The mere tap of the right pedal sends the car rocketing fiercely forwards

The very fact you are reading this magazine suggests there are few things in life as appealing as a brand new supercar. One of them is a special edition supercar. On hearing that the 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR 722 Edition was due for its world launch in Dubai, the scramble to attend the two-day event resembled something from the pages of a Batman comic. Even the snappers got involved. Power rather than precision won through and I would be the one testing the car in the land of the sand.

But why do we need an improved version of the SLR McLaren? Simple. Though the standard SLR is a supreme car, it has never been held in the same high regard as the likes of the Ferrari Enzo, Pagani Zonda and Porsche Carrera GT, which were conceived around the same time. These vehicles now represent the pinnacle of sports car engineering. The SLR, however, carries too much weight and everyday-driver cushion to allow it to take on its rivals around any track or road with a tight corner.

Amongst the main criticisms of the car were that while it was capable of incredible performance, it never formed a bond with its driver. It was not a precision tool like the Carrera GT nor did it have the emotion and flair of its Italian rivals. But Mercedes always argued that the SLR was meant to be a car that could be used everyday, which was not the case with it adversaries.

It has since been well documented that there was a struggle between Formula One partners Mclaren - creators of the F1 which, until today, most regard as the supercar - and Mercedes as to the direction the SLR was heading. It's safe to say it was more intense than our office scuffle. The racers from Woking made the car as light, rigid and balanced as possible, chasing ultimate performance. Mercedes, on the other had, crammed it full of the electronics and luxuries that you would expect of the three-pointed star. It was a tug of war that once again went to the power players.

The SLR 722 Edition has been built in response to some existing owners' cries for more sportiness; to fulfill their desires for it to be a tool on the track as well as on the road. After all, its name was inspired by motor racing, 7:22am being the start time of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR that was driven to an unforgettable victory by British racing legend Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson in the 1955 Mille Miglia.

Studying the numbers that have been given to me in a beautifully presented press pack on an idyllic February morning in Dubai, it becomes clear that what the 722 addresses first are the issues of weight and handling. There's a modified front apron that incorporates a new air splitter and improves downforce by 128 per cent. The rear diffuser has also been remoulded, providing the car with an extra touch of aerodynamic efficiency.

The suspension has been lowered by 10mm and the Koni dampers have been set 15 per cent stiffer to help counter body sway in all directions. The dampers have aluminium casings, which are lighter than the steel shells of the standard SLR, and the new, standout black wheels are also lighter to the further benefit of unsprung weight. The brake discs are still carbon-ceramic but the front ones, at 390mm, are now bigger.

In terms of power, the actual supercharged 5.5-litre V8 of the standard SLR doesn't change, though the overall cooling efficiency is upped by 50 per cent. This in turn affects the efficiency of the existing engine, therefore creating 641bhp in the 722 Edition versus 617 in the standard model, both of which peak at 6500rpm. Torque is also increased, from 575lb ft on the donor car to 605. According to the men at Affalterbach, the hand-built AMG engine is capable of propelling the car to 100kmh in an astonishing 3.6sec, compared to the 3.8 of the base model, trumping the Enzo, Carrera GT and Zonda in terms of numbers.

As well as its devastating 3.6 sec benchmark sprint time, the SLR 722 and its sledgehammer-like power take it to 200kmh in just over 10sec. Top speed has been arbitrarily improved, from 334kmh to 337. Later that same day I would have the chance to test both claims; taking care to avoid stray camels.

As you would expect from the German marque, there are a few visual differences in SLR 722 to match the subtle performance and handling upgrades. Wandering around the seven cars stationed outside the opulent Magic Kingdom-like resort of Madinat Jumeirah, it becomes apparent, however, that the average bystander might not pick this car from the standard SLR. Most obvious of all are the 19in all black wheels and 722 badges that adorn the front wings. The clear-lacquered carbon gives the bodywork an almost concept car feel and it still maintains those cartoonish proportions of the standard model with all the balance at the front, courtesy of the long, swooping bonnet.

Like any good special edition or third-party tune-up, Mercedes-Benz has blessed the interior with a few new features, such as sports seats with side bolsters trimmed in leather and suede, a sports Alacantra steering wheel and, as seems obligatory these days, a good splashing of carbonfibre throughout. Contrast red stitching, red gauges and red seatbelts all serve to lend the car a racing touch.

If the feat of engineering we were about to drive was special, then so too was the early morning fare we had just been served overlooking the crystal waters of the Arabian Gulf. Brazilian coffee, fresh juices and more pastries than I care to remember had left me suitably well fed and watered. If anything, I was ready to go back to my sea-facing hotel room rather than drop myself into the bucket seats of this beast of an automobile. I resisted the temptation to revisit my four-poster bed; the lure of a 300km drive ending in the craggy Hajjar Mountains proving too much to withstand.

The allocation of automobiles had begun in earnest. It would be two journalists per 722. Rather fortunate for me, my Saudi Arabian compatriot had little interest in piloting the car. Perhaps he had been put off by the rather daunting performance figures in the glossy press material or maybe he just had one too many eggs for breakfast. Either way, I wasn't going to argue.

There's a sense of menace about the SLR when you press the starter button concealed under the gear selector's flip-up lid. Those four side-exit exhausts harrumph and splutter, their aural explosiveness all the greater for their proximity to your ears. My partner gingerly pulls away from the ornate front of the Al Qasr hotel as I take the opportunity to survey whether the 722 lives up to Mercedes' GT claims. Some of the details in the cabin were outrageous for a car worth $ 545,000; silver-painted plastic rather than machine aluminium. The ride, too, struck me as very stiff, every imperfection in the road shuddering through your body like a bolt from below.

As we leave the city and the heavy traffic that now dominates Dubai's roads, we begin to quicken our pace. My friend has seemingly gained in confidence and as we reach the four-lane highway of Emirates Road, he puts his foot to the floor. His face is a picture. The acceleration of the SLR 722 is savagery. Even though I am not driving, it doesn't lessen the thrill. I am pinned to the bucket seats so tightly that it becomes difficult to move. A deafening shrill fills the cockpit. Amazing. I feel like a passenger aboard a locomotive.

My partner for the day had seen enough. His only desire now was to do some photography around the authentic Bedouin camp of our first stop and then head back to the hotel. The car was mine for the rest of the event. Now on a dead straight, pristine surfaced two-lane highway, it was my turn to get a feel for this fantastic automobile. The mere tap of the right pedal sends the car rocketing fiercely forwards. The acceleration is absolutely relentless, as you ride a wave of torque from standstill - the wheels are still spinning at 150kmh - all the way to 330kmh. This is the sort of machine that can get you in a lot of trouble and severely shorten the life expectancy of your driving licence. On a straight road similar to the one I was travelling on, it becomes difficult to judge how fast you're driving. A comfortable cruising speed is 200kmh, 80kmh or more over the speed limit.

I have now established this car is capable of breathtaking speeds, but it's not long before I am called to put the huge ceramic brakes to the test courtesy of a herd of road-crossing dromedary. The left pedal is as ferocious as the right. I stop well short of the still unaware camels, but it feels as if my internal organs have been pressed against by rib cage and my brain the inside of my skull. The flip-up rear-wing (deployed at high speed or under firm braking) evidently works, but does impede visibility through the rear windows. Fortunately, the only company I have is of the four-legged rather four-wheeled variety. But it is rather disconcerting not being able to see out of the rear window under heavy braking.

Up to now, the perfectly surfaced highways and straight roads had left me with little opportunity to truly test if the SLR 722 Edition differed enough from the standard model to harness its supercar credentials. So far, it felt every bit the daily car that the basic model did. But the sinuous curves of the mountain roads would be a true test of its character. Would it give the delicate feedback that you require from such a car?

Typically among one of the first people to switch off traction control, so far the 722 hadn't inspired me with confidence. I had only felt comfortable with it disabled at low speeds and it seemed insensible to alter that just as the roads were about to become more challenging. Bringing the car up to a healthy speed on the tight, twisty road, it certainly felt as if there was plenty of grip, albeit movable grip, and the car remained relatively flat. Though it's fair to say there was more feedback than in the standard SLR, it was still not as much you would like, rarely did I have any idea about what the front tyres were doing.

Driving the SLR 722 on this type of mountain pass felt like performing heart surgery in thick winter gloves. I had the tools at my disposal, but not the confidence in the car to test them. The 722 is very hard to accurately place and corners are taken in a series of bites, compounded by the lack of sensitivity in the brakes. It's impossible to make small applications, the pedal constantly needing a big shove for anything to happen. While this became increasingly frustrating around the busy city roads, it was even more exasperating in the mountains, making it impossible to build any kind of rhythm through the windy bends.

The SLR 722 is a curious car. There's a feeling that you never quite know what's going happen next. And when you do get out of shape, the steering isn't as responsive as you would like it to be. The performance is accessible when the traction control is on, but switch it off and it's very much a sweaty palm experience.

Fun and the occasional frantic moment over, the burning red sun was beginning to disappear behind the rugged mountain face and towards the rolling desert dunes. That was my signal to begin heading back to the city. Bringing the car to rest, I am left feeling confused. Power has won out over precision again. The SLR 722 is amazingly quick, the performance of the car faultless, the engineering remarkable. But does it come close to the driving experience felt when you climb into a Zonda or Enzo? I am afraid not. Once again, it's half luxury Mercedes, half racing McLaren. But doubtless the lucky 150 owners won't complain.

Specification
SLR 722 EDITION
Engine: V8
Location: Front-Mid, longitudinal
Displacement: 5439cc
Bore x stroke: 97.0mm x 92.0mm
Cylinder block: Aluminium alloy
Cylinder head: Aluminium alloy, dohc, three valves per cylinder
Max power: 641bhp @ 6500rpm
Max torque: 575lb ft @ 3250rpm
Transmission: 5-speed electronically controlled manually interactive, adaptive automatic transmission with AMG SpeedShift and overdrive adaptive automatic transmission
Front suspension: Double wishbones with anti roll-bar
Rear suspension: Double wishbones
Brakes: Ventilated carbon discs front and rear
Wheels: 9.0 x 19in front, 11/5 x 19in rear
Tyres: 255/35 19in front, 295/30 19in rear
Weight (kerb): 1724kg
Power-to-weight: 354bhp/ton
0-100kmh: 3.6sec (claimed)
Top speed: 337kmh (claimed)
Basic price: $ 545,000
On sale: Available to order
evo Rating: ****(4 Star)