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Mercedes SLR production to end in 2009
By Yoann Besnard on 3 April 2008 | 
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Mercedes-Benz will stop producing the SLR supercar next year five years after its launch.
The German carmaker will roll off the last SLR at the end of next year. The SLR is only built in its roadster variant as the coupé version production ceased last year. The SLR was initially unveiled as a concept at the end of the last decade and reached the showrooms in 2004. Last year, 275 SLR have been built, 14 more than in 2006. However, the production output is far from the company’s expectation as Mercedes initially planned to build between 400 and 500 vechicles per year.
The supercar has often been criticized for being overweight and is considered as the origin of the split between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren which developed the car. Both carmakers will develop their own successor.
McLaren is currently working on a new V8-powered supercar internally known as P11 set to compete with the Ferrari 430 and the Porsche 911 GT2. The P11 will be powered by the AMG 6.3-litre V8 petrol engine.
Mercedes is actively developing the SLC which will be built by HWA, a company founded by AMG founder after he left Mercedes. Details remain scarce, although it is rumoured that the supercar will feature a retractable hard top.
