The Mercedes SLS AMG was the first ever AMG built from the ground up by Mercedes AMG. Launched in 2010, it replaced the outgoing SLR McLaren which had recently ended production. The SLS was very different from the SLR since it was far cheaper and easier to live with. Though, to was just as fast, if not faster.
Designers at Mercedes Benz including chief designer Mark Fetherstone, wanted the SLS to be a revival of quite possibly the most famous Mercedes ever, the 300SL from the 1950s. Upon launch in 2010, the SLS received many awards for its design, including the prestigious Red Dot “Best of The Best” award. In fact, it is the only car to have won the gold Design Award of The Federal Republic of Germany.
Mercedes launched the SLS to the public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and then later at the Tokyo Game Show and in the second terminal of major Tokyo Airport, Haneda International Airport. Deliveries to customers started in Spring 2010 in Europe, whilst North Americans had to wait till mid-2011 for their SLS models.
The SLS was a bitter rival of the Ferrari 458, a car that was launched just a year prior to the SLS. Both cars share the same gearbox, albeit they are tuned differently. Both cars produce similar horsepower figures and both were seen together on an episode of Top Gear where the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May all went to the East Coast of America looking for good driving roads. Alongside those two cars was Porsche’s latest 997 911 GT3 RS.
So should you invest in an SLS AMG? Let’s find out.
picture via: wikipedia.org
It’s Truly a One-Off Car
In 2015 when Mercedes replaced the SLS with the less powerful and cheaper AMG GT, Mercedes-AMG CEO at the time Tobias Moers stated that there were no plans for a gull-wing SLS replacement. there would be no second generation of SLS whatsoever. The decision to do this is because the SLS is such an iconic car and they wanted it to stand alone alongside the 300SL gull-wing from the 1950s.
The SLS features a lot of design elements never seen before on other AMG cars (and hasn’t since). These include the gullwing doors on the coupe model, the tall front headlights, the curved taillights, the large rounded trunk lid, and huge side vents on the car.
Inside, the SLS features an interior that is a modern take on the one fitted in the 300SL. Its dashboard is all very straight and square and the air vents are very similar to the ones fitted to the 300 SL. The cut-out for the driver’s gauges is also similar, though it is not as tall. Other than that though, the SLS shares an interior that is very similar to the SL Mercedes. Unlike an SL though, the SLS inside feels more like a cockpit since it is a lot lower.
The engine though is where the SLS really shines. Under the hood is a 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V8 that has been lifted from similar AMG models at the time like the E63, C63, and SL63. However, the engine has been tuned significantly to the point that it has a completely new model code. AMG did around 120 modifications on the standard engine in total for the SLS.
As a result of all these modifications, the SLS pushes out 563hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. This made it the most powerful V8 AMG car at the time. Mercedes could have fitted the new 5.5 Biturbo V8 unit to the SLS or the smaller yet more powerful 6 liter V12 Biturbo unit from the SL65 and S65. the fact they fitted their most muscular engine at the time to the SLS shows that they truly wanted to make the SLS stand out from the crowd.
The SLS could hit 60 in just 3.8 seconds and flat out hit 196 mph. That is pretty quick but it is 0.4 seconds slow to 60 than the Ferrari 458, a car that was a key rival to the SLS at the time. This is due to the fact that the SLS is a heavier car weighing in at over 1600kg.
In 2011, Mercedes launched the SLS roadster which ditched the iconic gullwing doors for conventional doors, though this time the roof could come down. It’s a good-looking car though these tend to be a lot cheaper than the gullwing coupe equivalents since they don’t have the iconic gullwing doors. However, it does make up for that by providing a very fun driving experience when out on the road with the roof down. The car is also a little more stable.
In 2012 Mercedes created the SLS AMG GT which is an upgraded version of the normal SLS. It features a bit more power and slightly better performance. These cars are very rare and tend to be a lot more expensive compared to standard SLS models. A year late though, the SLS went through a major change with the all-new Black Series model which was a lighter more track-focused version of the SLS with more horsepower but less torque. That car is very rare and was only produced in coupe form. prices today of those cars can fetch over one million dollars.
To Conclude
The SLS is one of the best cars ever made hence why it is going up so much in value. They are truly one of a kind and Mercedes will never make anything like the SLS ever again, at least not for many decades. The engine is a masterpiece and the car has won so many international awards. It is one of the best cars ever made and also being the first ever ground-up AMG ever built, it holds a lot of pedigree and history to its name.
It is a serious car that should be considered an investment. Especially GT, Final edition, and Black Series models which are shooting up in value right now.