Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell
According to Ola Källenius who is the boss at AMG, the development of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell is going well and the car might be launched towards the end of next year if everything goes according to the plan.
In an interview given to Autoblog.com, Källenius said that electric powertrains will play an important role in AMG’s future lineup and that some sort of kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) will make it into AMG cars.
As a reminder, the SLS AMG E-Cell features a 48 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that powers four electric motors, generating a total output of 526 hp (533 PS / 392 kW) and 649 lb.-ft (880 Nm) of torque. The car needs only 4 seconds to do the 0-62 mph sprint, which is only 0.2 seconds slower than the regular SLS AMG.
Source: Mercedes-Benz via autoblog.com
Post tags: Tags: amg, Green, mercedes, mercedes benz sls, mercedes sls, mercedes sls amg, mercedes sls amg e-cell, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg e-cell
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
We’ve been wondering when Mercedes-Benz will launch the ultimate version of its SLS AMG. Apparently we don’t have to wait much longer for the Black Series version of the car because a prototype was spied by the guys from Autocar on the Nurburgring track. The car is scheduled to go on sale in 2013 and it should cost 50% more than the regular coupe which is available for 168,395 pounds in the UK so you’d better start saving money right away.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
According to Autocar, the German automaker decided to make the Black Series version of the SLS back in 2006 when the development of the AMG variant begun. When it will come out it will have a rather dramatic bodykit, featuring a big fixed rear wing, a rear diffuser, front splitter and more cooling on the hood, along with a wider track. We’ve already seen a similar bodykit on the SLS GT3 racer that was exhibited last year during the New York motor show.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
Company insiders have revealed that the V8 6.2-liter engine of the SLS AMG will be able to develop around 600 hp and a peak torque of 500 lb.-ft. when the Black Series version will be launched. Some of the tweaks that will be implemented in the ultimate SLS will be a higher compression ratio, a larger air manifold, along with reprofiled camshafts. Also included will be a mechanical locking differential, while the engine will be linked to a dual-clutch, 7-speed gearbox in order to handle the additional torque.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
Aside from the bodykit and the mechanical improvements, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series will lose 50kg and it will have an improved aerodynamic package, which should be enough for a 0-62 mph sprint time in only 3.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 208 mph. The regular SLS needs 3.8 seconds to hit 62 mph while its top speed is of “only” 197 mph.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series
Source: Autocar
Post tags: Tags: mercedes, mercedes benz sls, mercedes sls, mercedes sls amg, mercedes sls amg black series, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg black series
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by Kubatech
Squeezing more power from the engine of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG? Sure! The German tuner Kubatech can do it for “only” 8026 Euros. They’ve teamed up with Mcchip-dkr and have come up with a software-based optimization kit that increases the output of the massive V8 6.3-liter engine up to 616 hp (625 PS / 460 kW) and a peak torque of 501 lb.-ft (680 Nm). If you didn’t know the regular SLS AMG has to offer “only” 563 hp (571 PS / 420 kW) and 479 lb.-ft (650 Nm).
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by Kubatech
You probably know that Mercedes-Benz is working on the Black Series version of the SLS AMG, but this tuning program is with 17 PS more than what MB is working on so this could be an option for those of you who can’t wait for the Black Series, plus it probably is significantly cheaper.
Source: Kubatech via WCF
Post tags: Tags: kubatech, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, Tuning
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by VATH
If you thought that the Mercedes SLS AMG can’t get more power from its 6.3-liter engine, you’re wrong. The German tuner VATH has decided to roll out their own version of the sexy AMG version of the SLS, managing to increase the power to 607 hp (615 PS / 452 kW) and 501 lb.-ft (680 Nm), up from the standard 563 hp (571 PS / 420 kW). Thanks to these upgrades, the car can do the 0-60 mph sprint in only 3.3 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h).
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by VATH
To get that extra oomph from the engine, VATH installed a high-performance exhaust that features a pneumatic valve system, allowing the driver of the SLS AMG to control the exhaust sound himself from the cockpit. The sexy coupe now sits on VATH’s 9.5Jx20-inch (front) and 11.5Jx20-inch (back) wheels, covered by 265/30ZR20 and 315/25ZR20 tires. In comparison to the standard version, this VATH-tuned SLS AMG has been lowered by 25 mm.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by VATH
Design-wise, not much has changed and this can only be a good thing as the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is one of the most beautiful cars in the world. The German engineers installed a new front lip spoiler that offers more downforce on the car’s front axle, along with a boot lid spoiler and side skirts.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by VATH
Inside the cabin, we find a sport steering wheel wrapped around in leather, a new speedometer that reads up to 400 km/h, black floor mats with the tuner’s logo and door trimming in leather.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by VATH
For the entire package, SLS AMG owners have to pay 32,670 Euros.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by VATH
Source: VATH via WCF
Post tags: Tags: mercedes-benz sls amg, Tuning, vath
Traditional Mercedes-Benz tuning company Brabus has finally decided to reveal a thorough accessories package for the newest supercar from the German automaker, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
The Brabus SLS AMG has received a brand new aerodynamic and lightweight body kit, custom engineered by Brabus in its own wind tunnel. Almost all of the add-ons were made from carbon fiber, including the revised front spoiler, the rear one, as well as the covers for the front air inlets. The rear fascia has been restyled, while a set of lightweight Brabus monoblock F Platinum wheels were added, measuring 20-inch in the front and 21-inch in the back.
A new smooth-ride suspension system has been added, which drops the ride height by 40 millimeters. On the inside, Brabus added an ergonomically shaped sports steering wheel, as well as anodized pedals and illuminated stainless steel scuff plates. Contrast red stitching has been added, and Alcantara is also present.
Check out the Brabus tuned Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar in the photo gallery below.
Photo Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG by Brabus
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Post tags: Tags: brabus, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, photo-gallery, Tuning
For all those people with money to burn and performance cars to race on public roads, here’s a quick tip: whatever you do, don’t go speeding in Switzerland.
One Swedish Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG owner found this out the hard way, as he was clocked by the traffic camera doing a whopping 186 mph (300 km/h) on the highway between Bern and Lausanne. His excuse? The speedometer broke. Yeah, right.
As such, given Switzerland’s fine system that factors in the speed of the car and the annual income of the culprit, the Swedish man needs to pay the maximum fine possible, $1 million.
According to Swiss police officials, this is the highest speed recorded on the country’s public roads and, quite probably, the largest speeding ticket ever issued in the whole world.
Maybe next time the Swedish Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG owner will stick to the open roads of Germany’s Autobahn.
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Post tags: Tags: crime, fine, mercedes-benz sls amg, police, speeding, speeding ticket, switzerland
Continuing the gaming theme we had all week, this time we’re talking about what might be the game to beat in the racing genre this year: Gran Turismo 5.
After checking out the special GT5 Collector’s Edition at this year’s E3 conference in Los Angeles, the development team at Polyphony Digital has just revealed an even more exclusive Gran Turismo 5 Signature Edition.
So, what will you be getting with this special edition? Besides the actual game, you’ll get your hands on things like:
- Metal sculpted box finished in SLS AMG Obsidian Black
- Exclusive GT branded SLS AMG 1:43 model car
- GT leather wallet containing Signature Edition competition entry card
- Branded USB key with Polyphony/Mercedes-Benz trailer
- GT branded metal key fob
- Signature Edition coffee table book featuring the beautiful cars and locations of Gran Turismo 5
- 200 page Apex drivers magazine with hints on driving technique, car tuning, future technologies and more
The price for the Gran Turismo 5 Signature Edition? ‘Just’ €179.99 ($240). While that may be a bit too expensive for some, Sony is adding a special type of competition for all those who purchase this version of the game.
Sony, Polyphony Digital and Mercedes-Benz will organize specific in-game and real-life challenges, at the end of which one lucky gamer will walk away with an all-new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar. To enter the competition, all participants need to be over 18 and have a full driving license.
In case this version is a bit too rich for your taste, a more tamed Gran Turismo 5 Collector’s Edition will also be offered. It will boast the game, the Apex driver magazine, as well as five collectible artcards and special downloadable cars. The price is more decent €79.99.
Both the Signature and the Collector’s editions will be available in these countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
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Post tags: Tags: competition, gran turismo, gran turismo 5, gran turismo 5 collector's edition, gran turismo 5 signature edition, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, supercar, Video Games
In case you already recovered from the matte purple Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG we revealed to you last week, we now have something a bit more different, coming from German customization company Laureus Design.
As you can see, the brand decided to promote itself by revealing a chromed Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 race car.
A few subtle red highlights survived the chrome treatment, as well as a few orange ones on the massive rear wing of this track-only race car.
While it most certainly is out of this world, the polished look doesn’t look all that bad, at least in comparison to the matte purple from last week. What do you think? Share your thoughts about this interesting race car in the comment section below.
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Post tags: Tags: chrome, chromed, customization, laureus design, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg gt3, Tuning
With every new supercar, no matter how powerful or obscene, you can bet that there will be people with questionable taste getting their hands on some of them.
Such is the case with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, owned by an Arabian and parked on the streets of London. We’ve seen some pretty interesting Arabian nightmares customizations up until now, but this one takes it up a notch.
As you can see, the powerful German supercar is wrapped in a matte purple (or mauve, for the artistically-inclined) body vinyl, hiding the original red paint job. For an added contrast, the wing mirrors are also wrapped in fake carbon fiber.
In case the picture above wasn’t enough punishment for you, hit the jump to see a video of the purple Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in action on the streets of London.
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Post tags: Tags: customization, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, Special, Video
Mercedes surprised a lot of people when it revealed a working prototype of an electric sportscar, based on the SLS AMG supercar.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell, with four electric motors capable of pushing out 526 HP and 649 lb-ft of torque, previews a future performance electric model, which might appear around 2013 in a production form.
Until then though, Mercedes invited former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard to take the SLS AMG E-Cell for a ride. His first impression? It’s silent but packs a great acceleration.
Hit the jump to see the full video of the SLS AMG E-Cell and David Coulthard.
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Post tags: Tags: david coulthard, Electric Vehicles, mercedes, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg e-cell, Video
Seeing as how the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar is the next big thing for the performance luxury market, you can be sure that tuning companies are lining up to enhance the German model.
Kicherer is the latest company that took a wrench to the car, and the result is what you can see above, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Edition (don’t confuse the name with the future Black Series high performance edition, which will arrive from Mercedes itself).
As you can see, all the predictable accessories are there, including a matte black foil wrap, complete with black wheels, grille plus badge and revised front spoiler and rear bumper.
The most interesting changes are beneath the sheet metal and foil wrap, as Kicherer has reflashed the ECU, added a new exhaust system and an adjustable suspension, resulting in a power bump up to 620 HP.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed, but it’s safe to say not a lot of people will afford it.
Source: WCF
Post tags: Tags: kicherer, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, Tuning
526 HP electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell prototype revealed
Right after the stunning Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar was revealed, we heard that an electric version would appear in the future.
Now, the engineers at Mercedes-Benz and from its AMG performance division have just revealed the first electric prototype of the performance model: the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell.
The fully-working prototype, decked out in AMG Lumilectric Mango (the best paint name in the world), is powered by four electric motors, with a pair on each axle. The units redline at a whopping 12,000 rpm and can produce a very impressive 526 HP and 649 lb-ft of torque (Mercedes didn’t go the Audi way of blasting out outrageous torque ratings for its electric model).
This electric SLS AMG uses a lithium polymer battery pack, capable of a maximum output of 643 HP (480 kW). The pack is split between the center tunnel and a box mounted behind the cockpit. It also has twin cooling/heating circuits, in order to ensure optimum operating conditions.
The aerodynamics of the car have also been improved, as the lack of an internal combustion engine allows for an optimized air flow. A new front splitter and a rear diffuser were added to the SLS AMG E-Cell. On the inside, the new car boasts an upgraded 10-inch touchscreen while new warning systems were added to let the driver know of the state of the battery charge.
Expect the electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell to debut in a production form around 2013.
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Post tags: Tags: Electric Vehicles, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg e-cell, prototype, supercar
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG started life as Dodge Viper replacement, report says
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is being hailed as one of the most important supercar in recent times, combining cutting edge technology from Mercedes-Benz with massive power from its AMG division.
According to a report from Inside Line though, a lot of the credit should go to the Dodge Viper team, as it seems that the SLS AMG started life as a Viper replacement project at Chrysler’s Dodge.
It seems that a few years ago, the Dodge team knew a next generation Viper must be developed, so work had already started on an aluminum chassis and a new suspension system. Seeing as how Daimler still owned Chrysler, the Mercedes-Benz team decided to join in, in an effort to cut the development costs for MB’s own future supercar.
After Chrysler started suffering from the impending bankruptcy, the Dodge team was pulled by company execs from the project, which was handed over to Mercedes. As you all know, afterwards, Daimler washed its hands and got rid of Chrysler, which ended up with Fiat.
Now, as the SLS AMG is winning hearts left and right, the Dodge team is back at the drawing board, with a Viper replacement slated to appear around 2012.
This is still a rumor, at the moment, but considering the corporate intrigues that happened with Daimler Chrysler, we wouldn’t be too surprised if the SLS AMG did have American origins.
What do you think? Was Daimler capable of such a strategy? Share your thoughts below.
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Post tags: Tags: Chrysler, daimler, Dodge, dodge-viper, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is one mighty impressive supercar, delivering a huge amount of power with retro styling and, according to the famous tunnel ad, enough grip to keep it suspended upside down through a tunnel.
Sadly, all these things haven’t helped one Russian SLS AMG owner, which crashed with a local VAZ 2112 on a road. As you can see above and below, the German supercar is pretty totalled, but at least the Gullwing doors still work.
No word yet on how the accident took place, but this is, as far as we know, the first car crash involving a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Hopefully (although we’re not that confident), it’ll be the last.
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Post tags: Tags: Car Crashes, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, supercar
Last weekend was a legendary one, because Bobby and I went to Mercedes Benz Star Experience, an event organized by Mercedes, who spoiled its guests with test drives with la crème de la crème of their cars. That meant that the line up consisted of an G 500, a ML 63 AMG, an E Class Coupe, an E Class Cabriolet, an AMG, a SL and a SLK and some of the BlueEFFICIENCY cars with S Hybrid, C 200 CDI and the C 200 CGI. But the star of the show what the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, of course! The experience with the SLS reminds me of a quote from Fight Club: “After fighting, everything else in your life got the volume turned down.” In this case, it would be: “After riding a SLS AMG, everything else in my life is so slow.” (more…)
Post tags: Tags: launch, mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, mercedes-benz sls amg, mercedes-benz sls amg gullwing, photo-gallery, supercar
