As if the SLR McLaren couldn't get any cooler. Mercedes goes and makes the 722. Then they top that with the 722 GT. What we originally thought would be a home market car all changed today. Mercedes tuner RENNtech will make the uber cool 722 GT available in the U.S. 21 of the 722 horsepowered super cars will be made available direct from the factory in Germany. That is of course you have the $1.2 million dollar entry fee.
Now as if this wasn't enough. RENNtech is taking a page from Ferrari and their FXX program. RENNtech is setting up a full track-day program for the SLR 722 GT owners, including set-up and maintenance by specialized technicians, opportunity to learn the track behind the wheel of its special SLR shifter karts and instruction from professional drivers. The karts are even styled to match the SLR.....to an extent.Sounds like a pretty awesome deal to us. Unfortunately we don't have the $1.2 Million. But we are open to contributions.
Source: RENNtechPress Release:
Lake Park, FL - 18 DEC, 2007 - Officially official: Mercedes-Benz' SLR McLaren 722 GT, available exclusively at RENNtech.
While Mercedes' ultra-exclusive SLR McLaren 722 GT track car has been making rounds in the motoring press for several weeks now, a few key questions remained unanswered - including "How much?" and "Where can I get one?"We can answer the "How much?" question rather easily (795,000 €, or about 1.2 million USD), it's the "Where can I get one?" question that's more interesting.
As of Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT will be made available to the North American market exclusively through RENNtech, the Florida-based MB tuning house owned and operated by super-tuner Hartmut Feyhl, who also lists "technical director, AMG North America" on his resume. "It's been a very exciting project to be involved in," explains Feyhl.
Similar in concept to Ferrari's Enzo FXX program, the 722 GT is built specifically for track use by renowned British motorsports specialists at the RML Group to be the fastest possible on a track. The SLR 722 GT offers impressive power and cornering and delivers exactly the kind of motorsports experience one would expect from a competition car - and, with only 21 examples of the hyper-exclusive track cars being offered for sale, driving one is sure be a special occasion.
RENNtech will be organizing several on-track events (to be announced) throughout the US, beginning in 2008.
RENNtech will be organizing several on-track events (to be announced) throughout the US, beginning in 2008.
The SLR 722 GT trackcars will be set-up and maintained by RENNtech, which will have specially trained technicians and engineers on hand at each of the planned on-track events, which will follow a format similar to the SLR.Club SAFETY & SPEED ACADEMY track weekends in Europe. Participating customers will receive a mix of on and off- track instruction by trained instructors and professional drivers (including Jochen Mass, David Coulthard, and others), as well as some track time in RENNtech's Aixro SLR. Karts - to get a good feel for each track before going out in their SLRs.
Feyhl explained that the concept is to deliver to SLR McLaren customers a true and authentic motorsports experience in a competitive and reasonably safe environment.
If it is RENNtech and Mercedes' goal to deliver "an authentic experience", the SLR McLaren 722 GT is a great place to start - compared to the road-going SLR, the 722 GT gets the full FIA GT treatment from RML: more than 400 redesigned components, FIA spec.
Safety equipment, fully adjustable suspension, full-on competition brake hardware, a no-nonsense interior, and a track-only exhaust system that bumps the 722 GT's output to well over 670 hp. The real game-changers, however, are the 722 GT's towering rear wing and drastically reduced weight. At 1390 kg, the 722 GT weighs some six- hundred pounds less (!) than the stock 722, and the rear wing (in conjunction with the car's front splitter) provide more than enough aerodynamic downforce to tackle the fastest turns with confidence.The 722 GT also benefits from years of wind-tunnel and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) experience at RML and McLaren, making the wings and body mods much more than an aesthetic package. Everything on the car, every vent and louvre, is fully functional - a terrific enhancement to on-track performance.
With more power, less weight, and dramatically improved handling, the limited-edition Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT, one thing is certain: if you love cars, love racing, and have the money (but not the time) to campaign a full-on race series, the 722 GT is your ticket.
Contact RENNtech for more info.
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