AutoTrader Find of the Week: 2009 Mercedes SLR McLaren 722S

I’ve never really liked Mercedes.

And not just in a way where I can acknowledge that perhaps my personal tastes don’t align with the brand aesthetics or positioning where others’ might. To me, being a Mercedes fan is like wanting to be a Bond villain or rooting against the Harlem Globetrotters. I just can’t fathom how somebody could have that little self awareness — how somebody could possess a desire for the world to see them that way.

It’s not necessarily that my small-town, blue collar upbringing gives me a negative knee jerk reaction to Mercedes, either. I don’t see them as snobbish, white collar, or old money. On the contrary, I’ve always seen them as a mask. Like Louis Vutton or other garish designer brands positioned to seduce the lower-middle class, they’re the sort of thing you might buy to make people think you have money. Which, ironically, makes you look like you don’t.

And I’ve seen just enough friends stretch their budgets on what they thought was a bargain used Mercedes only to find their budget being stretched thinner and thinner over time as if to confirm my thesis.

Look, I’m sure there are some knowledgeable, passionate fans out there who can explain to me what I’m not getting about the brand. I get that I’m ignorant here.

I’m not saying I’m right. I’m saying I’m especially, irrationally, and unfairly biased against the brand, so you’ll believe me when I say that even I wish I had a spare million burning a hole in my pocket to buy this 2009 Mercedes SLR McLaren 722S listed on AutoTrader.

A roadster version of the Mercedes-McLaren collab SLR supercar, this car is one of just 150 units ever produced — and according to its supplied VIN, looks to be car no. 35 off the line. The 722 moniker is meant to pay homage to the starting number of the 300 SLR driven to victory by Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson in the 1955 Mille Miglia.

Which, OK, Mercedes fans, you got me with that one.

While we don’t have a full account of the vehicle’s ownership history, it appears it was listed on the DuPont registry back in October 2024 before being acquired by August Luxury Motorsports.

Debuting initially as a coupe in 2006, the 722S built on the already monstrous platform of the SLR. A supercharged 5.5-litre AMG V8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission (yeah, weird), was juiced to 641 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque. Never mind the over 300 km/h top speed. It can do zero to 96 km/h in 3.3 seconds, and while you can do that in mid-range EV nowadays, in the mid-2000s, those numbers were simply god-like.

In addition to the extra power, the 722S also received 19-inch light alloy wheels and a number of suspension upgrades.

The carbon ceramic brakes had a reputation for getting so hot they could light the whole car on fire, but, you know, live a little.

Offered for sale through August Luxury Motorcars in Kelowna, B.C., and listed on AutoTrader, this pre-owned Mercedes has only ever done 16,950 km and will set you back a cool $999,990.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: that sounds like a bargain. But just remember, if you’re thinking about stretching your budget, if you couldn’t afford it new, you can’t afford it used.

A full fluid service? US$8,000. A “major service” that includes belts and spark plugs? US$15,000 to $20,000. Heaven forbid you dent any of those body panels because they’re over $100,000 each.

Jokes aside, if you can afford the scratch for the window sticker, those maintenance costs probably aren’t going to shy you away.

To be honest, it wouldn’t put me off either. And that’s coming from the guy who wrote the introduction to this article.

Because, sure, your average used C-Class might make you look like you’re secretly drowning in bank debt just to fix that damn check engine light. But there’s no getting around what driving an SLR 722S makes you look like: a million bucks.