Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing Review

Our love started on a cloudy, cool morning. I was part of a sports car rally for journalists called Run to the Sun, and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG gullwing would be one of the two dozen cars we drove. The second morning of the rally was my first seat time in the matte silver gullwing.

The car and I waited in the parking lot, making small talk and getting familiar with each other, while Larkin from Mercedes got herself a coffee. When I hit the unlock button on the fob, a silver handle popped out of the door way down low. I raised the gullwing door climbed into the red leather cockpit, adjusted my seat -- electronically, of course -- and familiarized myself with the gauges and carbon fiber console.

When Larkin appeared and took her seat next to me, I reached up to close the lifted gullwing door. No automated doors here; you have to tap your inner Stirling Moss to reach up and pull the door closed. Larkin assured me that despite its supercar looks and hand-built 6.3-liter V8, it would drive as nicely as any Mercedes out there.

She was right -- on that first 20-minute morning drive, the car purred at stop signs and flowed in traffic. There weren't many opportunities to really get to know each other, the gullwing and I, but we were on solid footing. My summer crush had begun.

The SLS AMG had to get from Seattle to Portland to be put on a truck back to Mercedes HQ, or wherever it was destined to travel. Larkin suggested that I drive it from Seattle to Portland, and I was more than happy to get some alone time with the car. I climbed back in, pulled the door down, and hit the start button.

The first hour (at least), I was stuck in weekday afternoon rush hour traffic in Seattle ... and Tacoma ... and even Olympia. If I got to drive 60 mph, I was happy. But the Mercedes never complained. It's got a 7-speed automatic transmission with several settings, depending on driving conditions and the driver's comfort level with the car. I kept it in the fuel-saving automatic mode while in traffic, which shifted up to the highest possible gear as quickly as it could to keep the revs down and the mpgs up.

After Chehalis, traffic lightened, and I discovered one of the best aspects of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: people will leave the fast lane to watch -- and hear -- this car pass by. I did not let my public down. I also did not get a ticket, despite driving as fast as I've ever driven in my life. Every time I passed a minivan or sedate sedan, the driver would be sneaking glances as I roared by, and the passenger would be leaning forward craning his neck.

Once in Portland with the gullwing proudly installed in my driveway, at least for the night, I called car-fiend friends to come admire my crush-worthy car. Interestingly, though the design and power were undeniable, the headroom left something to be desired for my six-and-a-half-foot friend. The door was open, but the top of his head would have been bumped by the top of the door if he had closed it.

When I delivered the car to the truck the next morning, Jay-Z's "99 Problems" was playing on the optional Bang & Olufsen satellite radio. I turned it way, way up with nary a shake. (The little tweeters at the corners of the dash resemble stylized models of the Starship Enterprise.) Resurrecting those doors, first seen on the 300SL in the 1950s, had caused engineers headaches, but they worked beautifully and looked stunning when open.

Climbing out of the car as Larkin had shown me -- left leg first, push up and out -- I handed over the keys and said goodbye. Summer love, it happens so fast.

• Engine: 6.3-liter V8
• Horsepower: 568 hp
• Torque: 469 lb-ft
• Top speed: 197 mph (electronically limited)
• 0-60 mph: 3.8 seconds
• Price as tested: $203,500