Mercedes, built for speed, stays out of reach of most

The $467,000 car has attracted interest but no buyer yet.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
AUSTINTOWN -- The car is so sleek that you know it must scream down the highway.
In fact, says Jack DeMatteo, a salesman, the silver Mercedes peaks out at 208 mph. And that's not all. It reaches 62.5 mph in just 3.8 seconds.
Most of us will have to take his word for it.
With a sticker price of $467,090, not just anyone can take the SLR McLaren out for a test drive. Only those who can be pre-qualified to buy the car can take it for a spin.
In the six weeks the car has been at Fred Martin Ford in Austintown, there have been people who have been allowed to drive the car.
"We're still talking to them," said Jack Kopen, Mercedes-Benz manager for the dealership.
Even with the steep price, Kopen is confident a buyer will be found. Dealership officials didn't hesitate when Mercedes asked if it wanted to put the car in stock, he said. Fred Martin is the only Mercedes dealership within a 50-mile radius.
Mercedes is producing only 3,500 SLRs, which are hand-built in England. The car at Fred Martin is No. 1,059.
The car is based on Formula One race cars built by McLaren Racing and sponsored by Mercedes.
"When you purchase this vehicle, you are purchasing a race car," said Jeff Bacho, operations manager at Fred Martin.
Features
The car has a front-to-back weight ratio of 51 percent to 49 percent, a near perfect ratio that enhances handling. Common sports cars are roughly 60-to-40.
The engine produces 617 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. The car has a five-speed transmission that can be operated manually or automatically.
Some ways that the car is unusual:
The engine was hand-built from start to finish by one technician from AMG, the performance parts division of Mercedes. A plaque with his name sits on top of the engine.
The body is made almost entirely of carbon fiber composites, which are strong but light and impact-absorbent.
The muffler and catalytic converter sit beside the engine because the exhaust is vented at the side.
Air ducts create a partial vacuum under the car, improving traction.
The rear spoiler automatically raises from flat to a 60-degree angle during hard braking. This applies 300 pounds of force to hold down the back end.
The car has extra large bucket seats, a $9,000 option. The red stitching on the black leather costs $600.
Strict procedures
To be able to show the car, DeMatteo had to pass a three-hour, online course. A technician from the dealership not only had to pass the course but also had to attend a week of training in California. Plus, the dealership had to buy special equipment for its service department.
The car's owner won't have to worry about getting the car to the dealership for service, however. Whenever the car needs work, it will be picked up on a flatbed truck in order to keep the car's mileage down.
Even with the training, Mercedes insists that the dealership receive approval from a technician in Germany before doing any repairs to the car.
"Mercedes wants to keep close tabs on this car," Bacho said.