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Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 2011 REVIEW – New Super Sports Car

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Red Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 2011 front angle picture

Red Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 2011 front angle image

The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 2011 did not appear at the Geneva auto show. This car embodies a blend of consummate automotive fascination and high tech. The super sports car delivers a compelling mix of purist styling, consistent lightweight design and superior driving dynamics. At the same time, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG fully lives up to all the expectations of hallmark Mercedes everyday practicality and optimum safety. In essence, the new ‘Gullwing’ offers the ideal synthesis of the strengths of Mercedes-Benz and AMG.

The AMG and Mercedes-Benz have a new super sports car. This sport car makes for an alluring proposition with its unrivalled technology package. It is aluminium spaceframe body with gullwing doors, AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid engine developing 420 kW / 571 hp peak output, 650 Nm of torque and dry sump lubrication, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in a transaxle configuration, sports suspension with aluminium double wishbones and a kerb weight of 1620 kilograms based on the DINstandard – this superlative combination guarantees driving dynamics of the highest order. First of all, the remixed icon won’t be called the Gullwing or even the SLC as we had believed; its official name is Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. (That said, Mercedes does refer to the car as the “new Gullwing” in its press materials and also confirms the car will utilize the unique door configuration.) We’re wondering if Cadillac will object to the SLS moniker, but we doubt anyone will confuse this super-Benz with a full-size, four-door Caddy. This might be a good time to mention that we don’t yet know what the SLS will look like. Mercedes is holding back on releasing official exterior pictures of the car, but expect to see images surface early this summer. For now, information from Mercedes-Benz is limited to what’s under the SLS’s skin. Judging by the underlying structure, the car appears as if it will have proportions drawn directly from its 1950s forebear. Even the angles of the front and rear window openings look similar. The gullwing doors will pop off in the event of a rollover to allow occupants to escape. The ideal front/rear weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent and the vehicle’s low centre of gravity are testimony to the uncompromising sports car concept. The ‘Gullwing’ accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 317 km/h (electronically limited). The fuel consumption of 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres (combined) puts it at the front of the competitive field (all figures provisional).

The sports seat of Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 2011 backrests are made from magnesium. This material is a high-tech material that combines light weight with high strength. We are estimating that the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 2011 will cost between $200,000 and $250,000 when it goes on sale in the spring of next year, or quite a bit less than the $300,000 SL65 AMG Black Series. Thus priced, the SLS would be competitively priced against the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and the upcoming Superleggera version of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. (via)