It’s not very often we see two manufacturers combine forces to produce a car worthy of bearing both names, but that’s precisely what Mercedes-Benz and McLaren did in the early 2000s.
At the time, Mercedes owned a 40 percent stake in the British company, and to this day still supplies engines to McLaren’s Formula 1 team – and much of McLaren’s storied F1 DNA informed the car these two marques produced.
The recipe is an interesting one: a comfortable, mile-munching grand tourer cloaked in spaceship looks, yet packing supercar performance and more than a dash of elite racing know-how.
Add that all together and you get the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren – one of the most fascinating automotive collaborations we’ve seen.
While it may wear Mercedes’ three-pointed star most prominently, the SLR was actually hand-built by McLaren at its famous headquarters in Surrey, England. At its 2003 launch, 3500 examples were originally planned, already enough to make it scarce, but only 2157 had been completed by the time production ended in 2010.
One of those rare examples is currently up for grabs through Retro Rides’ sister site, RR Auctions, with this US-delivered 2005 model having headed to New Zealand and then here in Australia before finding itself as the flagship lot of the March 2026 sale.
Built around a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis – now common for supercars, but still largely the preserve of F1 cars at the time – the SLR was styled by legendary British designer Gordon Murray, best known for the McLaren F1, and German designer Gorden Wagener, nowadays the head of Mercedes’ design team.
Inspired by the 300 SLR racer driven by famous figures including Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, most examples were coupes, although a roadster and later speedster versions were also offered, the latter most heavily drawing upon the original “Sport Light Racing” car.
The expansive, uniquely-hinged bonnet gives a hint as to the F1-inspired origins of the SLR, with the prominent aerofoil clearly drawing upon the nose of early 2000s Grand Prix racers.
Beyond this, the coupe’s dramatic butterfly doors and the 19-inch, nine-spoke ‘turbine’ alloys give it a truly unique look. This one also wears the most iconic wheel design of the variety on offer, a set of 19-inch nine-spoke turbines. Given the SLR was never sold new in Australia and very few examples are kept here, it’s unsurprisingly a real magnet for eyeballs.
Under its long bonnet you’ll find a 5.4-litre supercharged V8 – of course, hand-built by AMG. Notably, it’s the last supercharged engine produced by AMG before shifting towards turbocharging for its force-fed engines.
Generating a truly immense 460kW and 780Nm, it’s backed by a five-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive – reinforcing the GT brief rather than chasing razor-edged aggression.
However, a set of side exit exhausts that virtually come straight off the headers ensure you’ll hear every decibel of the heavy metal concert that’s rockin’ up top.
All SLRs left the factory in left-hand drive form – despite being built in England – and this example remains in such a configuration. The interior is undoubtedly all Mercedes, aside from the McLaren-branded dials, with extensive leather trimming and snug but comfortable bucket seats.
But if the big “SLR” badging over the radio cover didn’t leave a hint that this isn’t your ordinary Merc, firing it up will leave no doubts. Rather than a conventional starter button, the SLR places it under a hinged metal cover atop the gear lever. Not much feels as impressive as deploying that mammoth engine through such a dramatic method as that.
On the road, the SLR is a bit like an Olympic athlete in a business suit. At normal speeds, it’s as easy and approachable to drive as an SL – calm, composed, and relaxing. Stamp on the throttle, though, and it immediately puts its game face on with an explosive turn of power.
Don’t be fooled by the auto ‘box – this is a demanding car to drive at the limit. With so much power channelled solely to the rear wheels, it’s unafraid of spinning up the tyres or letting the back end step out. It may be all Mercedes in traffic, but it’s a beast when you find enough road to unleash it upon. The sound it makes is just as beastly – a deep V8 growl complemented by intense muscle car-esque supercharger whine.
Mind you, there are some clues as to how serious a vehicle this is even when you are stuck in a Sydney traffic jam (ask us how we found that out). The steering is heavy and deliberate, both the throttle and brake pedals are floor-hinged, and the sensation of the exhaust pulses coming out from the front quarter panels rather than travelling to the rear clearly let you know that this is no ordinary car.
Don’t fear driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the cabin for our Aussie roads, either. It may take a moment to recalibrate yourself to sitting on the left, but the adaptation time required is minimal.
With the SLR packing enough power to leave a dent in the horizon, styling that still looks like it came from the future, and Formula 1 thinking when you peel back the layers, it becomes clear the more time you spend with it that this is neither a soft luxury coupe or a delicate supercar. Instead, it sits somewhere in-between. Simply, it was designed to make a statement – and it still does two decades on.
For your chance to make this fine example of the SLR yours, head to RRAuctions.com.au where bidding runs from March 15-25, 2026.
