Car Of The Day: September 22, 2012 (Belated)

Todays car of the day is a GreenLight Motorworld  2010 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a luxury grand tourer automobile developed by Mercedes-AMG to replace the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The car is the first Mercedes automobile designed in-house by AMG and is described by Mercedes-Benz as a spiritual successor to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.

The vehicle was unveiled at the 2009 IAA. Sales began in mid-2010 in Europe with MSRP of €177,310 (including taxes) and in the United States in mid-2011 for less than $200,000.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

The SLS AMG was designed to be a modern 300SL Gullwing revival by Mark Fetherston in 2007. The car has a long bonnet, the passenger compartment is close to the rear axle and the rear of the car is short. The SLS AMG was developed from late 2006 in tandem with the Dodge Viper, with mules using Viper body panels over an aluminum chassis developed by Dodge SRT. The SLS AMG has also adapted the feature of wing doors that will swing open upwards on gas struts, not in a mix of upwards and forward like the SLR. The doors must be closed manually as AMG engineers decided against auto-closing systems because the systems would have added 90 pounds (41 kg) to the car. In case of a roll-over, the doors can be fully detached to allow the occupants to leave the vehicle.

Although there is some overlapping in price and performance, the lighter SLS AMG is considered more of a sporty track-oriented car, compared to the Mercedes-Benz SL which is a more autobahn-focused grand tourer especially with its optional V12 engine. Compared to the SLS AMG Roadster, the SL is a hardtop convertible with technological and comfort amenities, and it also has available heated and cooled seats with a massage function.

The SLS AMG will be made in at least four different versions. The first to launch is the coupe with gullwing doors. In 2009 a Desert Gold version debuted at the Dubai International Auto Show, in mid-2010 a FIA-GT3 racing version. For 2011–2013 Mercedes will also be releasing a roadster (with conventional doors and a soft top), an electric powered E-Cell version (most likely to be a coupe), and there will be a Black Series version, which will see its weight being reduced by as much as 300 kg (661 lb).