Someplace on the backside of the Atlantic Ocean, one very fortunate crab has a brand new residence.

Whereas driving over the bridge that connects Miami to the Florida Keys, the cap I used to be sporting flew off my head and into the water. That was a danger Mercedes warned me about when getting behind the wheel of the windshield-less SLR McLaren Stirling Moss. However the danger was greater than definitely worth the reward.

In 2009, Mercedes and McLaren—seemingly on a whim—determined to honor Sir Stirling Moss’s 1955 victory on the Mille Miglia with a limited-edition sports activities automobile. By chopping the highest off its then five-year-old SLR McLaren coupe, Mercedes-Benz created the SLR Stirling Moss, a totally roofless, windshield-less, ridiculous little sports activities automobile.

The automaker solely constructed 75 examples of the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss. Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage Marcus Breitschwerdt (and my co-driver) jokes that they wished to construct 72.2 of them in homage to the “722” plastered on Moss’s 300 SLR, but it surely was “not doable to make .2 of a automobile,” he quips. So, 75 it was.

As half of a bigger celebration at this yr’s Moda Miami occasion in Coral Gables on the beautiful Biltmore lodge, Marcus and his workforce workforce flew greater than half a dozen vehicles from the corporate’s 1,200-car assortment in Stuttgart to the Sunshine State, together with the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss in query, an authentic 300 SLR—a $50 million race automobile in its personal proper—and a ‘barn discover’ 300SL Roadster, amongst others.

Marcus grew to become president of the newly established Mercedes-Benz Heritage model in 2023. Previous to that, he labored for 35 years in varied roles inside the firm, together with CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, head of vans, and elsewhere—all to nice success. However greater than something, Marcus is an fanatic.

“I all the time say, the 5 greatest days in my life have been once I married my spouse, when our three children have been born, and once I bought my driver’s license,” he tells me later that weekend, after we’re not being buffeted by wind. “I nonetheless do not forget that day.”

Once I ask what the nice and dangerous features of the job are, he responds sternly: “There’s nothing dangerous [about this job].”

And I imagine him. Having full entry to a group of 1,200 classics isn’t any dangerous gig. And being able to drive them usually have to be a dream come true. Blissfully, Mercedes prolonged that chance to me, somebody who remembers rifling by the pages of Automobile and Driver when this automobile debuted throughout my junior yr of highschool.

In 2009, the SLR Stirling Moss was an awe-inspiring trendy marvel. Right this moment, the 16-year-old supercar nonetheless appears to be like nice, now with an added air of nostalgia. Aside from a number of funky parts on the entrance finish and a few very 2000’s wheels, the open-top design has in any other case aged gracefully. It appears to be like glossy and streamlined, the hood is looooooong, and the again finish is gorgeous, with the double-bubble design jutting up behind the seats.

The inside is straightforward and clear—not a touchscreen in sight. Purple-and-black leather-based covers most surfaces, silver finishes litter the middle console, and the seats have a skinny layer of quilted leather-based over two carbon fiber buckets. Not probably the most comfy thrones, as I would quickly discover out.

In 2009, the SLR Stirling Moss was an awe-inspiring trendy marvel. Right this moment, the 16-year-old supercar nonetheless appears to be like nice, now with an added air of nostalgia.

From the Biltmore in Miami we might lead a pack of round 50 classics to Key Largo and again. That is 60 miles every approach with no roof or no windshield, driving down highways and bridges with nothing however sun shades and, at one level, a hat defending us from the weather. (It ought to be famous that your entire subject obtained a police escort so we did not must take care of Miami’s gridlock site visitors, fortunately.)

With two tiny 1.0-inch tall “wind deflectors” being the one barrier between me and the street, driving the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss might be the closest factor to a superbike on 4 wheels. It completely guidelines. Cruising down the freeway at 60 miles per hour with the wind rearranging your face and pebbles bouncing up into the cabin is a completely distinctive expertise.

However even whereas uncovered to the weather, the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss was no scarier to drive than an AMG-ified convertible—it simply has much less windshield. The steering is mild, the five-speed transmission is clean sufficient, and the suspension is surprisingly compliant; it did not crash down as onerous on pavement as I used to be anticipating. As for these carbonfiber buckets… my butt was numb after half-hour.

Subtly behind the wind buffeting you may hear the engine: A luxurious, supercharged 5.4-liter V-8. McLaren engineers shoved it as far again into the huge engine bay as doable for higher weight distribution, whereas AMG labored its magic on the tuning. The 650 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque sends the supercar to 60 miles per hour in 3.0 seconds flat and onto 217 miles per hour.

Someway, I survived two and a half hours within the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss on Miami’s public highways with no sunburn or a rock to the face. Bless. Shortly thereafter, Mercedes gave us the chance to expertise the SLR in its pure habitat: On the observe.

Miami’s tight and twisty Concours Membership was the right tempo to place the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss by its paces. After all, Mercedes emphasised to “not attempt to set any lap occasions” of their $4-million piece of artwork. Famous. However even at a average tempo, the Stirling Moss was nonetheless completely charming.

That supercharged V-8 is buttery clean as much as its 7,000 rpm redline and accelerates onerous from a standstill. Down the lone, lengthy straight on the again half of the observe, the Stirling Moss looks like an open-top rocket ship. And in a few of the turns, I can lastly hear the supercharged engine because it bellows out of the quad exhaust suggestions. What a sound.

Onerous on the ultra-grabby brakes and into the difficult again half of the observe, the Stirling Moss corners on a dime. The steering is mild, but it surely by no means feels obscure. Even the slightest twitch on the wheel tells you what the automobile is doing. There is not even a whisper of physique roll; the automobile masses up neatly in every nook and exits with out fuss. All of it comes with the additional advantage of no roof and no windshield, which implies unparalleled ranges of visibility—particularly helpful on the observe.

After a number of average laps, I am in love. This automobile is an absolute riot to tear onerous, wind in your face, not a fear on the planet. Aside from an F1 automobile, you may by no means expertise one other sensation fairly like driving the Stirling Moss on the observe.

Aside from an F1 automobile, you may by no means expertise one other sensation fairly like driving the Stirling Moss on the observe.

Due to its windshield-less nature, although, the SLR Stirling Moss by no means made it to the US when it was new. And this specific automobile is a part of Benz’s heritage assortment, which implies you will not be capable to purchase it. Even in case you did, this automobile value about $1.1 million new, whereas used examples fetch upwards of $4 to $5 million at public sale.

That stated, in case you’re the kind of ultra-wealthy collector with a knack for the distinctive, it does not get significantly better than the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss. Simply be sure that to put on a hat you are not afraid to lose.