Performance cars thrive on airflow, it’s the very breath of big horsepower. Automakers have long employed various methods, from aggressive grilles to prominent hood scoops, all in the pursuit of channeling more oxygen into their engines. But when Mercedes-Benz embarked on the creation of the SLR McLaren, they conceived a solution that was as innovative as it was aesthetically striking: transforming the iconic hood ornament into a functional air intake.
Imagine for a moment, the ideal scenario for feeding an engine, especially a forced induction powerhouse. The freshest, coolest air, delivered directly with minimal obstruction. A straight shot from the front of the car, right into the throttle body, would be the engineer’s dream.
For most vehicles, such a design would clash dramatically with styling sensibilities. However, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was no ordinary car. Its design team ingeniously integrated this functional necessity by cleverly engineering the brand’s emblem to serve a dual purpose. They achieved this feat simply by perforating the iconic three-pointed star, turning it into a gateway for air.
The Legacy of the Three-Pointed Star
The Mercedes-Benz logo, a globally recognized symbol of automotive excellence, traces its origins back to 1909 and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG). As Mercedes-Benz themselves recount, the inspiration for the logo stemmed from a postcard sent by Gottlieb Daimler, decades prior to the company’s formation. This postcard marked the family home with a three-pointed star. Later, the merger with Benz & Cie to form Daimler-Benz solidified the three-pointed star’s place as a central element of the brand’s identity.
Over the years, the logo evolved into the streamlined design we recognize today: a three-pointed star enclosed within a sleek circular ring. Traditionally, this emblem graced the hoods of Mercedes-Benz vehicles as a stand-up ornament, a hallmark of luxury and prestige. However, as automotive design progressed into the 21st century and pedestrian safety became a growing concern, Mercedes-Benz began to adapt. The prominent hood ornament gave way to a larger, more integrated star, often positioned centrally within the front grille, a bold statement of brand identity.
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This evolution culminated, perhaps most dramatically, in the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. This supercar, born from a unique collaboration between British and German engineering prowess, with the legendary Gordon Murray at the design helm, pushed boundaries in both performance and innovation.
The SLR project was ambitious from its inception, conceived, as Gordon Murray articulated, to directly challenge the established giants of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin. Murray undertook the task of refining the initial concept, transforming a somewhat conventional front-engined car design into a formidable front-mid-engine machine capable of competing at the highest level. The production SLR boasted a cutting-edge bonded carbon fiber chassis and a potent supercharged V8 engine generating a staggering 617 horsepower. The challenge then became: how to efficiently feed this powerful engine the air it demanded?
The SLR’s engine layout and positioning provided a straightforward solution. The 5.4-liter V8 was longitudinally mounted, driving the rear wheels in a classic configuration. Employing a “cold-vee” design, the intake manifolds were centrally located within the engine’s V-configuration. Under Murray’s influence, the engine was positioned significantly behind the front wheels, placing the throttle body almost directly in the center of the engine bay. This arrangement made it remarkably logical to place an air filter and intake system directly in front of the engine, fed by the front grille.
Mercedes-Benz could have opted for a more conventional front-end design for the SLR. A standard badge on a traditional grille, with a hidden scoop behind it directing air to the airbox would have been the expected approach. Instead, the engineers saw an opportunity: the badge itself could become the direct conduit for airflow. All that was needed was to strategically perforate the three-pointed star.
This innovative use of the badge as an air intake resulted in a remarkably clean and aerodynamic front-end aesthetic, eliminating the need for a less integrated inlet behind a standard grille.
The final design integrated the badge into a raised, phallic form that ran centrally down the hood. The sheer size of the badge ensured it wouldn’t restrict airflow to the high-performance engine, and its simple circular shape lent itself well to this functional adaptation.
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It’s a fascinating thought that a logo conceived in 1909 would offer performance advantages nearly a century later. Implementing a similar design with brands like Peugeot, Ferrari, or Porsche would require substantial alterations to their established visual identities.
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Panorama of two Mercedes SLR McLarens alongside the two TVR Cerberas used as test mules during development byu/Mega_Dunsparce incarporn
Evidence of this unique intake system can be observed in the SLR’s development phase. Historical images reveal TVR Cerberas, heavily modified to serve as test mules for the SLR drivetrain. One of these prototypes clearly exhibits the badge intake protruding from its modified hood.
However, as seen in images of the earlier Vision SLR concept car, which predated the production model, the badge intake was not initially present. It appears to have been a later refinement in the development process, possibly influenced by Murray’s insistence on relocating the engine rearward for optimized weight distribution.
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The badge intake is just one facet of the SLR’s overall uniqueness. The SLR was also celebrated as a surprisingly practical supercar, equipped with premium Mercedes-Benz switchgear, outperforming many rivals in terms of usability and refinement. Notably, it incorporated the robust 5G-Tronic automatic gearbox, commonly found in models like the E-Class and even the Porsche 911. This meant the SLR also shared the unusual feature of having two reverse gears.
Despite its ingenuity, the badge intake design remained exclusive to the SLR. While the SLR never received a direct successor, later supercars like the AMG SLS reverted to more conventional grille designs. Although the straight shot intake via the badge proved effective for the SLR’s M155 V8, it didn’t translate into a widespread design principle for the rest of the Mercedes-Benz lineup.
Nevertheless, for engineers tasked with designing a high-performance vehicle for a brand with a circular logo, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren’s innovative approach offers a compelling case study. Perhaps resurrecting Holden, or persuading Volkswagen to produce a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster, might just be worth it to explore this design avenue further.
Image credits: McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Broken-Sphere CC BY-SA 3.0
