Mercedes slr hamann
MYWhat: Hamann Motorsport SLR Volcano

Where: Laupheim, Germany
When: October 2008
Price: €450,000
Available: Now
Key rivals: Pagani Zonda F, Porsche Carrera GT

Gallery: Hamann Motorsport SLR Volcano
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Likes: Huge power, awesome noise and aggressive looks
Dislikes: A minor tune-up can’t fix the SLR’s major flaws

First impressions

Image © Nick Hall

Mercedes teased the world recently with the 722 GT race car that will form the basis of a one-make race series, but in our hearts we knew that circuit-based leviathan was just too mad for this notoriously conservative marque to unleash on the public road.Tuning giant Richie Hamann doesn't have to worry about the niceties, though; his public image is about as restrained as Paris Hilton's. When he saw the almighty racing car his only concern was that it didn't go far enough and his final version, the SLR Volcano, makes that firebreathing race car look a little tame.

Image © Nick Hall

An unpainted carbon-fibre front lip spoiler, side skirts and mild wing extensions and sheaths add a touch of muscle to proceedings. Simply by tracing the lines already left by Mercedes' carbon craftsmen in contrasting colours, Hamann has injected testosterone deep into its veins and sharpened up the smooth incoherent angles of the SLR.And, with the help of a carbon-fibre backdrop, that signature vent on the long sloping nose takes on a whole new venomous attitude. Of course it doesn't hurt that the monstrous side-exit exhaust now comes with thee pipes and the back end sits in the shadow of a table-sized exhaust that threaten to take this violent creature into the realms of cartoon-style caricature... favourite car is mercedes slr hamann.