To the casual observer, an 18-year-old Mercedes-Benz should have no business sitting at the deep end of over half a million dollars. But combine the word ‘Mercedes’ with ‘McLaren’ and you know you’re looking at something fairly special. To add to it, this isn’t any old Mercedes SLR McLaren either, of which over 2,000 cars were made. This is a 1-of-150 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition, launched in 2008 to commemorate Sir Stirling Moss’ victory in the greatest road race of all time — the Mille Miglia. Of course, it’s fitting that this example was once owned by the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, ardent gearhead. Put these two together and you have an asking price of $650,000, listed with DuPont Registry.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Michael Jordan’s SLR 722 has come up for sale. It was listed a few years back on eBay for nearly $700,000 and failed to meet the reserve price with bids on it only going as high as a quarter of a million dollars. Maybe, the fact that a Jordan-owned Mercedes-Benz S600 Lorinser was auctioned for $23 for charity has something to do with it.
This time around, Jordan’s SLR McLaren seems to have been treated to some TLC to bring it back to looking like a million bucks. Still, for a car that cost under $550,000 when new, this is certainly something that will appeal to the serious car collector out there.
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition carried some vital upgrades to the base car to make it a little more hard-edged. This was to solve the main issue with the base car, which came out around the time of the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT. The SLR McLaren just wasn’t considered hardcore enough to hang with the best supercars of the early 2000s.
The 722 Edition boasted more power, greater weight saving, better aerodynamics, more downforce, and a sharper appeal in the way it drove. Power from the SLR’s AMG-sourced 5.4-liter V8 was up to 641 horsepower and top speed went up to 209mph. The 722 Edition also boasted 19-inch lightweight wheels finished in black, a stiffer suspension setup, and lower ride height.
This particular 722 Edition has had its stock wheels changed out from the last time it was listed. The aftermarket wheels may affect its sale price, as serious car collectors are known to look for cars that present as stock. Of course, not many other “stock” SLR McLaren 722 Editions can boast the same provenance, so let’s hope this car is luckier this time around.
[All images by Dupont registry]
