Carmakers are constantly rolling out special editions to celebrate this milestone or that. Those editions are usually street legal, but this latest release from Mercedes is a special edition racecar. Celebrating 45 years of AMG, this special is based on the racing version of the SLS AMG supercar. It features a matte graphite paint job with "45 Years of Driving Performance" emblazoned on the carbon-fiber gullwing doors, plus carbon hood, trunklid, rear wing, side skirts, front splitter and rear diffuser.

The steel roll cage inside is also finished in matte graphite, offset by a matte carbon center console. The race-tuned, hand-built 6.3-liter V8 is installed by DTM champion Bernd Schneider (together with an AMG factory technician). If you're wondering what the point is of a special edition race car when most teams work up their own livery anyway, Mercedes states that this special edition is not aimed at racing teams, but rather at private collectors with a "particular penchant for motor racing". In other words, wealthy track-day enthusiasts.

And wealthy you must be to buy one. Each of the five examples to be produced will sell for €446,250 (including Germany's 19% value-added tax). That comes out to approximately $580,000 at today's rates (though US taxes are lower) but includes a VIP tour of the AMG facility where the cars are built.