Offered for sale is this 2007 Mercedes-Benz McLaren 722 SLR.

The 722 SLR is what happens when legends work together - and create a product out of the creative conflict that can elevate a project even higher. The SLR was conceived when the racing oncern McLaren and Mercedes-Benz were paired together in Formula 1 - McLaren designing the chassis and body, Mercedes engineers supplying the engines. At the time, McLaren’s engineering head was the brilliant and iconoclastic Gordon Murray. Known for his unwavering commitment to an ideal, previous to the collaboration with Mercedes was the primary architect for the stunning McLaren F1, produced from 1992 to 2000 and completing a grand total of 106 units. For that car he convinced BMW to build him the 618hp naturally aspirated V12, but the engine was the sole contribution from the Bavarian group. In the case of the Mercedes-McLaren, it would be more collaborative.

The issue with that is, Gordon Murray’s idea of what the car should be did not jibe with what the heads of Mercedes were thinking of, and the conflict was fairly substantial - they had said they wanted a modern interpretation of the iconic 1950 SLR race car, but what they’d designed was much more of a GT, and Murray took one look at the design and insisted the new SLR’s weight balance would be too nose heavy. According to Murray, what followed was around six months of constant meetings where even after they said they’d relented, he met with division after division of Mercedes employees who would challenge his vision of what the car would be.

Murray’s grit and determination for the car to be perfectly balanced across all four tires is one of the reasons why the nose of the SLR is so long. He had insisted that the car be a front-mid engine design - where the engine sat behind the front axle line, taking weight off the nose of the car and shifting it rearward, to allow the 50/50 weight balance that resulted in true automotive athleticism. For fans of the long nose / short deck aesthetic, this is the ultimate, with room to spare.

There were many other innovative features and processes Murray pushed for and achieved - a car fully assembled by binding with glue, with no bolts or rivets, a full carbon fiber chassis made of large sections instead of multiple smaller pieces. The SLR was truly special, and Murray’s tenacity pushed Mercedes - a leading engineering company - beyond what even they had imagined possible.

Every SLR is a worthy collection addition. But the 722, by celebrating Stirling Moss and the success in the Mille Miglia, is the closest thing to the original vision of what Mercedes had pitched to Gordon Murray - a direct connection to the winning 300SLR from the era. If you want an example of the closest thing to a concession that either Gordon Murray or Daimler-Benz ever made, this is the incredible result.

This example is a 2007 Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722 Edition. It is finished in Crystal Antimony Grey over a black leather interior with red accents and alcantara seat inserts, and is powered by a 5.4 liter supercharged V8 with 641 hp running power to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. The 722 Edition is a tribute to legendary Mercedes racing driver Stirling Moss, who won the 1955 Mille Miglia in a Mercedes-Benz 300SLR with the racing number 722 - which indicates his start time of 7:22 am in that staggered start road race. This example is located in Dubai, and comes with all service books and documentation.

For full details, please see listing at sbxcars.com