MERCEDES MENACE; 217-mph Stirling Moss is a Benz to give Ferrari nightmares.(NEWS)

Byline: GREG KABLE

Where to start? That's the question when confronted by the amazing Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Stirling Moss. No matter how often you've seen it in pictures, nothing prepares you for the impression the low-slung two-seater leaves as it hovers into view and you get the key for a world-exclusive drive.

Created as a parting gesture in the oft-turbulent collaboration between Mercedes and Formula One partner McLaren, the new roadster costs $1.1 million. And you don't even get a windshield; it was deleted in a program that pared 441 pounds off the SLR's curb weight, bringing it to 3,419 pounds. This is one of the most dramatic-looking and hardest-charging Benzes ever.

The SLR Stirling Moss was conceived in 2005 and then developed in Woking and Stuttgart. "We were conscious from early on that many customers were seeking a more extreme car, said SLR development chief Detlef Barthelmes, "one that truly captured the essence of the original SLR.

The basis is the standard SLR roadster's carbon-fiber monocoque. It got beefed-up sills and an additional cross member behind the seats, helping to make the Stirling Moss one of the most structurally rigid open-top cars. Its carbon-fiber body shell gives the new car a menacing appearance.

The look is a mixture of old and new, with hints of the legendary 300 SLR Uhlenhaut (used by Moss to win the 1955 Mille Miglia) in its exaggerated proportions. Climbing in is tricky, but once you're seated, the view is unique. The seats, thinly padded but supportive fixed-back units, are mounted low.

Along with the low weight, another target Barthelmes set was a 217-mph top speed. To ...