25 May 05
It is unlikely to ever see a racetrack, but is the SLR a proper GT as DaimlerChrysler are so keen to convince us? Yes, you can get luggage in the boot, but the interior is quite shockingly short of places to stick bits and pieces - no glovebox, no door bins, nothing. Only awkward-to-reach cubbies behind the seats. And I can think of a long list of more refined and cosseting GTs I'd rather have done this trip in, not least of which are the Aston Martin DB9 and Bentley Continental GT. You could purchase both for the price of an SLR. With enough left over for a Porsche 911. And a Lotus Elise for track days.
It's pretty fair to say that we don't think the SLR is worth anywhere near £313,540 for the experience on offer, memorable as it is (a Merc SL65 is half the price with about as much power and 162lb ft more torque).
But the 'what-you-could-get-for-the-cash' argument is slightly missing the point here. Because if you are in a position to consider an SLR, this isn't an 'either, or' decision. The SLR customer will, if he chooses, already own an Enzo, Carrera GT, Bentley Continental and all the rest. For the majority of these customers, buying an SLR is, literally, the equivalent of me buying a round for my mates of a Friday evening.
The real question is, can DaimlerChrysler find 500 such people every year for the next seven years, which is the sales target? As stupendously fast and dramatic as the SLR is - and at the risk of taking a bullet from that wound-up PR guy - I rather doubt it.
