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"   Browse expert reviews and compare info on the MB SL Class at the   Just about everybody in the supercar business builds one with a soft convertible top, and now Mercedes-Benz has joined that elite group with the soft-top roadster version of its long-nosed, hyperexotic SLR McLaren. For the company, it&amp;#039;s a way to keep the SLR product line fresh and simultaneously celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 300 SL. The new roadster runs a supercharged 626-hp, 575 lb.-ft. 5.5-liter V8 built by Mercedes-Benz&amp;#039;s in-house engine wizards at AMG. It uses a twin-screw supercharger and twin air-to-water intercoolers to generate more than 13 psi of peak boost. It&amp;#039;s backed by a heavy-duty, five-speed automatic with a floor shifter and paddles on the steering wheel. The new roadster is capable of insane speeds, approaching 207 mph, despite a rather hefty curb weight of almost 4200 pounds. It can rocket from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds and break the 125 mph barrier in a mere 10.9 seconds. That makes it the quickest and fastest Mercedes-Benz roadster ever built. The stopping capabilities of the SLR roadster are equally impressive. Standard brakes are electro-hydraulic power discs with a combination of ceramics and carbon-fiber for the friction materials. They are huge\u201414.6 in. up front and 14.2 in. rear\u2014and they are hugely powerful. The brakes incorporate ABS, variable side-to-side brake pressure for cornering, a stop-start feature that holds brake pressure, a start-off assist that keeps the car from rolling backwards or forwards after one stab of the pedal, and a tailback assist that uses the cruise control wand to operate the brakes in thick traffic. As if that&amp;#039;s not enough, the decklid incorporates an airbrake that pops up at an angle of 65 degrees to put pressure on the rear tires in emergency braking.  The roadster is built at McLaren in Woking, England, and has the same kind of lightweight, high-strength, carbon-fiber technology as the Formula One race cars. It has a completely redesigned superstiff carbon fiber body shell to accommodate the power-folding top, which nests behind the two carbon-fiber bucket seats and uses the front third of that top as its own cover. The scissor doors are the same as on the original SLR coupe, and the A-pillars are reinforced with steel rods to protect the occupants in the event of a rollover. Driving the SLR Roadster in the Taunus Mountains outside Frankfurt, Germany, we were quite frankly blown away by the neck-snapping acceleration and race-quality braking. The steering is very quick and nicely weighted. But the suspension is slightly stiff and bumpy. Hey, this is a supercar afterall. And we thoroughly enjoyed the symphony of supercharger whine mixed with the deep exhaust throb. The cockpit is all leather and carbon fiber, but, unfortunately, the interior space and the bucket seats (available in five different sizes) are not suited for very tall drivers. Otherwise, it&amp;#039;s comfortable, relatively quiet and inviting, with very good sightlines\u2014which you&amp;#039;re gonna need at 200 mph. Pricing isn&amp;#039;t official yet, but expect to part with about half a million dollars for your soft-top SLR. Uh, ouch. \u2014Jim McCraw PLUS: Audi R8 vs. New Supercars on the Test Track (with Video!) "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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