Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren W199
Year of Manufacture: 2004 Power: 617 hp Displacement: 5,439 cm3
Number of Cylinders/Valves: 8/3 Weight: 1768 kg
Condition: perfect Catalogue Number: 51
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a car belonging to the Grand Tourer category, developed jointly by Mercedes-Benz and the British automaker McLaren Automotive. It was sold from 2003 to 2010. At that time, both companies closely collaborated in Formula 1 racing, making this car a natural continuation of their partnership. SLR stands for “Sport Leicht Rennsport” (Sport Light Racing) and is a tribute to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing car from the 1950s.
A total of 2,157 units of this car were produced in all its variants. Interestingly, the company originally planned to manufacture 3,500 units at an annual production rate of 500 cars. These numbers were never reached, and production was eventually stopped earlier.
The base version was a two-door, two-seat coupe. However, a roadster and a racing GT version were also available. One of the limited editions (called the 722 Edition) referred to the famous victory of English driver Stirling Moss with co-driver Denis Jenkinson in the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with starting number 722 at the Mille Miglia in 1955. There was even a special edition called the SLR Stirling Moss, featuring Speedster styling without a roof or windshield.
The base model was equipped with a 5.4-liter engine, supercharged by a compressor, with two intercoolers and an output of 626 hp.
The transmission is a five-speed automatic, and the brake discs are carbon-ceramic with a diameter of 370 mm at the front and 360 mm at the rear. This highly specialized design incorporated knowledge gained from Formula 1 racing.
To maintain very low weight, the car’s body is made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. It features highly refined aerodynamics, making the car stable even at high speeds.
Acceleration is 3.4 seconds to 100 km/h, with a top speed of 334 km/h.
Technical specifications varied depending on the model and different editions. The car was originally conceived as a supercar and was not very suitable for everyday driving. Ironically, if such a car appears for sale today, its price is often higher than when it was new.
The exhibited car is part of the Samohýl family’s historic vehicle collection and belongs to the so-called “holy trinity” of Mercedes Benz cars with upward-opening doors, also reminiscent of the shape of a flying seagull’s wings.
Additionally, this particular car has a very interesting story.
In 2009, it was purchased by Tomáš Řepka, a well-known football rebel, for 14.5 million CZK.
Řepka fell in love with Vlaďka Erbová during a calendar photo shoot in 2010. This beautiful car was used as a prop during the shoot. Řepka assisted as the car’s owner during the session; sparks flew, and their acquaintance soon led to marriage. The couple later had a son named Markus.
However, the footballer did not enjoy the luxury car for long. About six months later, the state confiscated the car with the help of executors. Rumors circulated that a wealthy sheikh had seen photos of the car and claimed the Mercedes as stolen property. For several years, Řepka’s car sat dusty and overgrown with grass in a police impound lot, forgotten. The marriage of the footballer and model ended after some time amid disputes and legal battles.
After a while, the car was released from police custody and shortly after Řepka’s imprisonment was put up for auction. The car was renovated to an acceptable condition for around half a million CZK. The starting price at the public auction was 7 million CZK. Eventually, the McLaren was purchased by Zlín businessman and collector Ladislav Samohýl for his collection.
The car has only 20,000 kilometers on the odometer. It belongs to the so-called wing-cars, i.e., cars whose doors open upward. Mercedes released only three such models worldwide. All of them are in the Samohýl family’s historic vehicle collection, where this particular car holds a significant place.


