Taking the Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 Edition to Dubai for a test drive is the ultimate dream for every car enthusiast. With the flawless roads which lead through the desert next to Dubai are ideal for demonstrating the pedigree sporting performance that characterises the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition. Dubai is the up-and-coming business centre of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the setting for the world’s most ambitious construction projects, including the man-made “Palm Jumeirah” island, and over the course of recent decades many wealthy sheikhs have become avid automobile aficionados. It is this flair for the exceptional that links the desert city on the Persian Gulf and its inhabitants with the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition premium sports car.

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The new SLR 722 Edition model variant from Mercedes-Benz evokes memories of a particularly special victory achieved in 1955 by the British motor-racing legend Stirling Moss and his co-pilot Dennis Jenkinson at Mille Miglia – the classic Italian endurance race – behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR with start number 722 (denoting the car’s start time of 7.22 a.m.). Boasting an impressive output of 478 kW/650 hp, the new SLR McLaren 722 Edition super sports car not only outperforms its historic forefather, it even outstrips the scintillating peak performance of the current SLR model. The new limited-edition series – only 150 models are being produced, for the most part handcrafted, at the McLaren Formula 1 works in Woking – is the brand’s response to calls from highly discerning SLR customers for even more sportiness combined with the same high level of everyday practicality.

At the heart of the SLR 722 Edition is a 5.5-litre supercharged V8 assembled by hand at the Mercedes-AMG engine workshops in Affalterbach, Germany, based on the “One man, one engine” principle. Among the high-performance powerplant’s major strengths are its exceptionally spontaneous response to accelerator pedal movements, high torque and that unmistakable V8 sound.

Engine