothing better than a stick for heads up racing

I want this car sooo bad, to bad its too much... way too much :P

man thoes are nice

But will the souped up Z28 look as nice as the Benz? Full leather interior designed by Mercedes?
With these supercars, people bring up that souped up Vettes, Z28's, etc. will be faster; maybe, possibly. But this is a sweet as looking luxury car that cna back its ass up in performance as well. Tt was not designed to be the fastest car in the world, just a kick-ass car that can beat 99.99% cars out there, and look nice doing it.

Ok, that makes me want to splooge, just the way it melds into the car is beautifull. I will never afford one of these, but I can dream (although I would love a veyron)

That car is so sexy and so expensive !!!