Before the Mercedes-AMG SLS and Mercedes-AMG GT, there was the Mercedes SLR McLaren. Built in collaboration between Mercedes and McLaren, the SLR was a modern-day tribute to the Mercedes 300 SLR racer from the 1950s. Production ran from between 2003 and 2009, in which time only 2,157 examples were made.
One of the most famous examples was owned by Paris Hilton - you may remember the infamous paparazzi photo of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears squeezed in the SLR's cabin. Hilton's SLR McLaren was recently acquired by Cannonball Run record-holder Ed Bolian who paid $180,000 for the car at an online auction.
That may sound like a bargain considering that Paris Hilton originally paid $463,000 for her SLR McLaren. But as this video shows, if you were thinking of buying a used SLR McLaren, you may want to approach with caution.
After sending the car to a Mercedes repair shop for an oil change, the owner was shocked to discover how steep the servicing costs are for an SLR McLaren. The "A Service" cost $2,105, while a new power steering pump costs $2,220. If required, a new steering rack will cost an extra $6,270. Since Paris Hilton's SLR McLaren was fitted with aftermarket batteries that won't anchor properly, it will cost an extra $1,350 to replace them. Even something simple like replacing a door strut costs $2,525.
The SLR McLaren also needed new brake line mounts for $1,350 since they had deteriorated and were deemed unsafe, as well as a new tire pressure monitoring system for $1,700 and brake caliper cooling ducts for $1,250. In addition, the owner was advised to replace components that will wear out over time such as the wheel bolts.
Even though it only has 21,000 miles on the clock, the total service costs came in at a staggering $34,565 on top of the $180,000 the owner paid for the car. Hoovies Garage's Tyler Hoover was also thinking of bidding on the SLR McLaren but opted for a Mercedes-AMG SLS instead. It may not be as rare or as desirable as the SLR McLaren, but it's considerably cheaper to run, so it's safe to say he is happy with his decision.