The all-new 2011 SLS AMG supercar is now the flagship of the auto industry's broadest product lineup. The Mercedes-Benz design and performance standard-bearer, the limited-production gullwing coupe is the first-ever car designed and developed from the ground up by Mercedes-AMG, the company's high-performance division. (continued below)
2011 SLS AMG Photo Gallery
SLS AMG: The New Mercedes-Benz Supercar
Source: Mercedes-Benz | Published: Sat Aug 07, 2010
(continued from above)
The new SLS AMG features a lightweight aluminum space-frame body with
gullwing doors and a 563-horsepower dry-sump V8 engine. With its front-mid
engine and rear-mounted, dual-clutch, seven-speed transaxle, the compelling SLS
AMG boasts ideal weight distribution of 47-53. Combined with double-wishbone
sport suspension, its weight distribution and low center of gravity ensure
race-car-like handling.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Features Gullwing Doors
and Aluminum Space Frame
While its silhouette is defined by a long
front hood, short body overhangs, low greenhouse and a short tail section, the
stylistic highlight of the SLS AMG is unquestionably its gullwing doors. Along
with a wide front grille with a large Mercedes-Benz star and a wing-like
lamella, the new SLS AMG is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing
coupe of the 1950s.
The 6.3L V8 Engine is Designed by Mercedes-AMG
Weighing in at a lean 3,573 pounds, the SLS AMG can accelerate from 0 to 60
miles per hour in only 3.7 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of
197 mph. Designed from the ground up by AMG, the 6.3-liter V8 powerplant in the
new Mercedes-Benz SLS represents an entirely new engine family, identified
internally by the designation M159. Based on valuable insight from 40-plus years
of motor racing, more than 120 components were redesigned in the development of
the SLS AMG engine. With 563 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque, the engine is one
of the world's most powerful naturally aspirated V8s in production.
A
dry-sump engine lubrication system - rare in the auto industry - along with a
front-mid engine located well behind the front wheels, coupled with a
rear-mounted transaxle, all contribute to impressive vehicle handling. Two oil
pumps make it possible to store engine oil in a separate tank, eliminating a
conventional oil pan or sump and allowing the engine to be positioned lower in
the body for an extremely low center of gravity.
