It’s all your fault. It’s because of wealthy people like you that luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz build high-dollar supercars like the new SLS AMG. What are we normal people supposed to do? Do you really think printing a picture of the car with the sentence “my new goal in life” and sticking it on the fridge is enough for us?
No way!
Then again, what could I do to afford one of these beasts? Hmm… I could sell the house and finance the rest of the SLS’ $213,350 as-tested price over 15 years. But then I wouldn’t have a driveway to park the car and impress my neighbours with. Darn, back to square one.
Anyways, the new SLS AMG sort of replaces the SLR McLaren, a car that cost more than twice as much, so expect a little less exclusivity, obviously. What’s also obvious is that the SLS is inspired by the fabulous 300SL introduced in the ‘50s; it’s got all the same design cues, like the mile-long hood, the short rounded tail and—of course—the gullwing doors.
The new car is striking, but during its short stay with us, surprisingly failed to garnish as much attention on the road as the Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R did when we drove them in our neck of the woods. However, park the SLS and open the doors and everyone within a 100-foot radius will be polarized.
And they heard you arrive, too. The naturally-aspirated, hand-built, AMG 6.2-litre V8 fills the air with a very mean burble from the moment you start it. If you like adrenaline-pumping engine sounds, an AMG model is definitely for you.
For those wondering if the doors will scrape other cars parked beside at the shopping mall, don’t worry; when they’re open at their widest (about 13 inches from the side of the car), the doors are almost fully open and out of harm’s way. With the doors open, though, the car is higher than a Mercedes G-Class, so one must make sure there’s enough clearance in indoor parking lots.
With 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, funnelled through a 7-speed, double-clutch automated sequential gearbox, the SLS AMG bolts to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and clears the quarter-mile in 11.7 seconds at 197 km/h. That’s very fast, although a few ticks slower than a similarly priced Porsche 911 Turbo S.
No way!
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| Base price is $198,000, which is about half the price of an outgoing SLR McLaren. (photo: Philippe Champoux/Auto123.com) |
Then again, what could I do to afford one of these beasts? Hmm… I could sell the house and finance the rest of the SLS’ $213,350 as-tested price over 15 years. But then I wouldn’t have a driveway to park the car and impress my neighbours with. Darn, back to square one.
Anyways, the new SLS AMG sort of replaces the SLR McLaren, a car that cost more than twice as much, so expect a little less exclusivity, obviously. What’s also obvious is that the SLS is inspired by the fabulous 300SL introduced in the ‘50s; it’s got all the same design cues, like the mile-long hood, the short rounded tail and—of course—the gullwing doors.
The new car is striking, but during its short stay with us, surprisingly failed to garnish as much attention on the road as the Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R did when we drove them in our neck of the woods. However, park the SLS and open the doors and everyone within a 100-foot radius will be polarized.
And they heard you arrive, too. The naturally-aspirated, hand-built, AMG 6.2-litre V8 fills the air with a very mean burble from the moment you start it. If you like adrenaline-pumping engine sounds, an AMG model is definitely for you.
For those wondering if the doors will scrape other cars parked beside at the shopping mall, don’t worry; when they’re open at their widest (about 13 inches from the side of the car), the doors are almost fully open and out of harm’s way. With the doors open, though, the car is higher than a Mercedes G-Class, so one must make sure there’s enough clearance in indoor parking lots.
With 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, funnelled through a 7-speed, double-clutch automated sequential gearbox, the SLS AMG bolts to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and clears the quarter-mile in 11.7 seconds at 197 km/h. That’s very fast, although a few ticks slower than a similarly priced Porsche 911 Turbo S.
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| Power comes from a 32-valve, 6.2-litre V8 that develops 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. (photo: Philippe Champoux/Auto123.com) |