The Historic Design of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG:
SLS AMG Gullwing Pictures
It seems everybody's doors lift up in the supercar world, at least a little, but none more dramatically than the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. It's a design trait that Mercedes comes by honestly: one of the most recognizable cars in the long history of Mercedes is the Mercedes-Benz 300SL of the mid-1950s. Usually, if a car comes in coupe and convertible forms, the drop top is the hot car. Not in this case. The distinctively curved, top-hinged doors were born from the high sills required by the race-derived design. The new SLS AMG has far lower sills, but retains the same curvaceous door shape.
The Engine: Built for Speed:
Believe it or not, there are other aspects of the Mercedes SLS AMG worth considering besides its doors. The mid-front mounted engine, for instance, is a 6.3-liter V8 with 571 hp mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which operated by a lever modeled after the thrust controls found in jets. The powertrain gives the SLS AMG a 0-62 mph time of 3.8 seconds and an electrically governed top speed of nearly 200 mph. And it gets an estimated combined nearly 18 miles per gallon, which is almost unheard of in the supercar class. It helps, too, that the aluminum space frame keeps the weight to about 3500 pounds.
The Interior: Also Built for Speed:
Well, it may not be stripped out like a Lotus Exige on its way to the track, but the interior of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was inspired by aviation. In addition to the thruster-style shift lever, the dash has taken on a wing-like shape to emphasize the car's width, even from the interior, and the air vents are meant to resemble jet engines. The center console houses the AMG Drive Unit, where drivers can customize the car's performance settings. The whole thing sits on 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inchers in the rear, with AMG alloy wheels.
The Electric SLS AMG Concept Car:
At the same time that Mercedes debuted the SLS AMG Gullwing for the world, it also unveiled an all-electric, zero-emissions SLS AMG concept car. Since the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show where the pair of gullwings first appeared was filled with electric cars and supercars, this made perfect sense. The concept has four electric motors near the wheels, but not actually on the wheel hubs. It carries a lithium-ion battery pack and is capable of doing 0-62 mph in around 4 seconds, not far behind its gasoline-powered partner. The EV concept was developed alongside the conventional SLS AMG, and so required few structural changes.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing Facts:
- Engine: 6.3-liter mid-front mounted V8
- Horsepower: 571 hp
- Torque: 479 lb-ft
- 0-62 mph: 3.8 seconds
- Top speed: 197 mph
- Fuel economy: 17 mpg
- Price: $260,000
