Car news

2011 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG

What made the 1954 Mercedes Benz 300SL coupe so famous was of course its distinctive gullwing doors. That legendary styling has been reborn into the new 2011 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG. Mercedes’ approach with this car is to create a supercar with above normal supercar attributes. It is an answer to Audi’s RS8 and I think to a lot of other supercars out there as well.

This car is the result of co-development between Mercedes AMG and the Mercedes Technology Centre (MTC). It features a low center of gravity and a perfect 47:53 percent weight distribution between front and back. Both body and chassis are built completely from cast aluminum which allows Mercedes to thicken the metal in high stress areas and greatly reduce the metal thickness in areas which do not need as much reinforcement. This drastically lowers the weight of the vehicle. Mercedes coins the body their “space frame” design which weighs a mere 531 pounds and gives the car an overall curb weight of just 3571 pounds – less than the 3858 lbs Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren and 4220 lbs Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series.

The SLS AMG sports a classic sportscar look with a long front nose, long wheelbase and short fender overhangs. The grunt comes front Mercedes’ advanced 6.3L V8 producing 571 hp (420 kW) at 6800 rpm and 479 lb-ft of torque at 4750 rpm accelerating it to 0-60 in only 3.8 seconds. Along with being positioned behind the front axle, the motor uses a dry sump lubrication system which allows for it to be mounted lower to the ground in turn improving the cars center of gravity. AMG’s new seven-speed double-clutch transmission is linked to the power plant via an incredibly light carbon drive shaft. The transmission is well regarded for its smooth shifts which uninterrupt the flow of power. Top speed will be a governed 196MPH.

The chassis is comprised of a speed sensitive, power assisted, 13.1:1 ratio’d rack and pinion steering system. Connecting the frame to the wheels is a double wishbone with track rod suspension, giving anyone who jumps in the car a supreme feeling of the road.

Stopping the SLS AMG are 15.4 inch cast iron and aluminum compound discs in the front clamped by a giant 6 piston brake caliper and 14.2 inch discs with 4 piston brake calipers in the rear. Carbon ceramic brakes will be an option for those who wish to have even less fade resistance braking and unsprung weight. This option will also provide larger 15.8 inch front rotors however the rear rotor will remain the same size but be just a little bit thicker.