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Madrid - First pleasure and then work: Three of the world's best tennis
players from three different continents experienced the thrills accompanying
very high speeds in the co-driver's seat of a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren whilst
at this year’s ATP Masters in Spain.
"It was an incredible and unforgettable experience. A pure rush of
adrenalin," said the local Spanish hero, Juan Carlos Ferrero, after doing two
laps with Mercedes McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa. And just like Ferrero,
both Argentine's top player, David Nalbandian, and Asia's best tennis
professional Paradorn Srichaphan felt very safe in the black racer with 626
horse power under its bonnet.
"Pedro is an extremely skilful driver. I did not feel at all frightened
although the speed was really very extreme," commented Nalbandian, who is No.10
in the Champions Race 2004 at the moment, "I was absolutely impressed just how
well the car could be controlled despite such an extremely high speed." The 2002
Wimbledon finalist returned the favor later by giving the Spanish racing driver
a bit of tennis practice at the Pabellon de Cristal, the venue of the Madrid
Masters tournament.
After the trip to the former Formula One track in Jarama, Thailand's national
hero, Srichaphan, declared that he felt the experience was like "venturing into
a new dimension of speed" and added, "Never in my whole life have I driven a car
myself or been driven at such a speed before." But in spite of this he remained
"calm and relaxed," said the top professional, who in the meantime is the proud
possessor of a diplomatic passport given to him by the King of Thailand. Just
like Ferrero and Nalbandian, Srichaphan made the most of being at the course
close to Madrid and used the opportunity to drive a few laps round the course
himself in a Mercedes-Benz C 55 AMG. "But in comparison with Pedro, I probably
looked more like a snail," said Srichaphan.
Last year, it was America's tennis star, Andy Roddick, who got the chance to
drive a few laps round the track at Jarama with de la Rosa, and he called the
trip "one of the most thrilling experiences in my whole life – even more
thrilling than parachute jumping." However, Roddick, who had to withdraw from
the tournament in Madrid at short notice, will also have the opportunity – just
like all the other participants in the Masters Cup (15th – 21st November) to get
an extra automobile present in Houston – after all, the champion of the
unofficial WM will be getting a Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG as a bonus. "It would
be really great if I could qualify and then win the Masters Cup and the car,"
said motor sports fan Nalbandian.
The background of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
With the latest Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the Stuttgart automobile
manufacturer and Formula One partner McLaren have once more proved their years
of experience in developing and building high-performance sports cars. The
two-seater with its striking winged doors and style elements taken from the
Formula One Silver Arrow continues the myth of the legendary SLR racing car of
the fifties. As it is fitted with the latest racing car technology and Mercedes
pioneering innovations which guarantee a high degree of safety and make it
suitable for daily use, the SLR McLaren is making a name for itself as the Gran
Turismo of the 21st century.
The newly developed V8-compressor engine produces 460 kW and accelerates the
sports car in just 3.8 seconds from zero to 100 km/h. Its top speed is about 334
km/h. Just like the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing cars, the bodywork of
the new SLR is made of super-light carbon fibre material (CFK) which has
extremely good energy absorption, thus providing a high degree of safety for
driver and passengers. The SLR is first car to go into standard production with
a crash-front structure made completely of carbon fibre.
The three letters SLR have an almost magical effect on fans of cars and motor
sports. The original meaning of the initials was "sporty", "light" and "racing"
and the legendary cars which Mercedes-Benz raced in 1955 were designed according
to these principles. Their drivers achieved spectacular double and triple
successes at the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio or Tourist Trophy. Juan Manuel
Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, Graf Berghe von Trips, Hans Hermann, Desmond
Titterington and John Cooper Fitch sat in the SLR cockpits and made these Silver
Arrows the most successful racing cars of the season. The later coupé version,
the 300 SLR, was constructed for use on normal roads and it combined the design
and technology of the winged door 300 SL, which had been produced since 1954,
with the technology of the successful racing model. With a speed of 290 km/h, it
was the fastest sports car of its time.
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