How did Mercedes-Benz and McLaren build prototypes to test what would become the legendary Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren? They hacked up a pair of the coolest supercars you’ve probably never heard of and added some absolutely hideous features. In the embedded post at the end of this article are the two TVR Cerberas that were used as test mules for the SLR’s engine, including the supercharger that is the reason for the ugliest noses we’ve ever seen on any car ever.
Mercedes-Benz
While its roots trace back to the Benz Patent Motorwagen in 1895, Mercedes-Benz was officially founded in June 1926 when Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie. (the world’s oldest car company) merged to create Daimler-Benz. This German manufacturer of premium cars is historically known for its motorsport pedigree in early Grand Prix racing, its off-road prowess in the creation of military vehicles like the Genadewagen (now G-Class), and its focus on utmost luxury and technological innovation in models like the S-Class and SL. Today, it is one of the world’s largest automakers.
- Founded
- June 1926
- Founder
- Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, and Emil Jellinek
- Headquarters
- Stuttgart, Germany
- Owned By
- Daimler AG
- Current CEO
- Ola Källenius
Benz Test Mules Were Hiding In Plain Sight
This is one of those little tidbits of super-cool information that we had either missed or forgotten about. But loved to get the reminder (or the first-time learning about it). The Drive stumbled upon an Instagram post from 2021 that posted pictures that went up on a TVR site in 2010. That doesn’t make it less interesting, though.
The Cerbera was one of the many supercars developed and assembled in Blackpool, England, by the car company named Trevor. The Cerbera was a 2+2 with styling that looked like it wanted to beat you up, and it was powered by either a 4.0-liter straight six or a flat-plane 75-degree angle V8 that made up to 440 horsepower.
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One of the main styling points of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was its very long nose. The intake to feed the supercharger that pumped the hand-built 5.4-liter V8 was designed around that nose. Even though the V8 was back behind the front axle, its intake was not. The intake protruded from the bonnet in a way that looked just like one of the automaker’s contemporary Formula 1 cars.
Big Intake Needed A Long-Nose And A Bulging Bonnet
The nose intake was super cool, but how do you test that? It wouldn’t fit in any other Benz, but it would fit, sort of, into the long nose of the Cerbera.
Someone at either Mercedes-Benz or McLaren made an incredibly bulbous hood for the Cerbera. Then they hacked three giant holes in it to fit the intake and air box. It’s hideous, but it was, evidently effective, because the production SLR was a beast of a grand tourer and looked amazing.
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The gnarliest TVR of them all is a true collector’s item.
According to TVRblog, there were at least two used for testing. They are, or at least were, living in Mercedes storage facilities in Stuttgart, sitting and waiting in case they should ever be needed again. Or just kept because of their interesting story and 1930s noses.
It’s a cool piece of trivia of a very neat car, a grand tourer built by McLaren F1 (and Formula 1) designer Gordon Murray. It was big, it was luxurious, and it had loads of power. But it was also a mid-engine car. The SLR was an homage to the 300 SLR of 1955 and was offered as a coupe, roadster, and a limited edition Speedster that was a tribute to Stirling Moss.
Source:
TVR Blog
News Summary:
- Mercedes Benz Hacked Up A Pair Of TVRs To Help Build The McLaren SLR
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