This might be mean, but...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH -- Poor SLR...

[ENZO BTR]

I was just browsing eBay and saw this listing for a Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR.




http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Be...e9040e8ab&item=131269191851&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

I was on the press intro for this car (in exotic South Africa) in the summer of 2003 and I clearly remember how disappointed I was in the vehicle. When the Mercedes-Benz folks told us they planned to make 750 a year for 7 years I knew they were smoking some powerful drugs. Of course the demand never came close to that, and according to Wikipedia they barely hit 1,800 total production. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SLR_McLaren

Remember, these cars cost $450,000 when new. When I drove it I remember being astonished at how non-impressive it was. Despite the carbon fiber construction it still weighed a ton (actually two tons...), the brakes were powerful but almost impossible to modulate because of their "race-inspired" boost levels, and the interior was basically the $95,000 SL with some extra carbon fiber inserts. There was simply nothing compelling about it except, maybe, the exterior design and exotic door action. Otherwise it felt like a $450,000 SL with bad brakes.

I think I was so disappointed in this vehicle because I had such high hopes. I was at the Frankfurt show when it was unveiled in August of 1999 and I thought it was beautiful. The descriptions of its construction and powertrain suggested it would be a beast. When new it was one of "THE" cars to talk about in 2004-2005, along with the Enzo, Carrera GT and Ford GT. I remember all four of them on a Motor Trend cover for one of the magazine's "we compare the coolest cars currently on earth" issues.

Well, we know how the other three cars have fared with 10 years of perspective...

This car is stalled at $50,000, with 2,600 miles on the odo. The same seller has a stripe-delete GT at $200,000 with over 10,000 miles on the odo.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Ford-G...e903e4066&item=131269017702&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

Like I said, it sounds mean to point out the starting MSRP of each car and where they are today, but...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

 

[Joehand1]

I always thought they looked a little odd with the super long hood and super short rear...kinda like a Dr Seuss car...

 

[Kayvan]

Its a gull winged Mercedes

Its a McLaren

Its exotic, limited productions and well made.

All these will eventually weed out the dumb money and smart money will be holding them.

Truly depreciating, generic, overpriced cars are modern Ferraris...'06 F430s are Corvette Z06 money today.

 

[Xcentric]

Lambo door. Buy it now price is $180k. Seems like a steal if the car has been in your top 10 for the past decade. New car for less than half price.

 

[Chris A.]

I always liked them.....but never had the chance to drive one. They need to keep dropping way below that to even consider one.

But last years concept was quite cool....bet they'd sell a bunch of these.

 

[Kingman]

Fletcher Jones Mercedes in Newport Beach had one roped off in the showroom with a price tag of $1M on the windshield when they first came out. I was less than impressed. I assume they felt the novelty of gull-wing doors would generate crowds throwing their Black AMEX at any breathing sales rep on the floor.

 

[junior]

I'll take an SLS instead any day.

 

[djs]

FWIW Fenzo, I remember the Porsche being a white elephant as well. While it was well received by the press, the CGT didn't sell well. When I took my GT to a local Porsche dealer that had 2 Carrera GTs, the salesmen went nuts about the Ford. The CGTs sat there, and sat there, and s a t there.... I think they finally sold them in the mid-hi 300s.

 

[Sinovac]

I agree with Kayvan and Xcentric. I didn't care for the SLR when it came out, but it has grown on me. It has aged well and looks even more outrageous today (just look at those side pipes, side vents and long hood). With about 1,700 or so produced, I think it will become very collectible.

 

[dbk]

You would probably be right if people actually liked owning the car. The few people I know that had one didn't have very many positive things to say about it (up to and including the word "junk"), which honestly is not a huge shock given the fact it was the product of a contentious marriage. 722 models have taken way less of a hit.

 

[Xcentric]

The bid is $120,100 with the auction ending around 6 pm EDT today.

 

[ENZO BTR]

The SLS is a MUCH better car in every way. Just for grins I searched ebay and found a 2012, 1,900-mile example with a buy-it-now of $149,500.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Be...624f291dc&item=301267587548&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

I don't think the SLR would have held its value well even if Mercedes hadn't produced the SLS. But they did, and the market for them seems to hover between $120K and $200K. That pretty much sets the SLR's value. It's an inferior car, so it will always be below an SLS for an equivalent mileage/condition vehicle. Sure, dealers and individuals will likely ASK more because of the limited production numbers (like the dealer with this SLR is doing), but I can't see them actually changing hands for more than an SLS.

The SLR is basically in the opposite position of the Ford GT. The GT was/is an awesome car, plus Ford still hasn't released a successor. The SLR was lame, and then Mercedes produced an updated, more advanced version -- that stickered for half as much!

Like I said -- poor SLR...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[BelgianGT]

That gearbox is soooo old fashioned.

 

[ENZO BTR]

Exactly. No dual-clutch hydraulic, no single-clutch hydraulic, not even a six-speed auto, which was quite common by then on high-end cars. Just the same five-speed automatic found in the SL of the era. Weak.