A Wolf in Armani.(Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722)

Byline: DUTCH MANDEL

A two-lane, arrow-straight asphalt strip gleams black and descends from the desert hills. Even in the dead of winter, heat ghosts shimmy far off the land and intermingle with those rising from beneath the limited-edition carbon fiber hood.

Part of your brain thinks this is not possible-long, smooth, near-perfect roads in the middle of nowhere. Another part, that piece filled with facts about the United Arab Emirates and particularly about Dubai's relatively quick ascendancy to world-class status, knows otherwise. And let's be reasonable: Asphalt, in its purest form, percolates from the earth not far from here, and there's no reason this highway shouldn't lie before us.

It's a good thing it does, because the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722, a limited-edition version of the company's sports car flagship in which we are stuffed, is bestowed with more power, less weight, more capabilities and better handling than its potent progenitor. And it needs-almost demands-a place to let loose and be free.

But during a predrive briefing, we learn that to let loose too much can mean greater consequences than those to which we are normally accustomed. Officials here take regulations seriously, and they mete out punishment accordingly. Alongside freeways that stretch far into the desert stand electronic sentinels that threaten to take pictures of drivers traveling above posted 120-km/h (75-mph) limits. With those pictures can come heavy fines; we also learn the glovebox carries letters of introduction (or excuse) that aim to explain our presence should we be stopped by local lawmen.

It takes no time to recognize that exceptions to the speeding rule exist, as cars occasionally fly by, presumably piloted by locals who know which cameras are bogus. Or perhaps the cars are filled with self-confidence. Here, if your car's license plate begins with a single digit, you are identified as a member of the royal family-and you needn't worry about speed laws, because you make them. If your plate starts with a double digit, you are friends of the family and enjoy much the same courtesy. Even three-digit plates get some dispensation and consideration. But there is no forgiveness for transgressions by our vehicles with five-digit license plates, even though the car's sticker price roughly equals the median cost of a home in Stamford, Connecticut. You come to understand quickly that these SLRs-as well as other high-profile, high-performance cars-are virtually a dirham a dozen around here.

Well, they are, and they aren't like this one. This newest SLR is the 722 Edition, a model created to honor Sir Stirling Moss' brilliant win at the 1955 Mille Miglia race. That number, painted in bright red across Moss' SLR race car, signified his morning start time; that he finished the 1000-mile race through the Italian countryside at an average speed of nearly 100 mph is a record that will never be broken.