When Mercedes-Benz introduced its SLR McLaren 722, there was a bit of confusion about the special-edition's name. Many believed the car would offer a fire-breathing, 722 hp supercharged V8, but it doesn't (it makes 650 hp). Some believed that "722" meant there would be 722 of the cars made ... but that was wrong, too. In the end, the 722 badge actually referred to 7:22AM - the starting time of Ste...

28JAN2008 - The last few years have seen a flood of 500 horsepower sedans almost pouring out of Germany from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier this month, however, representatives from Mercedes and AMG announced that the "horsepower wars" were over, saying that outright power would no longer be the "main focus" for future sports sedans.

Basis: Mercedes-Benz SL600

Based on a 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320

The powerplant is an all-aluminum 7.4 liter V-12 with four valves per cylinder including ported and polished cylinder heads, forged titanium connecting rods, semi-forged composite Kolbenschmidt pistons, specially-ground performance camshafts, redesigned intake and exhaust systems, upgraded cooling system and custom engine-management software.