2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

With its appealing proportions and upward-opening doors, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in Montreal revives the spirit of the iconic 300SL Gullwing sports car, albeit in a much faster and more comfortable form.

The SLS AMG is a unique sports car wholly designed and built by Mercedes’ AMG high-performance division. Inspired by the 300SL Gullwing sports car of the mid-1950s, the new SLS shares that icon’s long hood, short deck proportions and upward-opening doors.

The gullwing doors allow easy access to the car’s interior. The cabin is instantly recognizable as something from Mercedes, but the sporting quotient has been upped with handsomely stitched upholstery, racing-style bucket seats and carbon-fiber accents. Of course, there are plenty of luxury features as well, including a superb Bang and Olufsen audio system.

Montreal Mercedes AMG

Behind the classic grille is a hand-built, naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. The latter is a tweaked, dry-sump version of the V8 in the SL63 (and other AMG Benz models) that cranks out 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed automated dual-clutch manual transaxle (the first for a Mercedes-Benz) that sends the power to the rear wheels is the sole transmission choice.

The SLS is about 4 inches longer and nearly 5 inches wider than an SL63 AMG, yet weighs 700 fewer pounds. Those properties, along with the V8?s prodigious output, give the SLS noticeably sharper performance overall. All this helps to further differentiate the SLS from the SL63.

Find the Mercedes SLS AMG at our Montreal Mercedes dealer, Silver Star Mercedes.

---

• Back to 2011