Win a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (Petersen Automotive Museum Sweepstakes)

What you're looking at

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is one of the more interesting supercars of the 2000s precisely because it isn't trying to be a track weapon. Built from 2004-2009 as a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz, AMG and McLaren, it pairs a carbon-fiber monocoque and carbon-ceramic brakes with a hand-built 5.4-liter supercharged AMG V8 mounted behind the front axle — a front-mid-engine layout that gives it the long-hood, side-pipe proportions of a classic GT. The Petersen's car is a 2005 coupe in Silver, making 617 hp through a 5-speed AMG Speedshift automatic to the rear wheels, roughly 3.8 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed north of 200 mph. It's a GT-flavored supercar, not a paddle-shift hypercar, and that's the point.

Why it matters & the fine print

This is a Petersen Automotive Museum sweepstakes, run through the nonprofit platform TapKat, so your entry purchase is a donation to a 501(c)(3) institution rather than a ticket from a for-profit promoter. That charity angle is the headline. The SLR is a genuine low-volume modern classic — roughly 2,150 cars across the whole run — and the early coupes are the purest expression of the design. The market has firmed up: a 2005 SLR coupe sold for $341,000 at Mecum Indy in May 2025, classic.com shows an average around $323,000, clean low-mile cars trade well into the $400Ks. We estimate ~$330,000, which makes the listed $250,000 cash alternative a real fork in the road. Entries close September 30, 2026, with the drawing October 8. Eligibility is 18+ with the usual OFAC/SDN and sponsor-insider exclusions. As a properly run nonprofit sweepstakes, there's a no-purchase-necessary (AMOE) free-entry route — but the exact mailing address lives in the official TapKat rules — check there before relying on it. The winner is responsible for taxes on a six-figure prize.