Mercedes SLR McLaren, 2005

Designer: Gordon Murray

In 2000, Daimler Chrysler bought a 40% stake in McLaren, paving the way for a partnership between Murray and Mercedes that produced the Mercedes SLR McLaren. Auto enthusiasts hailed it as a more affordable, more mainstream supercar, but Murray chafed under a corporate structure. The car incorporates stylistic elements of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Roadster, including side exhaust pipes and "gull-wing doors" that attach at the roof and swing up when they open.