Mercedes Benz SLR Stirling Moss

Mercedes Benz SLR Stirling Moss

Limited-edition versions in honor of one of the most legendary race drivers ever—Sir Stirling Moss. To our delight—and despite the fact the SLR Stirling Moss will only be sold in Europe—Mercedes-Benz saw fit to unveil the car to the world at this year’s Detroit auto show.

Although the SLR McLaren build cycle will come to an end in May of this year, Mercedes will offer 75 of these roofless and windowless special edition SLRs, to be built from June through December. Why name the car after Stirling Moss? Because in 1955 Moss won the historic Mille Miglia race in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds while driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. His average speed was just about 100 mph on the twisting and undulating country and village roads of Italy.

Without doubt the 2009 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss edition could top that astounding pace, powered by a supercharged V-8 with 650 horsepower, promising a 0-60 time of less than 3.5 seconds. With a top speed of 217 mph, the car is sure to be a wicked ride that requires driver and passenger alike to wear full face helmets, lest they get a 217-mph bug in the face.

This retro racer, which is based on the M-B SLR McLaren Roadster, is fitted with a completely new carbon-fiber body. Inside, it carries the engraved signature of Sir Stirling Moss on a special aluminum plate surrounding the shift lever. Keeping true to the original 300 SLR of the 50s is an electrically adjustable rear aerodynamic spoiler/airbrake, along with two tonneau covers stored in the trunk.

If you want to buy one of these Silver Arrows, first you must qualify as “the most loyal of SLR customers,” according to Mercedes. Only then do you get the chance to fork out just over $1,000,000 for the privilege of wearing a bug-splattered grin.

Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro

Audi just unveiled a faster and more powerful R8 at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. This premium sports car is fitted with a potent V-10 engine, and it comes with upgrades such as magnetorheological dampers and minor styling changes that reflect the heightened level of performance.

Inspired by Audi's successes at 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new R8 is powered by a direct-injected 5.2-liter V-10. Instead of injecting fuel into the intake ports, fuel is atomized and sprayed directly into the combustion chambers at over 1700 psi of pressure. This allows for a higher compression ratio and better fuel burn, thus enabling the V-10 to deliver 518 bhp and 391 lb.-ft. of torque. The increase in engine efficiency also means better fuel economy. Audi tells us the R8 V-10 will achieve 17.2 mpg.

Built on an all-aluminum chassis supported at all four corners by double-wishbone suspension with Quattro all-wheel-drive, the new R8 V-10 is aided by the aforementioned dampers that automatically adjust to various road conditions. Carbon-ceramic brakes designed to withstand repeated usage with minimal fade are optional.

On the outside, very little sets the R8 V-10 apart from its 8-cylinder sibling. Up front, the crossbraces for the intake have been reduced in number from four to two. The center grille is finished in chrome. The headlight cluster features all-LED lighting. And around the side, the air vents just aft of the doors are more accentuated. The vents at the rear also have two crossbraces, along with oval tailpipes instead of a pair of twin exhausts.

The Audi R8 V-10, fitted with the R Tronic automatic transmission, will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 sec. with a top speed of 196 mph. It will go on sale in Germany in the second quarter of 2009, priced around $182,000. There is no information at this time regarding a U.S. launch date

Mazda Speed 3

MAZDASPEED3 is a 4-door, 5-passenger wagon, available in two trims, the Sport 5-Door and the Grand... Touring 5-Door.

Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 2.3-liter, I4, 263-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard.