Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are two giants in the automotive industry, so it was no surprise that the results were spectacular when the two automakers joined forces to produce the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. From 1995 to 2014, Mercedes supplied McLaren with its Formula One engines, resulting in multiple drivers’ championships and the constructors’ title since 1998 through the partnership. Eventually, Mercedes was able to acquire forty percent of the McLaren brand and thus the SLR was born.
The Mercedes SLR McLaren was unrivaled
Ahead of the SLR at its introduction were the mighty Porsche Carrera GT and the Ferrari Enzo, two hardcore supercars that have stood the test of time, just like the SLR. However, what SLR has achieved is far different from its so-called competitors. While Porsche and Ferrari were obsessing over lap times and drag coefficients, Mercedes and McLaren were developing a vehicle that was faster than anything else on the road, but still comfortable for more than an hour. The SLR is essentially a Grand Tourer supercar, a rare breed in the automotive industry. Although it’s already been more than 10 years since production, you’d be hard-pressed to find a vehicle today that can do everything as well as the SLR, including one that smokes its tires with such gusto.
Even with the hype and understandably high expectations, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has taken the world by storm. Mercedes, with their undisputed reputation for producing the most luxurious vehicles and MO McLaren for creating some of the sportiest in the world, both manufacturers put their best foot forward in making this masterpiece. The opportunity to own an SLR is rare, but even rarer to find for sale is the special edition 722, such as this one being auctioned by RM Sotheby’s. Only 2,157 SLRs were produced, making it ultra-rare, but of those, only 150 are 722s, making this one up for auction an absolute unicorn.
The 722 edition was even more powerful 
Unlike many “special edition” cars that feature only minor differences, the 722 actually had many notable changes. Namely, a lower ride height, a set of 19-inch alloys, larger carbon-ceramic breaks, an Alcantara and carbon fiber interior trim. But most notable of all, the 722 Edition’s supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 received a power boost from 617 to 650 horsepower, dropping the 0-60 time to just 3.6 seconds, a figure still impressive today. Not to mention, this one for sale in Texas has been meticulously maintained with just under 5,000 miles, a true collector’s item that can be enjoyed while driving or as a classic clock in the garage. As the only production car ever to come from the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren, and with no plans for another, it’s absolutely certain that the SLR will forever be sought after. RM Sotheby’s values this model between $750,000 and $850,000. It will hit the Miami auction on December 10.