Motoring News

Mercedes has unveiled the SLR McLaren Roadster, which, like modern Formula One vehicles, is made of carbon fibre, offering a "very high degree of safety" and "torsional stiffness".

A racing-type chassis is the base for the car, delivering "outstanding ride characteristics" and supporting the top speed of 207mph offered by the AMG V8 compressor engine.

Its 626hp takes the car from 0-62mph in an impressive 3.8 seconds.

Certain stylistic elements in the Mercedes SLR McLaren Roadster have been designed to evoke the manufacturer’s racing models, such as distinctive lateral louvers, side pipes behind the front wheels and wide-opening gullwing doors.

One of the main selling points of the car is its retractable top, which has been designed to blend into the vehicle’s flowing contours and opens and closes semi-automatically in less than ten seconds.

While there is a big emphasis on performance and style in the SLR McLaren, safety is also a priority, with steel-reinforced A-pillars and two fixed rollover bars installed.

Also coming as standard are adaptive airbags, seat belt tensioners and a tyre pressure monitoring system.