As long as McLaren is 40% owned by Mercedes it aint never going to happen! That was the main problem with the SLR. The original "Vision" Concept was drawn by an artist and not by engineers. One of the more interesting faults was that when the original concept car got to 200 the rear axle would try to lift off the road!

He wanted it to be mid engined, Merc said "We don't do mid engined cars"

so he said OK then.

They wanted a V12 originally, but he said I want the engine behind the front wheels. So they reluctantly COMPROMISED to a V8 AMG engine.

He said "I want side exhausts as well then"
They said "we dont do Side exhausts on a Mercedes"
So he showed them this picture



Murray talks about always having to fight Mercedes over every little thing. And that he would go to a meeting every other week or so and it would be 10 new faces every time. The F1 had something like 5 Full time engineers and that was it!

Once the SLR was into full time production. He walked because he realised it was never going to change, and he was never going to get to build a car that was a proper successor to the F1. Remember also that when they were designing the F1, Mercedes weren't even considered for the engine. Which tells you everything about how Money talks nowadays. There were plans for a Mid engined Gallardo/F430 competitor, that was going to be more like the F1 and badged as a Merc. But the project was off, then on now off again indefinetly. SLR hasnt been a money spinner for either company as Im sure Tony will testify. And its put them off considering a new venture together. If anything Merc and McLaren are now more against each other now, than they were when they commissioned the project.