German car tuner HAMANN, one of the most exciting luxury car tuning houses on the scene today, has taken on the enviable task of trying to make the very best Mercedes-Benz on the road even better. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, known as much for its stratospheric base price as its breathtaking styling and killer race-derived performance, has been given a total conversion in the form of the HAMANN Volcano, and we have never seen anything like this SLR.
HAMANN Volcano - SLR McLaren Roots, All-New Car Dynamics
The HAMANN Volcano shows an unmistakable resemblance to the standard SLR McLaren, but many of the body pieces are all new. The hood, front and rear air dams and rather ridiculous rear spoiler are made entirely from carbon fiber, and are special to the HAMANN Volcano.
Two custom HAMANN Volcano color schemes are available to further distinguish the Benz-derived supercar from a standard SLR McLaren. Available in either aluminum/chrome or white/matte finishes, the two-tone paint jobs will appeal to rich supercar collectors who like their toys to stand out on the road as much as possible. Multi-spoke 21 inch wheels, created by HAMANN for the Volcano, complete the fierce race car look.
SLR McLaren 722-Besting HAMANN Volcano Performance
Supercars costing many hundreds of thousands of dollars like the SLR McLaren 722 are engineered to be as fast and drivable as possible. The fact that an aftermarket tuner was able to take the chassis and best the performance of the most hallowed of Mercedes-Benz sports cars, the SLR McLaren 722, and tack on even more performance potential is quite an accomplishment.
The HAMANN Volcano is rated at a top speed of 338 km/h, or 216 mph, a full 11 km/h faster than the 722 Edition hard top SLR. Rated at a cool 700 horsepower, the HAMANN Volcano gets the spec boost from a retuned powertrain including "newly programmed control unit, especially developed high performance exhaust manifolds and an amended belt pulley combination for the serial compressors."
The aerodynamic makeover is as much responsible as power boosts for giving the HAMANN Volcano such a stratospheric top speed. The Volcano is available as a total conversion directly from HAMANN. Production is limited to... well, how much money do you have?
HAMANN VOLCANO
Official HAMANN-Motorsport Press Release
The serial Mercedes-Benz SLR is already one of the most impressive cars on our roads – but compared to the HAMANN VOLCANO it still looks rather harmless. Once again, HAMANN-Motorsport proves its cutting edge when it comes to refining superb sports cars. From a lift-reducing body design to a powerful performance enhancement to a lavishly styled interior, HAMANN focuses on all components of this luxury car and makes the automobile dreams of its exclusive clientele come true.
The total makeover of the Laupheim-based refiner is made of extremely light full carbon and consists of front- and rear wing extensions and also new side skirt attachments and sheathings. The front view of the Volcano is optically perfected with a newly designed bonnet which enhances the overall impression by its integrated hood scoop. But also for the rear, the refining technicians implemented new ideas giving the SLR appearance its finishing touch. Under the boot lid cover, HAMANN placed a strong diffuser which improves the car´s output in combination with the large rear wing. At the front axle, a newly developed front spoiler renders the necessary contact pressure. If desired, an especially developed overall paint for the VOLCANO in either aluminium/chrome or white/matt completes the striking appearance of this bolide.
The 21-inch rims named EDITION RACE with tyres measuring 255/30ZR21 at the front and 345/25ZR21 at the back render an optimal road grip. The design of the extraordinary light forged wheel thereby combines vitality and elegance and also perfectly fills out the wheel houses.
The HAMANN makeover is not only sportive, but also has a lot to offer under the bonnet. The HAMANN motor technicians get the most out of the Mercedes Benz V8-aggregate (5.4 litres, 626 hp, 780 Nm): 700 hp / 515 kW and a maximum torque of 830 Nm at 3,300 crankshaft revolutions per minute. The therefore necessary modifications include a newly programmed control unit, especially developed high performance exhaust manifolds and an amended belt pulley combination for the serial compressors. In order to facilitate the increased motor performance, HAMANN adds a second water pump and adjusts the gearbox electronics. Invigorated in this way and with the adequate sound from the six end pipes of the sport exhaust system, the VULCANO accelerates from naught to a hundred in only 3.6 seconds. With a maximum speed of 348 km/h, the HAMANN VOLCANO is 14 km/h faster than the serial model.
The HAMANN product even beats the factory-provided performance-enhanced special series SLR 722 by impressive 11 km/h.
A skillfully refined interior is waiting for the VOLCANO-pilot and also the exterior does not rank behind. The overall makeover contains pedals and foot rests in aluminium as well as noble door sill protectors and headrests with embossed embroidered HAMANN-Logos. They can also be found on the exclusive floor mats. The overall makeover can be enhanced with a HAMANN interior set containing custom-made carbon parts for the dashboard and centre console. If desired, also the roof interior, all pillars, the cockpit including the steering wheel and the sun visors can hereby be adjusted in terms of colour. Therefore, HAMANN solely uses the high-quality material Alcantara.
