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Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster. NOW How Much Would You Pay?
by
Justin Crenshaw
(IC: employee)
Published: August 6th, 2009
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Is $2.00 gas killing the Middle East economy? Strolling through a Mercedes dealership in Abu Dhabi revealed this SLR Roadster priced at 2.44 million Dirhams. Think the exchange rate will help? Nope, try $667,000. Talk about mark-ups! When the salesman was asked about the tremendous mark-up, he suddenly forgot how to speak English and walked off. (That, or it was my Innova rental in the parking lot.) Still for this kind of money buyers get a red checkered top that looks like it was stolen off a pimp, and black wheels previously seen in a Tire Rack ad. Even if I was ultra rich, I may just have to pick up another vacation home and a Gallardo instead.
Justin Crenshaw
More by Justin Crenshaw
Published August 6th, 2009 10:01 AM
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In Rio de Janeiro lives a known megalomaniac developer, son of a certain ex-Minister, who has one of these things sitting on his living room, on display. His SLR's sole purpose in life is to [s]impress[/s] replace his trophy wife who left with the kids for a cop after an affair with a local firefighter. I kid you not. This particular SLR sits next to a grand Steinway and some questionable art above the entrance hall that houses - of all things - one of three big-block offshore blown V8's used to propel the minister's son to a local offshore record where he was the only competitor. I think this car was intended exactly for this type of audience and it's very successful when sticking to its intended mission: impressing children, females and the uninformed public in general. The Pep-Boy's blinker trick certainly helps.
It looks like an SLK. It may be brilliant to drive, but I wouldn't pay $700K (or even $200K) for one for the same reason I wouldn't pay $300K for a customized Corvette.
It's amazing to me that they've decided to make it uglier than it was already in its basic form. If you're looking for ridiculous performance in a strangely proportioned sportscar with a retarded amount of power, the Viper seems to be a much better proposition. At least from the perspective of bang for the buck. Then again, I guess if you've got the means to buy one of these things, the buck isn't really top of mind.
There's a limit to just how big I want the ladies to think my pee-pee is, and it stops with my cigar boat. This thing looks like a hair piece on wheels.