Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster is indeed a tongue twister. And make sure you get Merc and McLaren the right way round, otherwise the men from Germany will get all antsy.

Thus the name pretty much sums up the genesis of this car: from coupe (SLR), to hardcore coupe (the 722), and now to convertible. And the convoluted name reflects the machinations behind the scenes: the relationship between Woking and Stuttgart has been tense, to say the least, as the two companies have battled over their vision for the car.

The open-top is the latest collaboration between the British and German engineering giants, and a last-ditch attempt to make the SLR a success. We hear that sales have fallen far short of expectations; around 1200 coupes have been built at Woking since 2003, suggesting that the original 3500 target in its seven-year lifecycle is somewhat unrealistic.

Source: [url=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/209678/mercedes_mclaren_slr_roadster.html]AutoExpress[/url]