Mercedes-Benz will end its partnership with British sports car manufacturer McLaren when its current agreement expires next year.

The German automaker and the British sports car manufacturer built the SLR premium roadster together.

The German automaker and the British sports car manufacturer built the SLR premium roadster together.

"The partnership ends in 2009 and it will not be renewed," a Mercedes spokesman said.

Media reports say a new flagship premium roadster called the SLC will replace the SLR in 2010. It will be built by Mercedes' in-house performance unit AMG at the automaker's Sindelfingen plant, near Stuttgart, Germany.

Colin Couchman, a London-based auto analyst for Global Insight said that the German automaker needs this "halo" model to emphasize its reputation for engineering excellence.

"The Mercedes ethos has always been to be at the forefront of technology. In the past few years, the company has been distracted by other areas of its business while neglecting the top end of its lineup. They want to make up for lost time," Couchman said.

Couchman said the SLR's high price limited sales. The car starts at 452,200 euros in Germany. Mercedes has sold 1,577 SLRs worldwide since the car's launch in 2003, according to Global Insight.

The car has also suffered from technical problems. The SLR was one of the models affected in a recall of 680,000 Mercedes cars in 2004, after the electronic braking system failed on some vehicles.

In 2006, Mercedes-Benz USA recalled 433 SLRs that had developed overheating problems.