It's called profit. To give you an example, the SLR has a tape deck(!) that's 100% identical to my W203 C except that the edge trim piece is silver instead of black. :lol

Sporty or not, MB still sold a bunch. Let's face it, somebody who blows this much on a car probably decided to buy it even before they saw one in person. So why would MB care? ;) Also, the SLR was designed and produced in the DaimlerChrysler era, and we all know how they tried to cut costs. :rolleyes:

ps to shift to the lowest gear, hold the stick L, or stomp the gas (be sure to push the clicky button on the floor). To pop it back into full Auto, tap R until "D" shows up, or just hold the stick R for 1S.

The only time I EVER use the stickshift (when not trying to keep up with my buddies on the weekends :lol) is when merging into southbound traffic on the Knight bridge from Marine. That merging lane is WAY too short. One needs to be in "3" while still in the curvy parts, or risk getting rear-ended. The lag is really bad (about 0.5s) on the 722.6 tranny. I'd imagine the BMW SMG is way quicker.