Features

So on I bound, along ridges, through valleys, between hilltop towns, up and down the zig-zag pass at Radicofani. It's supercar country in excelsis. Yet, all the way, a bond never quite develops. The car remains strangely unsubtle to me.

I never doubt its limits, nor the ability of its ESP to sort me out if I exceed mine, but I keep looking for, and not finding, the subtleties of a Pagani, or Ferrari 599 - which has similar power and weight and costs little more than half.

The SLR's steering has no feel. None at all. You can go take a 180-degree bend, steadily increasing power until the grip goes, and never does the rim's weight in your hands alter. It gives no clue about the surface beneath, and making a smooth turn-in is a real challenge.

The brake pedal stays wooden most of the time too, which makes me think this is a strangely binary car. It's either cornering or not, braking or not. I suspect that's OK for race drivers because they exist beyond the need for those subtleties of feedback. They know what a car is doing, and just need high limits, in which respect the SLR obliges mightily. I need more feel, and maybe the new 722 will provide what I'm looking for.

So, yes, this is indeed a car fit for heroes. Certainly it's worthy to wear the badges 'SLR' and '722'. I guess that makes me the only unworthy one.

Paul Horrell

Moss on The Mille...
Keeping up with Stirling isn't possible, even in this SLR...

The Mille Miglia was so unlike circuits, Moss says, and not just because you couldn't learn it all. "You couldn't see the apex of any of the corners because of the wall of spectators. You couldn't go for the perfect line. So you went in on oversteer then if it tightened or widened you could adjust your line using power.

"The 300SLR was a difficult car to drive but the tail did move, it really bit. That was why it was so good."

How did he keep going for 10 hours? "Youth [he was 24], bravado, adrenaline from overtaking all the cars that had left earlier. Jenkinson and I egged each other on. And Fangio gave me a pill... don't know what it was."

So would the new SLR have done the course as quickly? "It jolly well should have. The 300SLR could corner at 0.75g. The new one will do more than 1g. And the brakes are better. But it wouldn't be so exhilarating because the exhilaration of the 300SLR was in exceeding its limits." Fifties' racers actually enjoyed driving.

From Rome to Siena, Moss was pretty well on his 100mph average. I did it at less than 45mph. OK, I had traffic. But there was a glorious 45 miles in the middle where I had a clear run of sweepers and straights and the twisty Raticosa pass. It took 45 minutes at 60mph. Yes, Moss was a hero beyond imagination.

Still, I did it in half an hour at 85mph back to the airport in a Smart ForFour diesel rentacar. That's autostrada for you.