The end of the line for the current SLR comes next year, but it’ll be going out with a bang. Mercedes announced that the final chapter of this generation will debut at next month's Detroit auto show. The SLR Stirling Moss is the second in the line to commemorate the legendary racer following the 2007 release of the SLR 722 Edition honoring Moss’s 1955 Mille Miglia race win.



The SLR Stirling Moss adopts drastic styling revisions hearkening back to Moss’s SLR 300, with the carbon fiber body being sculpted in an arrow-shaped form, exclusive front fascia, long hood line and short rear overhang. The car also forgoes a windshield or roof, but will have two small wind deflectors to reduce the airflow penetrating the cabin. Further nods to the past include: air scoops that house roll bars behind the passenger compartment, black ventilation gills affixed to the side and behind the front wheels and high side skirts.

Mercedes took a minimalist approach with interior accommodations and simply lined the surrounds with carbon fiber, aluminum and high-quality leathers. An aluminum plate is engraved with Moss’s signature and is mounted by the shifter. The cabin can be enclosed by two tonneau covers that are stored in the trunk when not in use.

Power comes from the 5.5-liter supercharged V8 that also powered the 722 Edition with 650 hp, enabling the SLR Sterling Moss to hit 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 217 mph. Lots of wind tunnel work help make sure the Sterling Moss generated enough downforce to achieve high speeds safely--thanks largely to the SLR’s closed underbody and the larger rear diffuser special to the model.

Production of the limited-run of 75 units begins next June and will carry a sticker price of 750,000 Euros, or a little north of $1 million. Unfortunately, it will not be available in North America due to certification issues--mostly because of the lack of a windshield. As the most exclusive member of the current SLR family, Mercedes will only be offering it to select customers that already possess keys to a SLR in Europe.