So you own a McLaren-Mercedes SLR and you feel it's short of a little oomph? In that case Mercedes is making just the car for you. Named the SLR 722 S, the latest McLaren-Mercedes Roadster may make a surprise appearance at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. The SLR 722 S has been named after the 1950's SLR driven to victory in the Mille-Miglia long-distance race by Stirling Moss and Dennis Jenkinson, which carried the 722 starting number.

Hand built by AMG in Affalterbach, Germany, the supercharged 5.5-litre V8 engine puts 641bhp and 605lb.ft of torque under your right foot, which launches the car to 60mph in a little under 3.7 seconds, 125mph in 10.6 and onto a top speed of 208mph. With the top down on the Autobahn this could lead to a seriously bad hair day!

Chassis-wise the suspension is 10mm lower and stiffer than the standard McLaren SLR and, with the exception of two aluminium frames, the body is made entirely of carbon fibre. To help slow you down, 19-inch forged aluminium wheels, giant red callipers and carbon-ceramic brakes are aided by an airbrake integrated into the boot lid.

To keep you cosy on your inter-continental blast, the 722 is equipped with: leather and Alcantara bucket seats, a paddle shift gearbox, dual-zone climate control, satnav and a Bose sound system. Completing the package, the exterior is finished in crystal antimony grey with carbon fibre trim inside and the 722 logo embossed in red on the headrests.

This super soft-top is limited to a production run of just 150 units, which will be hand built at the F1 workshops of McLaren in Woking. Available from January 1st 2009, order quick and you can feel like Lewis Hamilton on the commute to work...

Thomas Newby - 29 Sep 2008