Mercedes-Benz built this special SLR to honor Sir Stirling Moss, a living legend who piloted some of the most raw and dangerous race cars through the golden age of motor racing. In his day, Moss was an infamous womanizer, whose mystique and racing pedigree helped build Mercedes' brand cachet. The SLR Stirling Moss was only available to "regular" SLR owners, meaning you had to spend nearly $500,000 on the standard SLR to have the opportunity to buy the Moss edition.
The SLR Stirling Moss is a limited edition (75 vehicles) of the series, which uses a speedster styling that does not include roof or windscreen. The design is inspired by the 300 SLR race car, and was designed by Korean designer Yoon Il-hun. It was to be the last series of the McLaren SLR built under the partnership between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren, until McLaren announced their own final edition of the SLR in late 2010. It was a slick maneuver by Mercedes, and it worked: all 75 SLR Stirling Moss models were sold.
The supercharged V8 engine is rated 650 PS (480 kW; 640 hp). The car's top speed is 350 km/h (220 mph) with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds. The car is approximately 200 kg (440 lb) lighter than the regular model.
The SLR Stirling Moss began production in June 2009, after SLR Roadster's production ended in May 2009. All 75 cars were produced by December 2009. The SLR Stirling Moss was available only to SLR owners.
