SLR McLaren: Cleared for Takeoff

Taking flight with a dream car from the minds of Mercedes and McLaren.

Photography by Michelle Stancil

The 2009 Mercedes SLR McLaren is the semi-casual racer’s dream. A product of the 1995-2014 integration of Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, a major in-house producer of supercars and related technologies, the Mercedes SLR McLaren is a powerhouse with a long nose and a very loud mouth. Something of a highly tuned, sleek reincarnation of the traditional roadster, a design implemented with nostalgia in mind, this McLaren/Mercedes hybrid is also a design firmly of the 21st century. While holding to past SLR design, the 2009 iteration takes full advantage of modern integrations, featuring even more dynamic suspension tuning and improved aerodynamics than ever before.

Driven by a 5.5-liter V8, the SLR makes full use of its supercharged pistons to accelerate at rates of 62 mph in 3.8 seconds, reaching top speeds of well over 200 mph, producing 617 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. While much of the car is comprised of lightweight carbon fiber, the ’09 SLR is heavy for a sports car (nearing 4,000 pounds), but it still manages to tout impressive acceleration and handling. According to some, it was the added electronic safety features and other additions made by Mercedes that brought the weight above what McLaren had initially wanted for the vehicle. Still, it more than compensates for the additional poundage by making use of both its powerhouse V8 and huge 19-inch P255/35R19 front and P295/30ZR19 rear tires for increased road grip.

This level of acceleration makes the SLR not just a sight to behold, but a sound to behold on the open road. With every power pulse in acceleration, the car announces itself with a symphony of concussive noise, its exhaust roar rivaling any Ferrari at full choke. While other supercar manufacturers like Porsche and Aston Martin trend towards more dialed-back exhausts with tamer combustions, the ’09 SLR embraces the raw sound of its acceleration like no other. The noise it makes is raw—more of a growl than a hum—and comes across as very American, with low-rev accelerations seeming to explode from the car’s exhaust as the rpms begin to climb. The SLR’s design even seems purpose-built around its noisy acceleration, giving driver and passenger no roof to insulate them from the roar of its trademark sidepipes, located just aft of the real wheels—a feature sure to put hairs on end for any auditory-inclined gearhead.

While other supercars of its class often have mid-chassis engines for better weight distribution, the ’09 SLR holds true to its roadster heritage, leading drivers to be more invested in the “feel” of how the car handles in lieu of more “relaxed” handling. Though some drivers may prefer mid-engine designs for their increased weight distribution, SLR lovers tend to enjoy the more “connected” driving experience of the car’s stiffer steering, giving more weight to each driver action. While a bit tighter to steer than, say, a BMW, it features a unique lowered chassis and a five-speed automatic gearbox, something perhaps foreign to modern Mercedes drivers more used to seven-speed slushboxes. The reason for this is that, at the time, the five-speed was the only transmission available to Mercedes that could handle the 13 PSI of boost and 575 pound-feet of torque produced by the 5.5-liter V8 without damage to the chassis.

Altogether, the 2009 SLR McLaren makes the perfect choice for drivers who have experience with higher-performance vehicles, but it’s still approachable to the knowledgeable automobile enthusiast. It may be this more in-tuned driving, more so than its other traits and features, that makes the SLR stand out, allowing more experienced motorists to better connect with the raw, unruly power, perhaps the most telling testament of a balanced front-forward engine design ... and driver grit.

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