Ahead of the engine are a pair of conical carbon fibre elements combined with the structure to absorb a frontal collision and provide maximum passenger protection. According to Mercedes-Benz, the SLR is the world's first series-production car to have a front crash structure manufactured entirely from carbon fibre. Right now, it's very expensive indeed to build a carbon fibre car body, but implications for future passenger vehicles made from this material are clear to see. Incidentally, even the seat shells on this car are fabricated from carbon fibre and these have adaptable bolsters for people of differing girth.
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| The SLR is the world's first series-production car to have a front crash structure manufactured entirely from carbon fibre. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
Perhaps the best indication of things to come for more mundane cars is the SLR's use of SMC, or sheet moulded carbon. The wide panel just below the rear window, which extends to form the trunk lip, is moulded from SMC. It doesn't have the look of carbon fibre with its ribbons of material showing through the transparent epoxy-like binder, but it's just as light and strong. One engineer connected with the project hinted to me that Mercedes-Benz would not get involved in a supercar selling for several hundred thousand dollars and set for very limited production without regarding it as a testbed for less expensive volume production models. The SLR weighs 30 per cent less than a comparable steel car and this makes a big contribution to performance.
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| Powered by a 626-hp AMG developed supercharged 5.5-litre V-8, the SLR goes from zero to 100 km/h in 3.8-seconds. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
SLR power comes from an AMG developed supercharged 5.5-litre V-8 developing an awesome 626-horsepower and mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission with semi-manual mode using steering wheel buttons. It uses dry sump lubrication and despite its raw power, it meets new European emission rules which come into place for 2005. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h is given as 3.8-seconds and the top speed is 334 km/h. Even on South Africa's excellent backroads, we were able to top 260 km/h before the rippled surface induced a mild feeling of instability. There's no doubt that we'd have been well over 300 km/h on a smoother Autobahn with no traffic around. Mid-range torque is astonishing and the car takes off with neck-snapping response.
