Not too long ago, two automakers
joined forces to create a supercar that was part McLaren, part
Mercedes: the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Since then, each
company has parted ways and developed their own supercars
incorporating their own technology and heritage, the MP4-12C and SLS AMG. They couldn't be more
different. It's a story of embracing the future versus embracing
the past. A look forward versus a look back. It's chess versus
PlayStation. I could go on forever but the point is, the MP4-12C
and SLS AMG are two very different supercars built for two different types of people.
There's so much more to consider when choosing which one of
these two cars you prefer. For instance, do you prioritize
performance first, comfort second or vice-versa? Do you believe
a supercar's engine belongs in the front or middle? Is there
really no replacement for displacement or are turbochargers the
future? Then you have to ask yourself if you enjoyed the past or are looking forward to the future.
If your hero is the
late, great Paul Newman or the invincible Michael Schumacher. If you like doors that raise straight up or diagonally. Owning one
of these cars can define who you are.
If you choose the McLaren, then you're choosing a mid-engined,
3.8-liter twin turbocharged V8 race car for the road. What you
lack in comfort you more than make up for in performance. You'll
get a supercar that's pure McLaren, featuring no other parts
from any other car in the world. Your
fantasy of racing an F1 car can become reality because there's
so much F1 technology incorporated into the MP4-12C that you'll
no longer look up to Michael Schumacher, you'll rival him.
If you choose the Mercedes, you'll experience history in the
making. You can drive for hours on end picturing Audrey Hepburn
in your passenger's seat as you careen through the countryside
with a massive 6.2-liter V8 out in front of you. You realize
that it's not often that an automobile manufacturer reincarnates
such a classic and historic car like the SLS's predecessor.
Both the McLaren and Mercedes are named with purpose. The jumble
of letters and numbers stand for more than one might think. The
McLaren's name spells out a variety of configuration choices
with MP4 standing for McLaren Project 4, the same chassis
designation for McLaren's Formula 1 cars. The number '12'
signifies its focus on performance and the letter 'C' stands for
Carbon, as in carbon fiber. AMG has been added to the name of
the SLS to emphasize that this supercar is the first Mercedes to
be designed in-house by Mercedes's high performance division. The SLS's name signifies a modern
reincarnation of the historic Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing from
the 1950s but there's more to it than just that.
Everything about the SLS pays homage to the 300SL. Many consider
the 300SL the first supercar ever which gave the world
technology it had never seen before. It was the first automobile
ever to feature direct injection which only now, 50 years later,
is becoming mainstream. It was aerodynamic in its time, built
around a tubular chassis to increase chassis strength. This
resulted in high door sills which required the invention and
application of gull wing doors, a historic landmark in
automotive history. Today, the original 300SL can cost upwards
of $700,000 compared to the $11,000 asking price in 1954. So
when you look at the SLS AMG's price, it may very well be worth
$12 billion 50 years from now.
Speaking of which, when you look at both the MP4-12C's and SLS
AMG's price, they look like relative bargains. When the
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren debuted in 2004, it was priced at
$450,000 later climbing up to $495,000. For that amount of
money, you could buy both the MP4-12C and the SLS AMG
and still have plenty of money left over. That's good
news considering both of these supercars are launching in a
worldwide recession but the fact that these two supercars now
exist offers a glimmer of hope in gloomy times. |
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