Pirelli Sponsored Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Sets Speed Record

A British supercar set an astonishing speed record in the heart of London by storming down an airport runway at 175.7mph on Saturday. The £317,500 Mercedes SLR McLaren supercar hit the top speed in a one mile speed challenge at London City Airport, a stone’s throw from ExCel, the venue for the British International Motor Show which was cleared of aircraft for the event.

“It was absolutely breathtaking and a fantastic feeling to set the record in a British-built car,” said Autocar’s magazine’s editor at large, which organized the Pirelli-sponsored attempt. The speed, officially timed, will be put forward as an official Guinness Book of Records entry for the London Land Speed Record.

The Mercedes SLR McLaren was part of the cavalcade of performance cars that shot down the runway at the airport in London’s Docklands. Also on the tarmac was a Ford GT which achieved 174.3 mph and a Corvette Z06 which reached a top speed of 167 mph.

“The McLaren has the power, the technology and the stability to hit those high speeds with incredible control,” added Sutcliffe. “This is the fastest any production car has ever been driven legally in London”.

Away from any speed cameras, Autocar put another British supercar through its paces, the Bentley Flying Spur. Flying the flag for Germany were a Porsche 911 Turbo, BMW M6 and an Alpina B5, while America was represented by the Ford GT, Corvette Z06 and the Shelby Daytona Cobra.

The winning Mercedes SLR McLaren is the product of a partnership between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren and is built in Woking, in Surrey. Only limited numbers are for sale and it’s priced at £317,500, making it the most expensive car in the £1.2million line-up Autocar assembled for the speed record.

Richard Gooding, managing director, London City Airport said: “It was certainly an interesting transformation from runway to racetrack. The cars certainly reached maximum speed and looked as if they were going to take off, it was great to see”.