Has anyone here bought one, or driven one?
Just curious, as I saw 3 at Luxury Motors in chicago, all priced in the high 500's to 600's.
BTW, they have a 2003 enzo priced at 1.29 mill and 2 CGT at 490 and 500.

 

Nice lineup they have there.

 

Two sitting at my local Benz dealer. Was there yesterday with drool cup. Absolutely stunning in person.

Sticker? Nope. $750K each asking price. Dealer got one allocation, bought the other one. Oh yeah, and if you can't handle that, there's a Maybach or two out back.

 

Yes, early sales attempts and prices on the SLR mirror closely those of the CGT. I too know of dealers with cars for sale. It would seem the MB dealers have similarly speculated on the cars ala Porsche dealers and might have created artificial and unnatural demand relative to supply. These cars should be under MSRP soon just as the CGT is.

 

Ben, I think MB may be onto something Porsche wasn't. With the SLR, MB introduces the already satiated MB customer with the proven racing expertise of McLaren, and at the same time rolls out their supercar in a snapshot of the existing design of the SL.

Not a radical new vehicle, ala CGT or Enzo. But instead a car that from 20 feet, the average MB owner thinks is some sort of SL. Only the true aficionado who has kept up with that 600hp range knows what it is at that distance. Yes, the gullwing doors and other incidentals on the interior are a far cry from the SL, but the outer skin isn't.

Yes, it IS different from the SL, but look at the SL's evolution over the past 20 years (I owned an '88), and you'll see the cues. The CGT does not carry forth the same design cues, and that could be one reason MB dealers will get high price for the rare vehicle (average 1 per dealer in US per year).

I would bet first year production is completely sold out, and unlike Porsche's marketing BS, it is actually SOLD OUT to a real customer, not just dealer orders. But time will tell. I'm not sure what the production #s are on the SLR, but I doubt there will be many.

Oh yeah, one more thing. As an MB customer since the late 80's, I don't mind dropping a few bills on their cars when I KNOW they will FIX THEM RIGHT and handle problems correctly, as directed from the top down, UNLIKE our friends from Stuttgart who sweep many problems under the rug and move on, profits gleaming in their eyes.

 

According to MB USA there's going to be 2500-3000. I'm with Ben, prices are going to tank on this car, even moreso than the C-GT IMHO.

 

Sold out to real customers? We had deposits on two of them at Smythe MB. We were on the very top of the list. I understand the first one they got was put on auction at the Monterey Concourse Car Auction last August. Soon after we received a letter returning our deposits. I understand they decided to return all deposits and sell the cars on the open market

 

I concur about the SLR prices dropping even morese than the CGT.

I don't like the styling all that much, and actually laugh at the extra fins tey added to visually shorten that hood profile ...

 

"Ben, I think MB may be onto something Porsche wasn't. With the SLR, MB introduces the already satiated MB customer with the proven racing expertise of McLaren, and at the same time rolls out their supercar in a snapshot of the existing design of the SL."

McLaren have a lot of racing expertise with 3600 lb cars w/ automatic trannies? That snapshot of existing design sure looks a lot like the new SLK. And we know how well that went over when Porsche had strong frontal similarities between the Boxster and the entry level 911. Can you imagine what would have happened if they'd have played the "big brother/little brother" game with the Boxster and CGT? Though knowing Porsche, they probably will, as soon as they've sold their last CGT.

"Not a radical new vehicle, ala CGT or Enzo. But instead a car that from 20 feet, the average MB owner thinks is some sort of SL. Only the true aficionado who has kept up with that 600hp range knows what it is at that distance. Yes, the gullwing doors and other incidentals on the interior are a far cry from the SL, but the outer skin isn't."

Yep, and that aficionado will know the SL65 has more power.

"Yes, it IS different from the SL, but look at the SL's evolution over the past 20 years (I owned an '88), and you'll see the cues. The CGT does not carry forth the same design cues, and that could be one reason MB dealers will get high price for the rare vehicle (average 1 per dealer in US per year)."

There is nothing rare about these cars as they'll make at least double the number of CGTs which is itself already a far cry from limited production in the supercar world.

"I would bet first year production is completely sold out, and unlike Porsche's marketing BS, it is actually SOLD OUT to a real customer, not just dealer orders. But time will tell. I'm not sure what the production #s are on the SLR, but I doubt there will be many."

Sorry but I know for a fact, and apparently Chad does too, that the EXACT same kind of dealer speculative horseschit which has created artificial demand is being played with these cars as was played with the CGT. It will end even worse with 2X+ the production, and it sure isn't going well for the CGT. Also, I don't believe MB is currency hedged to 2007 like Porsche which should greatly limit their ability to "assist" dealers in moving them after the major currency related bath they've already taken since pricing was announced.

"Oh yeah, one more thing. As an MB customer since the late 80's, I don't mind dropping a few bills on their cars when I KNOW they will FIX THEM RIGHT and handle problems correctly, as directed from the top down, UNLIKE our friends from Stuttgart who sweep many problems under the rug and move on, profits gleaming in their eyes. "

No doubt. Porsche has abandoned race bred R&D for customer R&D and has taken lessons from BMW in response to complaints (ie: "oh, that's normal"). That said, I've never in my life heard of so much MB lemoning activity as I have since they "merged" with Chrysler. MB cars are for crap these days.

 

I drove both the SLR and SL65 in October. Here are my impressions:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...threadid=18688

 

I saw a SLR Mclaren @ a dealership in Monaco last month. What a machine. I stood there with my mouth hanging open for 20 minutes drooling.

 

anybody with personal pics??? not the standard press pics

 

There are real pics on the Luxury motors website.
As for 1st year production being sold out, it is not, they have 2 available at LM in chicago. You just need to walk in with the check book and it is yours!!! (For high 500's to low 600s)

 

As I said above, I drove one in October:

 

Great!! I'll start looking in my sofa. I have two sofas so maybe I can get a CGT as well