--- title: "Mercedes Hacked Up Multiple TVRs to Create the SLR McLaren" description: "Mercedes and McLaren needed a sports car with a really long hood to test the SLR, so they gave the old British coupe quite a gnarly nose job." date: "2024-12-16" modified: "2024-12-16" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/mercedes-hacked-up-multiple-tvrs-to-create-the-slr-mclaren" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "Mercedes-Benz News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Mercedes" - "Supercar" --- # Mercedes Hacked Up Multiple TVRs to Create the SLR McLaren ![Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, silver, driving shot, front view, with TVR test mules pictured alongside.]() *\Mercedes-Benz, The Drive\* Between you and me, I haven't thought much about the [TVR Cerbera]() since playing *Gran Turismo* *4* in high school. That's unfortunate, both because the Cerbera was sort of like England's answer to the Dodge Viper, and because it happened to play an important role in the development of a far more famous two-door super coupe: the Mercedes SLR McLaren. According to *[TVR Blog]()*, Mercedes and McLaren used a pair of TVR Cerbera test mules to develop the engine for the [SLR.]() The hand-built 5.5-liter supercharged V8 came from AMG, so it wasn't exactly new to the team. Rather, the big question mark was the motor's position—it was set so far back behind the front axle that the SLR was technically mid-engined. Due to this and the supercar's massive front end, an enormous front intake was necessary. Engineers needed a test vehicle with an appropriately long hood, both for overall proportional parity and to refine the intake, and such a car didn't exist in Mercedes' repertoire at the time the SLR was in the works. > [View this post on Instagram]() > [A post shared by forgotten\_concepts (@forgotten\_concepts)]() That's supposedly where the Cerbera came in. It seemed like the SLR's perfect counterpart, with its long nose and big V8 also mounted far back behind the front axle. You can see the Cerbera's modified hood in photos, with a massive rhino horn-like bump, to accommodate the AMG engine and intake. It's unclear if any other changes were made to the Cerbera development cars, as Mercedes reportedly keeps these prototypes locked up in Stuttgart somewhere, per *TVR Blog*, and never publicized any information about them. However, there seems to be a [photo from the SLR's official art book]() that shows the Silver Arrows flagship next to development mules, two of which are different Cerberas. *The Drive* reached out to Mercedes-Benz for official details and will update this story should we get any. The SLR McLaren is one of the most unusual performance cars of this century. Its development was led by Gordon Murray, a man known for lightweight, mid-engine, naturally aspirated sports cars. And yet, the SLR was heavy, luxurious, and supercharged. (Sure, that V8 was technically between the axles, but the SLR isn't exactly what pops into your head when somebody says the words "mid-engine," is it?) Murray's sequel to the McLaren F1 [was actually intended as another BMW collaboration](), right up until Merc and McLaren joined forces in Formula 1. The two parties then conflicted in development, and the result's never been properly appreciated on the same level as its contemporaries from [Porsche]() and [Ferrari](). It's a weird car with a weird origin story, as those TVR mules remind us. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()