Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster

SLR McLaren in Naples, Florida

     Mercedes-Benz and McLaren  had grand ambitions when they collaborated on this grand tourer,  but while it sports a sleek look, those aspirations did not show through, as the SLR's design is too simple. While there is nothing terrible about the Merc, much of the design failed to make a lasting impression.
        The grille is often literally what sticks out most in a car. If this car wanted to grab our attention, it should not have had a boring, rectangular grille running on a slight downward angle into the hood bulge--a splash of chrome on the grille's bar could have livened up the front fascia. Below the grille, there's just nothing there and, again, some chrome would provided panache.
       The headlights, two joined vertical ovals featuring xenon headlamps, fit in with Mercedes' brand look from that era--this car was produced from 2003-2009--but while they fit in with the W203 C-Class, which was a more conservative car, it is a bit too basic for this luxury sports car.
        Walk around the back and it's more of the same. The lower rear fascia wears nothing more than a frowning look, with an arch curving over the reverse lights and down to the underside of the SLR. The brake light is mounted on the underside of the lip spoiler, and the designated license plate spot is simply an indent in the rear bodywork. Again, I was disappointed by the simplicity of the design of the rear fascia, expecting something more flashy, maybe a chrome bar connecting the taillights or more glamorous license plate spot.
    Don't get me wrong, there's plenty to like about the SLR McLaren. The car's long hood features a bulge that is a reminder of the might of the 617 horsepower V8 engine underneath. This bulge stretches from the windscreen down to the grille, where it comes to a point, a protrusion that holds a large Mercedes-Benz emblem and is flanked by sporty silver horizontal vents close to the windscreen. The vents are split into three pieces by silver dividers--the car's vents are my favorite touch and exactly what  this car could use more of. 

     Just behind the luxurious 10-spoke silver wheels is another sleek air vent, with a similar design to the ones on the hood, except the dividers are horizontal and the vents themselves are vertical. These vents have a retro feel, reminding me of the vents on the 300SL Gullwing. The bottom of the vent runs into a clean character line which forms the outline of the doors. Another strong character line, actually more like a small inversion, runs from in between the oval headlamps, along the body, and around the seats, making almost a full circumnavigation of the vehicle.

                               SLR McLaren in Naples, Florida

     The highlights of the rear are the complex and futuristic taillights, similarly shaped to those on the current C-Class, with the silver C-shaped housings within the taillights that contain the LEDs being my favorite detail. 

     When the SLR McLaren cruises by you may think it's a real looker, but when examined closely, we realize that the Mercedes-Benz didn't live up to its potential in design.

Grade
Front: B-
Back: B-
Overall: B-