McLaren

If you keep up with the tuning scene, you are probably aware that German powerhouse HAMANN is one of the most exciting luxury car mod shops out there, constantly pushing the envelope and putting out extreme creations at every possible opportunity. The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show took place right in their backyard and provided the perfect backdrop to showcase some of their best builds to date. The world premier of the HAMANN Ferrari California, HAMANN Victory Lamborghini Gallardo and HAMANN Tycoon Evo were all pretty spectacular.

In addition, a car which we saw at launch back in October of last year, the HAMANN Volcano, based on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, was released as a Special Red IAA 2009 Edition. In its new livery it made quite an impression on us. As always, HAMANN provides a total conversion of this breathtaking vehicle best known for its outrageous price and racing-like performance.

McLaren is a name that is synonymous with racing. But until recently, with the creation of a separate automotive division, the chances of catching one of their cars on the street was nil to none with the occasional SLR spotting like BigFoot. However, their long-awaited supercar is now one step closer to fruition with a torrent of new information and images released today. The new MP4-12C (codenamed P11) is pure McLaren, with every piece and parcel developed in-house. And with roots as a race engineering company, the latest and greatest advancements from Formula 1 have made it into this car.

England based Kahn Design is a well established tuning operation that modifies some of the world's finest automobiles. Recently, they turned their attention towards Daimler's most exclusive supercar, the McLaren SLR. Known as the Project Kahn SLR Carbon Edition, their creation focuses on, as the name suggests, carbon-fiber accents and accoutrements. On the tuning front, Kahn Design can squeeze an extra 60 hp out of the supercharged V8 if so desired, but most of the package is cosmetic.

The Project Kahn offering includes several custom paint colors, smoked rear lights, privacy tinted glass and a full interior conversion. Options for the steering wheel include either wrapping it in carbon-fiber or a high gloss piano black finish. You also get Project Kahn F1-X Carbon wheels, made out of carbon-fiber and lightweight magnesium. The result is a rim that weighs only around 25 pounds. This is impressive based on the large size of the wheels which measure 20x9 up front and 21x10.5 in rear.

Top Gear is a fabulous show, but not everything is absolutely noteworthy. This video, however, happens to be. The Murcielago LP670 SV is Lamborghini's newest and most potent Raging Bull. It is also the last model produced in the Murcielago lineup before being replaced  sometime in the very near future. Somehow, someway, the folks at Top Gear managed to sequestor miles of highway in Dubai along with a huge stretch near the downtown area to shoot some amazing video from every camera angle imaginable. Just when you think that you've seen everything the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV has to offer, a  McLaren SLR 722 appears on the landscape to mix things up. At the 6 minute mark a full-on drag race commences. Check out the video after the jump.

Many thoughts come to mind when I look at something like the McLaren SLR Red Gold Dream from Swiss tuner Ueli Anliker Design. First, "Dream"seems more like nightmare. Second, from what warped parallel universe of aesthetic discern did this creation emerge? Third, how do you take a car like the SLR McLaren that is so cool and make it so uncool while thinking that you are actually making it cooler? Dubai has an amazing assortment of the world's most exclusive and phenomenol automobiles but also an amazing penchant for gaudy precious metal plating and accessorization.

With a limited production run of only 150 vehicles, this open-top supercar from Mercedes-Benz will surely be in high demand. The release date is now January 1, 2009. Performance specs are of course, outstanding - 650 hp, 0-to-60 in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 207 mph. What's even more impressive is that this is accomplished in a car without a fixed roof. This McLaren comes with a retractable soft-cloth top with carbon fiber supports that allow it to tolerate high speeds.

The engine is a supercharged 5.5 Liter V8 which is hand built by AMG. Because of the power that this vehicle is capable of producing, and in turn, the high speeds that can be obtained, it is outfitted with carbon-fiber impact zones, 2 rollover bars and A-pillars that are strenthened with steel.

The car's name is derived from the MB 300 SLR used in the Mille Miglia Race in 1955. The starting number of that car was 722.

Source: Mercedes-Benz