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We have just spent a stunning week road testing a new Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing in and around our home base on the Gold Coast and have been immensely impressed with it.
However, those looking for a cool cruiser to impress others should be aware that this is a car for serious drivers who are willing to put an effort into the car. If you aren’t prepared to drive it correctly you may be disappointed. Which is exactly the way it should be in a full-on sports machine like this.
The SLS Gullwing is is the first car designed by the Mercedes-Benz high-performance division, AMG. All previous AMG models have used a donor car from Mercedes that has then been highly modified.
Getting into a Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing isn't particularly easy. You slip sideways towards the seat while stooping to get under the raised door, at the same time grasping the inside door handle – because if you sit down then reach up for the handle you may find it’s out of reach. Having held onto the handle you wriggle over the wide doorsill into the seat, pulling the door downwards as you do so.
Once inside you immediately become aware of the ultra-long bonnet but after the first scare when you realise you have stuck the front of the car further into a crossroad than you realised you soon become accustomed to the set-back driving position.
The cabin of this sports machine is relatively small. The driver’s seat is ideally positioned to give fine control of the steering wheel, the pedals and the stubby gear lever that controls the high-tech sports automatic transmission. My six-foot frame found legroom in the passenger seat could only be achieved with the seat set relatively upright. As soon as I tried to recline the seat it automatically slid forward to stop the backrest hitting the rear of the cabin, and this meant I could no longer stretch my legs out.
Despite the lowset lines of the Gullwing, there's good headroom. Some of that headroom is achieved by the very low seats and older bodies may find it’s quite a slump down into the Mercedes, a big of a climb back out again.
The interior styling of the new Gullwing is excellent with a strong sporting theme that ties in beautifully with the stunning exterior lines. Instrumentation is simple, with a classic two-dial layout in a shaded pod directly in front of the driver.
The climate-controlled interior is crafted from the finest of materials and the immaculate way the SLS’s cabin has been assembled by tradesmen and women will immediately be remarked upon by those who appreciate the finer things of life.
Aural pleasure is provided by a superb audio system specially tuned for the Gullwing by Bang and Olufsen in conjunction with AMG's sound engineers. It has 10 speakers plus a subwoofer and Dolby Digital 5.1 further enhances the entertainment.
That very long bonnet is not just there for show, it lets the engineers push the large V8 engine well back to give their car a perfect 50/50 balance when there are two occupants on board.
Such have been the advances in technology over the last 60 years that there is more power under the bonnet of a 2010 road-going Mercedes Gullwing than there was in the highly-strung Mercedes pure racing cars of the 1950s.
The new Mercedes AMG sports machine uses a big 6.2-litre V8 AMG engine that produces up to 570 horsepower. This stunning V8 can catapult the SLS AMG Gullwing from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 317 km/h. The push in the back when you get the big AMG V8 working to the max is great. But if anything the sheer volume and quality of the sound from the engine is even more awesome than the performance. Particularly in the way the sound increases in urgency and character as the V8 leaps towards the red line on the tacho.
Though the engine is happy at low revs the automatic transmission can be on the fussy side at slow speed in traffic and when trickling into parking spaces, showing a reluctance that can make for a jerky ride and a reluctance to pick up a gear.
But this is not a commuting car, it’s built for the weekend track work and enjoyable drives on the open road. On the twisting, and turning sections traversed during our week’s test we were amazed at the immense grip provided not only by the balance and suspension design, but also by the subtle electronic assistance provided by the car’s electronics.
The new Mercedes-Benz SLS Gullwing AMG is a stunning example of 21st century automotive engineering. Great to look at and superbly dynamic on the road, it provides a huge amount of driving pleasure for the enthusiast.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Gullwing 6.2-litre petrol two-door coupe: $464,000 (automatic)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Standard
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Stability Control: Standard
Traction Control: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Gullwing 6.2-litre petrol two-door coupe)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 6.208 litres
Configuration: V8
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 11.3:1
Bore/Stroke: 102.2 x 94.6 mm
Maximum Power: 420 kW @ 6800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 650 Nm @ 4750 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Seven-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.67:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4638 mm
Wheelbase: 2680 mm
Width: 2297 mm
Height: 1262 mm (1947 mm when doors open)
Turning Circle: 11.9 metres
Kerb Mass: 1695 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 99 litres (including reserve)
Boot Capacity: 176 litres
Towing Ability: Not available
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Aluminium double wishbone, anti-dive, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Aluminium double wishbone, anti-dive, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 3.8 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 98RON
Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 13.3 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 3.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
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