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The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren pairs a 617-horsepower supercharged V8 with a braking system rated to handle 2,200-degree temperatures and a rear wing that adjusts itself the instant the driver hits the brakes. From the limited-run 722S roadster to the tuner-built 722 GT pushing past 670 horsepower, this is a car built entirely around extremes. Read on for the full breakdown of what makes it one of the most technically ambitious road cars Mercedes has ever built.
The airbag was patented in the early 1950s, yet not one classic muscle car ever left the factory with one. General Motors tried offering it in the 1970s, Mercedes-Benz finally made it work on the 1981 S-Class, and dual front airbags did not become mandatory in the United States until 1998. Read on to find out why an idea that existed before the GTO took nearly three decades to reach a dashboard, and what that means for anyone driving a classic today.
Tesla’s 2013 Model S launched four years ahead of schedule, with its top trim producing 416 horsepower and running 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, numbers that justified comparisons to gasoline muscle cars. A 17-inch touchscreen controlled nearly every function in the cabin, while three available battery packs offered up to 300 miles of range. Read on to find out how the muscle car comparison held up as Tesla’s lineup evolved.