Hamann tunes the Merc SLR

Looks like a skunk, and the design stinks

Three stories about McLaren Mercedes SLR's in one day? Who knew that we loved the fugly automatic supercar so much?

Not known for its understated design, German tuner Hamann is about to turn its hand to the Mercedes SLR McLaren with this, the Volcano special edition.

It’s not shy: the two tone paint job, extra body kit bits, bold new rear wing, new alloys and brash rear lights make this one hell of a road and track beast.

The Hamann makeover is not only a pimped-up bodykit though, it also some surprises under the bonnet. Hamann has fettled with the Mercedes Benz V8 (5.4 liters, 626bhp, 780 Nm): and cranked it up to 700bhp and a maximum torque of 830 Nm. Modifications include a newly programmed ECU, specially developed high performance exhaust manifolds and an amended belt pulley combination.

To cope with the extra power Hamann adds a second water pump and adjusts the gearbox electronics so that you don’t go and break it!

The Volcano accelerates from 0-62 in only 3.6 seconds. With a maximum speed of 216mph, the Hamann Volcano even beats the factory-provided SLR 722 by 5mph.