Merc reveals £700k hypercar

Production of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren roadster finishes in May next year, but the production line won't stand idle for long. Following the last of the SLR roadsters will be a limited series of speedster SLR Stirling Moss models, with just 75 of these uncompromising hypercars being built for the SLR's most dedicated and wealthy customers.

Spotted out testing a few months ago, the fully open SLR Stirling Moss celebrates the 300 SLR of the 1950s, which notched up some historic race victories - most notably the Mille Miglia, where Stirling Moss completed the arduous road race in just ten hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds.

The SLR Stirling Moss is almost as uncompromising as the 1950's racer. It comes without a windscreen; instead a couple of aero screens in front of the driver and passenger remove some of the buffeting - even so we'd recommend helmets. Two scoops behind their heads serve as rollover bars, and the SLR Stirling Moss features heavily revised bodywork in comparison to its SLR coupé and roadster relatives.

Up front the new speedster features single headlamps in place of the regular car's twin units. These, allied with reshaped wings, redesigned rear bodywork and bolder sculpted flanks are a reverential nod and modern interpretation of the 1955 300 SLR's flowing lines.

It's certainly going to attract attention for the 75 owners who have already committed to buying the uncompromising, exclusive model. Not least because of the performance on offer; the 650bhp SLR Stirling Moss can accelerate to 62mph in just 3.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 217mph. Impressive numbers, but then they should be, as the SLR Stirling Moss retails for £710,000 - ensuring it's more than just the driving experience that's eye-watering.

Kyle Fortune