The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a luxury grand tourer automobile developed by Mercedes-AMG to replace the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The car is the first Mercedes automobile designed in-house by AMG and is described by Mercedes-Benz as a spiritual successor to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.The vehicle was unveiled at the 2009 IAA. Sales began in mid-2010 in Europe with MSRP of €177,310 (including taxes) and in the United States in mid-2011 for less than $200,000.The SLS AMG is featured as the cover car for the PlayStation 3 racing game Gran Turismo 5, and is the safety car for the 2010 and 2011 Formula One seasons.In the video game Forza Motorsport 4, Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear comments "This is not just the greatest car Mercedes makes; right now, I think, it's the greatest car in the world."
The SLS AMG is designed to be a modern 300SL Gullwing revival by Gorden Wagener. The car has a long bonnet, the passenger compartment is close to the rear axle and the rear of the car is short. The SLS AMG has also adapted the feature of wing doors that will swing open upwards on gas struts, not in a mix of upwards and forward like the SLR. The doors must be closed manually as AMG engineers decided against auto-closing systems because the systems would have added 90 pounds (41 kg) to the car. In case of a roll-over, the doors can be fully detached to allow the occupants to leave the vehicle.
Versions
The SLS AMG will be made in at least four different versions. The first to launch is the coupe with gullwing doors. In 2009 a Desert Gold version debuted at the Dubai International Auto Show, in mid-2010 a FIA-GT3 racing version. For 2011–2013 Mercedes will also be releasing a roadster (with conventional doors and a soft top), an electric powered E-Cell version (most likely to be a coupe), and there will be a Black Series version, which will see its weight being reduced by as much as 300 kg (661 lb).
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
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M 159, liquid-cooled V8 Four-stroke engine, cylinder bank angle 90°
Four valves/cylinder, DOHC
Forged and balanced crankshaft
Forged pistons
Two 74 mm (2.91 in) throttles
Bosch ME 9.7 ECU, electronic fuel injection
Tubular steel exhaust headers
Bore x stroke: 102.2 mm (4.02 in) × 94.6 mm (3.72 in)
Displacement: 378.835 cu in (6.20799 L)
Power: 571 PS (420 kW; 563 hp) at 6800 rpm
Power per litre: 92 PS (68 kW; 91 hp)
Torque: 650 N·m (480 lb·ft) at 4750 rpm
Torque per litre: 104.7 N·m (77.2 lb·ft)
Max. 7200 rpm
Engine lubrication: dry sump
Weight: 206 kg (450 lb)
The SLS AMG is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds, and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 197 mph (317 km/h) (figures are provisional). In a Car and Driver test, the SLS recorded a quarter mile time of 11.7 seconds @ 125 mph (201 km/h).
Exterior
The exterior aluminum body is supplied by Magna Steyr. This and the CL65 AMG 40th Anniversary Edition are the only roadgoing Mercedes-Benz with the AMG Alubeam Silver paint available, at an extra cost of €11,900 in Germany. Other colors include both metallic as matte colors, such as Designo Magno Kashmir, the matte paint known from the SL63 AMG IWC edition.The SLS AMG has a rearwing which will pop up at high speeds for stability and handling, and when braking
Brakes
Standard brakes are 390 mm (15.35 in) (front) and 360 mm (14.17 in) (rear) cast iron disc brakes with 6-piston aluminium (front) and 4-piston (rear) calipers. Optional on the SLS AMG are carbon-ceramic disc brakes. 402 mm (15.83 in) discs with 6-piston aluminium calipers (front) and 360 mm (14.17 in) discs with 4-piston calipers (rear). These brakes provide increased stopping power with a 40% weight reduction compared to the standard brake system.]
Standard transmission is AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic transmission through a lightweight carbon fiber driveshaft in a transaxle arrangement. Selectable driving modes include "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) or "M" (Manual). A true manual transmission is not available.
Safety
In the July 2010 issue of Car and Driver magazine, safety specifications were revealed pertaining to the safety of the SLS AMG's gullwing doors. Ten to fifteen milliseconds after a detected rollover, explosive bolts situated at the top of the door frame fire and bell cranks separate the doors from the car for easy exit during a serious accident. An anti-locking system and a 3-stage ESP are standard.
Environment
The fuel consumption of the SLS AMG is around 13 L/100 km (22 mpg-imp; 18 mpg-US) combined driving according to (NEDC, provisional figure).
Building a supercar from scratch isn’t easy, but Mercedes’s in-house tuning arm, AMG, has an ace up its sleeve.As with the original 300 SL, which wowed the motoring world 55 years ago, the doors are hinged at the top and sweep dramatically upwards – the Gullwing is back and it’s landed in the UK.Unlock the car with the key fob, and a small handle pops out from the bottom of the door. Pull it, and the legendary gullwing door swooshes skywards to reveal an understated interior that’s brimming with exquisite detail.Sat low in the supportive sports seats, the door is quite a stretch to reach, but it swings back down with ease. The only downside to the gullwing set-up is that it impinges on headroom slightly, so the heads of tall drivers might brush the roof.The range of adjustment for the seat and wheel is as good as any Mercedes, and while the switchgear for the indicators, mirrors and electric windows is carried over from lesser models, the overall ambience of the leather-clad cabin is reassuringly expensive. Sat-nav, heated seats and AMG dials are standard, while unique details include four retro vents and an aluminium centre console. Other important features include the T-shaped gear selector, a dial for selecting different driving modes, and the all-important AMG button, which can be set as a shortcut to the driver’s favourite parameters.The console also houses the starter button, which flickers in time with the engine as it barks into life. The unit is the same hand-built 563bhp 6.2-litre V8 that’s been fitted to AMG products before. However, for the SLS, it’s been given a thorough reworking, and now features new forged pistons and a reinforced crankshaft. It’s connected to the firm’s first seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which is operated by steering wheel-mounted paddles. The car’s aluminium spaceframe chassis is also made by hand, helping to keep weight down to 1,620kg.On the move, it’s clear that the SLS packs some serious punch. At low speeds, manoeuvring in car parks and driving around town, the gearbox is clunky and first gear takes a while to engage. The ride is also firm, and its huge wheels – 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear – don’t help. Yet the trade-off for the low-speed jerkiness is supreme stability once the road opens up.The SLS is a wide car, and you sit a long way back in the wheelbase, peering down the sculpted bonnet. But once you get used to that, the SLS is remarkably easy to drive. The steering is very precise, feeding back the cambers in the road.Weight is distributed 47:53 front to rear, giving stunning balance, while grip is exceptional. At high speeds, the extra stability provided by the pop-up rear wing boosts the car’s grip even further. The suspension set-up provides excellent body control, damping the worst that a twisting British B-road can throw at you. But the engine is the star of the show. It sounds fantastic as it thrums away, with a muscular power delivery that pulls hard in every gear at any rpm. There’s even a wicked crackle and pop as you back off the throttle.As the pace quickens, the gearbox shifts seamlessly, ensuring that none of the 563bhp is wasted. In manual mode, there are F1-style shift lights on the dash to make sure the car meets its potential. Motorsport-derived brakes are impressive, too, offering plenty of stopping power.Anyone who thought AMG’s first foray into Lamborghini and Ferrari territory would be all show and no go is sorely mistaken. The SLS is every inch a true supercar.
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