Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss Photo

Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss Interior

Although both minimalist, the cockpits of the two cars reveal the generation gap. The old SLR epitomises minimalism: a plate-sized rev counter, slim tartan seats, removable wooden steering wheel

and open-gate dogleg gearbox are all you get. In the new 2009 SLR, carbonfibre lines the door accents, leather is replaced by cloth and the manual box is replaced by an automatic one. The instruments are small and barely legible and there is climate control rather than raw ventilation flaps.

There’s no radio, no phone and no sat-nav in this maximum SLR, but we do notice shift paddles, an ESP Off button and a plump multifunction steering wheel that wouldn’t look out of place in a diesel taxi