Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren nose

📸: Photo courtesy AutoGeSpot.com

Symbols are very important in the car business, with badges and logos being particularly critical to maintaining brand identity and cachet. So when designing a top tier supercar, or "halo" car, automakers take special care to make sure the badge is highlighted appropriately. We chose Mercedes' treatment of their well-known three-pointed star in their remarkable SLR McLaren, which was produced between 2003 - 2010, as a "Cool Design" because... well, just look at it!

📸: Photo courtesy ConceptCarz.com

Developed jointly by Benz and McLaren back when Mercedes owned 40% of McLaren, this V8-powered GT was inspired by the classic Mercedes Benz 300 SLR gullwing coupe of 1955. Although these doors aren't quite "gullwing," they are alluring.

But back to the nose! What's cool to us is not only the way the logo/hood ornament is embedded in the hood, but also the way the lines of the hood suggest the nose of a Formula 1 racecar.

📸: Photo courtesy Wikimedia.org

From this angle, it's easy to see how deep-set the logo rides in the nose of the car, mimicking the windtunnels that were surely as much a part of the development of this car as any Mercedes/McLaren racecar. It's a nice touch that really drives the brand image home.

The SLR McLaren was designed by Gorden Wagener.