Mercedes and McLaren have joined forces again and they are working on a "baby" McLaren that will compete with Lamborghini Gallardo, the V10 version of the Audi R8 and Ferrari F430. The new model will be priced at around $200.000.

It is not a secret that by 2010, practically all large European car makers will bring on the market an exclusive model with prices starting from $125.000. Audi has already launched the R8 supercar, and a more powerful version is about to be unveiled. BMW is also working on the Z9 sportscar. It will be powered by a V10 engine with an output of 500 hp. It was more than logically for Mercedes to bring a new model on the market to compete with them.

McLaren already worked in close co-operation with the school and students of the Transport Design course at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Turin to get an insight into a McLaren super car of tomorrow. The target was to design a mid-engined super sports car capable of more than 200 mph that offered the technological excellence of Formula 1 for the road, with unparalleled dynamic and aerodynamic performance.

Mercedes will combine elements from the three concepts awarded, with elements from the F1 and SLR, and will have the perfect car for the future.

Although Mercedes hasn't confirmed the SLC name yet, the new model will be placed between the SL AMG and the SLR in the Mercedes line-up. The new model, code-named P8, will have a three-seat arrangement similar to that of the F1. It will be a two-seater, but a third seat could be mounted centrally towards the rear, the reverse of the F1's layout.

Mercedes will use carbon-fiber for the construction for the new car. The SLC will be a more dynamic and aggressive version of the current SLR, with the front reminding of the McLaren F1.

The 2010 SLC will be a mid-engined model, powered by a supercharged 6.2 liter V8 engine. Although there are no info about the output of the car, considering that the SLC will be placed between the S65 AGM (604 hp) and SLR (617 hp),we expect the SLC to have an output around 600-610 hp. It will also feature a sport automatic gearbox.

We expect that the SLC will have a top speed of 200 mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 - 3.7 seconds.

Mercedes plans to build 2000 units a year. This will help them to easily compete with Ferrari and Lamborghini.

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History



1993 McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 benefits from World Championship Formula One technology and experience and is the world’s first production road car to feature an all carbon composite monocoque and body structure.

This unique material combines the low weight necessary for performance with exceptional strength to exceed demanding industry safety requirements.

McLaren Automotive commissioned the BMW S70/2 engine, designed and built specifically for the F1. This 6.1 litre, quad-cam, 48-valve V12 power unit produces no less than 627 bhp and drives through a bespoke six-speed transaxle gearbox.

In March 1998, the F1 confirmed that it is the fastest production car in the world, achieving a record top speed of 240.14mph. This was a record it held until March 2005.

On December 16th 1998 the same McLaren F1, driven by Peter Taylor, an independent test and development engineer broke the high-speed circuit record at MIRA averaging 168mph round the 2.82 mile banked circuit with a maximum speed of 196.2mph.

Of the 100 cars 64 were F1 road cars, five were F1 LM versions built to commemorate victory at Le Mans in 1995 and three were F1 GT road going versions of the long tail 1997 F1 GTR race car. The remaining 28 were F1 GTR race cars built for private customers competing in the FIA GT series and the 24 Heures du Mans.

2005 Mercedes SLR McLaren

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an impressive testament to the competence and experience of Mercedes-Benz and our Formula 1 partner McLaren in the development and production of high-performance sports cars. The two-seater, with its striking swing-wing doors and styling elements borrowed from the Formula 1 Silver Arrows, builds on the legacy of the famous SLR race cars of the 1950s. Equipped with cutting-edge race car technology and ground-breaking new Mercedes developments, designed to ensure a high standard of safety and suitability for day-to-day use, the new SLR creates a distinctive image for itself as a 21st-century Gran Turismo - a thrilling synthesis of tradition and innovation.

The newly developed V8 supercharged engine delivers an output of 626 hp and accelerates the sports car from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The top speed is approximately 207 mph. The body of the new SLR, like those of the Mercedes-McLaren Formula 1 race cars, is made from carbon fibre composites - lightweight materials which demonstrate exemplary energy absorption, hence ensuring the highest standard of occupant protection.

The SLR is the world’s first series-produced car to have a front crash structure manufactured entirely from carbon fibres. Adaptive airbags, newly developed kneebags and sidebags, belt tensioners, high-performance ceramic brake discs and an automatically adaptive airbrake in the boot lid round off the range of safety equipment on board the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, setting new standards in this vehicle class.

In the interests of optimum dynamic handling and high stability on braking, the new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren has a front mid-engined design. The high-performance V8 engine, mounted on a robust aluminium frame, is installed at a low level which allows a low centre of gravity for agile handling.

With its 5.5-litre displacement, the supercharged engine develops a peak output of 460 kW/626 hp and delivers its maximum torque of 575 lbs-ft from 3250 rpm - a figure which remains constant across a broad engine speed range of up to 5000 rpm. This means that the SLR 8-cylinder is among the most powerful engines currently available in a series-produced roadgoing sports car. This high-performance car takes just 3.8 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60, it passes the 124 mph mark after 10.6 seconds, and from a standing start it takes just 28.8 seconds to reach 186 mph. The top speed is 207 mph.

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Competitors



Ferrari F430

The F430 is an aluminium-constructed, mid-engined two-seater, with a compact, 90-degree V8 engine, though with some 483bhp, it’s significantly more powerful than the 394bhp 360 Modena, as Ferrari tries to keep pace with the car’s nearest rival, Lamborghini’s 493bhp Gallardo.

Excitingly focused mini-Enzo looks, fabulously energetic engine, ultra-sharp but easy-to-drive handling, an F1 shift which works as it should, huge stopping power with optional carbon-ceramic brakes, every drive is a special occasion with the Ferrari F430. Servicing is cheaper than for 360, too.

The most recent example of this transfer is the F430, unveiled for the very first time to the public here in Paris. The new F430 hails the arrival of a whole new generation of Ferrari 8-cylinder berlinettas and takes the aluminium technologies first used in the 360 Modena to a new level. It also offers a series of spectacular innovations directly derived from Ferrari’s Formula 1 single-seaters. Two of these innovations are world firsts for productions cars: the electronic differential (E-Diff) initially developed by Ferrari for its F1 single-seaters and designed to make the most of the engine’s torque to optimise traction, and the handily placed steering wheel-mounted commutator switch (better known to the Scuderia drivers as ’manettino’) which directly controls the integrated systems governing vehicle dynamics.

The F430 is powered by a completely new 4308 cc engine. The new V8 delivers a massive 490 hp and a specific power of 114 hp/l. Its performance is absolutely excellent too: 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) acceleration in four seconds flat and a top speed in excess of 315 km/h (196 mph).

Lamborghini Gallardo

With the purchase of Lamborghini by Audi/Volkswagen in 1998, an interesting challenge arised: adjusting the hot-blooded and temperamental machines to the Teutonic levels of quality and engineering. The result was the Italian supercar maker’s Lamborghini Gallardo. It met Audi’s mission to keep the style and attitude of V12-powered cars like Countach, Diablo and Murcielago but to make the car more usable and livable for daily use. This has been greeted with very positive reviews and strong sales, since the Gallardo’s debut in 2004.

The aluminum V10 engine has been upped slightly for 2006 and tops out at 520 hp at 8,000 rpm and 376 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. It launches the car from zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. The gasoline consumption is estimated at a 10 mpg city / 19 mpg highway rate. The V10 features an 18-degree offset crankshaft for even firing, continuously variable valve timing, dry-sump oiling and a variable-length induction system. All the V10 power is fed to the pavement through an AWD system that can vary front-to rear, if necessary, as the suspension front and rear is a double-wishbone design. The stopping duties are handled by the Beefy Brembo brakes that have eight-piston calipers clamping things down up things.

Audi R8

As the first Audi mid-engined sports car, the R8 combines Audi’s experience gained from numerous motorsport triumphs with groundbreaking design and the acknowledged technological expertise of the brand. This expertise has led to the slogan ’Vorsprung durch Technik’ becoming a byword for leading-edge technology both on the race track and on the road.

Audi initially demonstrated the performance of V8 engines with FSI petrol direct injection on the racetrack: Audi R8 sports racing cars first appeared with the FSI concept in the 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours – and captured a superb double triumph, marking the start of an unprecedented string of achievements.

The year after that, the combination of a superior power characteristic and reduced fuel consumption even paved the way for a one-two-three victory. There was not a single instance of the R8 failing to complete any of its 79 races due to engine failure. The new Audi R8 now transfers this superiority from the racetrack to the road: like its role-model from Le Mans, it derives its power from a high-revving V8, located ahead of the rear wheels as a mid-engine.

The 4.2-litre engine is a new development that features a full array of motor racing technology in the guise of dry-sump lubrication, straight intake ports and an exhaust manifold with equal-length pipes for all cylinders.

This engineering achievement is suitably reflected by a host of impressive figures: the engine’s top speed is a notable 8,250 rpm. The engine delivers its peak output of 420 bhp at 7,800 rpm. With its displacement of 4,163 cm3, this outstanding engine breaks through the magic barrier for a production vehicle of 100 bhp per litre. The high-revving concept also means that the maximum piston speed is 24.1 metres per second at the engine’s rated speed.

The road performance is correspondingly impressive: the R8 dashes to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.6 seconds, whether with manual gearbox or with R tronic sequential gearshifting. Thanks to its quattro drive and perfect weigh distribution, problems of traction are an alien concept to it. It touches the 200 km/h mark after 14.9 seconds. Thanks to its refined aerodynamics, the engine’s propulsive power is only finally harnessed by drag at a top speed of 301 km/h.